Why We Fast
It’s not a diet. It’s just one piece of a wholesome lifestyle.
Fasting adds structure and focus to your health journey while rewarding your body with the improved cellular repair & regeneration benefits of a period of cellular cleansing.
What are the Benefits of Fasting?
Fasting means not eating for an extended period of time. Not eating for certain periods can help raise ketone levels. Ketones are chemicals your liver makes that your body uses as energy. But that’s not all fasting does. It also offers health and mental benefits you might not expect.
Mental Function
When you fast, your body has less toxic materials flowing through the blood and lymphatic system, making it easier for you to think. While fasting, the energy you’d normally use to digest food is available to be used by the brain.
You likely won’t notice this mental change until the first few days of a fast because your body takes time to adjust. But after your body clears itself of toxins, your brain has access to a cleaner bloodstream, resulting in clearer thoughts, better memory, and increased sharpness of your other senses.
Cellular Function & Repair
Fasting puts your body through a rejuvenation experience. It dissolves diseased cells, leaving only healthy tissue. There’s also a noticeable redistribution of nutrients in the body. The body hangs onto precious vitamins and minerals while processing and getting rid of old tissue, toxins, or undesirable materials.
Stem Cell Production
Prolonged fasting forces the body to use stores of glucose, fat and ketones, but it also breaks down a significant portion of white blood cells.
During each cycle of fasting, this depletion of white blood cells induces changes that trigger stem cell-based regeneration of new immune system cells. Prolonged fasting also lowered levels of IGF-1, a growth-factor hormone linked to aging, tumor progression and cancer risk.
Weight Loss & Inflammation
By following a fast you’ll be eating less and your body will be relying on its fat reserves to keep you energized all day resulting in weight loss. Fasting has also been shown to reduce inflammation.
Wellbeing & Presence
Choosing to fast requires mental strength and the ability to resist short-term gratification to pursue long-term goals. When you choose to participate in such a challenging exercise and succeed, you’ll likely experience enormous gratification and a renewed sense of accomplishment.
It increases personal and mental resilience.
frequently asked questions
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Is water fasting safe?
Water fasting is generally safe for healthy individuals. However, it is not recommended for people with certain health conditions, such as pregnant or breastfeeding women, individuals with a history of disordered eating, and people with certain medical conditions such as type 1 diabetes. It’s always best to check with your healthcare provider before attempting any type of fast, especially if you have any underlying health conditions or are taking any medications.
Why should I fast?
There are many reasons to fast. Some people do it for religious or spiritual reasons; however, there are also well-established health benefits to fasting. Intermittent fasting encourages weight loss, reduces body fat, lowers blood pressure and heart rate, and may even reduce the risk of serious conditions.
What kind of water should I drink?
During a water fast, it’s important to drink clean, pure water that is free of contaminants. You should aim to drink filtered or purified water, rather than tap water. If you have access to it, drinking reverse osmosis water or distilled water are considered the purest options.
How much water should I drink?
It’s important to stay well hydrated during a fast, but the amount of water you should drink can vary depending on a number of factors, such as your body weight, activity level, and the length of your fast. As a general rule of thumb, it’s recommended to drink at least 8-10 cups (64-80 ounces) of water per day.
It’s also important to listen to your body and drink water when you feel thirsty. Sipping water throughout the day will help to prevent dehydration and keep you hydrated.
What is autophagy?
Autopahy is a self-eating process (the word literally means “self-eating”). Essentially, during autophagy, the body recycles old parts to create new parts. Or as a recent study explains it a little more scientifically:
“Autophagy also plays a housekeeping role in removing misfolded or aggregated proteins, clearing damaged organelles, such as mitochondria, endoplasmic reticulum and peroxisomes, as well as eliminating intracellular pathogens. Thus, autophagy is generally thought of as a survival mechanism.”
Is it safe for a diabetic to fast?
Fasting can be done safely for individuals with diabetes, however, it is important to work with a healthcare professional, as they will be able to advise you on how to monitor your blood sugar levels, adjust your medications as necessary, and provide guidance on how to safely break your fast.
People with type 1 diabetes are at greater risk when fasting compared to people with type 2 diabetes, because they do not produce enough insulin. Without sufficient insulin, the body is not able to take in glucose from the bloodstream and use it for energy, which can lead to dangerously low blood sugar levels during a fast.