Knowledge is key

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How we think about fasting is largely determined by the amount of information we've been exposed to regarding this topic or for some, it's based off of first-hand experience. 

Fasting has been used by civilization for centuries and quite literally in some fashion from the beginning of time. Our ancestors i.e. the hunter-gatherers would fast because they didn't have access to food at times and religions worldwide have used fasting as a part of tradition (some for sacrificial purposes, others to gain enlightenment and others to grow closer to God). These are merely two examples of why one would fast. Another, which we will explore is for the widely known health benefits.

This subject (like most) is highly controversial. My best advice (as it always is) is to try for yourself, see how your body responds and record your results. You have to be your own best advocate because only you are in control of your health (you own your body after all) .

Just as controversial as the topic itself, are the many ways in which you can choose to fast. 

Intermittent fasting by definition is when you cycle between periods of eating and fasting, for example,  the "16/8" method where your window of "eating" happens within an eight hour period every day and you "fast" for the other 16 hours. This is a more common fast as it seems to be the easiest because a large portion of the fasting happens while you're asleep.  There is the "eat-stop-eat" fast where you enjoy a regular diet 5-6 days out of the week and fast for one 24 hour period once or twice per week. There is "alternate day" fasting where you eat every other day as well as many other styles of fasting.

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Then there is the "type" of fasting.

Some will juice fast and only drink juice for their fasting period while others opt for a liquid-only diet and some abstain from everything except water (which is called water fasting). 

While the information is largely comprehensive, the subject itself is quite simple:

We fast to give our bodies a break from the constant necessity (and heavy burden) of digestion- in other words, we relieve our bodies from all the hard work of breaking down food so that it can focus it's energy on healing and restoration (which are critically important and most often happen while our body is resting from digestion).

Some of the purported health benefits of fasting are weight loss, insulin resistance, inflammation, heart health, cancer, brain health and anti-aging.

Below is a link to internationally renowned natural health physician Dr. Mercola as he explains the benefits of intermittent fasting. 

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Link to a 9 minute video on intermittent fasting​

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This week you can:

Begin to think about how you can integrate intermittent fasting into your ever-growing "Real Food Lifestyle" routine. 

You'll never know how this can make a lasting impact on your day-to-day health unless you try.

Start with one day of 16 hour fasting. Finish with dinner at 7 pm and eat again after 11 am the next day. 

*If you have a medical condition, consider consulting with your physician.