What Happens In Our Bodies During a Fast?

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Disclaimer: Not medical advice. The following information is for educational purposes only.

Important:

If you’re a woman, you should not be fasting all the time. Your cycle and hormones need to be taken into account (a future article is coming on this topic)
If you have very low body fat levels, keep fasts on the shorter end.

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Fasting is not a time when we’re depriving ourselves. Fasting is a process of self-repair - a tool we gift ourselves whenever it’s required. Our bodies are constantly bombarded by toxins from processed foods, chemicals in household items and beauty products, pollution in the air, contaminated water, mold, etc. In order for a car to run smoothly, it requires maintenance every once in a while. Our body is the same.

What happens inside your body while fasting:

12 - 15 hours: Human Growth Hormone (HGH) increases. Body begins to break down and burn fats. Benefits of HGH:

Burns fat
Builds lean muscle mass
Prevents the loss of muscle
Strengthen bones
Collagen formation
Slows down the aging process

17 - 20 hours onwards: Autophagy begins and your body begins to burn fat as fuel. The longer you stay in a fast, the more enhanced the effects of autophagy become. Autophagy peaks at ~72 hours of fasting Autophagy Benefits:

Repairs and cleans out damaged cells and regenerates new ones
Toxins moved out of cells for excretion
Brain function and cognition improve
Immune system improves
Sex hormone production improves
Increases longevity

24 hours onwards:

Gut begins to be repaired

36 hours onwards:

Autophagy ramps up
Fat burning increases rapidly
Stored sugars in body get released
Cholesterol is reduced

48 hours onwards:

HGH ramps up to 5x more than when you started fasting
Dopamine levels are reset
Anxiety levels drop
Many additional neurological benefits from 48 hours +

54 hours onwards: Significant improvements to insulin sensitivity (especially helpful for diabetics, pre-diabetics and people who struggle with losing weight) 72 hours onwards:

Autophagy peaks
Stem cell activity is maximized
Your body regenerates stem cells and these repair your immune system and any injuries around the body
Effects of aging slows down.

Note: Some people prefer to fast for 3 - 5+ days to maximize the benefits from the stem cell activity. People pay big $$$ for stem cell treatments. You can access these benefits for free with extended fasts. 3 - 5 day fasts are especially beneficial for healing injuries and diseases.

What type of fasts should I do?

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Fasting length depends on the intended purpose:

Healing your gut → 24 - 36 hours onwards
Fat burning → 36 hours onwards
Regular health maintenance → 20 - 36 hours onwards
Dopamine reset & anxiety reduction → 48 hours onwards
Improving insulin sensitivity → 54 hours onwards
Healing injuries & diseases → 72 hours onwards

Fasts of 48 hours or more should not be done more than once a week. Your body also requires nutrients from food 😉

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If you’re new to fasting, start with shorter 14 - 16 hour intermittent fasts. Then gradually build up to 18 - 24 hour fasts to gain confidence before attempting longer fasts! When you’re fasting, it can be common to feel weak at certain points - it’s part of the self-repair process. The more experience you have with extended fasts, the easier it gets both mentally and physically. If you experience headaches and dizziness, increase your electrolyte consumption. A typical rule of thumb: For every 1 litre of water, add:

1/8 - 1/4 tsp magnesium chloride powder (food grade)
1/8 tsp mineral rich salt
1/8 tsp potassium powder (chloride / bicarbonate)

OR use a product like Concentrace

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When does fasting start?

As soon as you’ve finished your last meal.

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How to Fast Correctly:

During a fast, the only thing you should be consuming is water with electrolytes - a pinch of salt for sodium, magnesium chloride powder (food grade) and potassium powder… or just buy an electrolyte formula without added sugars such as Concentrace. No coconut water or any juices. All of these have natural sugars or make your digestive system work, which will kick you out of the fasted state. How to Break a Fast Correctly:

The purpose of this four step process is to slowly get your digestion back on track, by gradually reintroducing foods. Most people break their fasts with a large meal. This is incorrect and will put a lot of stress on your digestive system. Follow this four step process:

Meal 1: Break your fast with a simple soup or bone broth. Bone broth is by far the best thing for your gut after an extended fast.

Wait 1 hour

Meal 2: Have some more soup/bone broth + some fruit like banana, dates, etc.

Wait 1 hour

Meal 3: Have a probiotic source such as kefir, yogurt, etc. It's fine to add toppings such as honey and cacao nibs, etc here too.

Wait 1 hour

Meal 4: Now you can eat as you normally would - meats, veggies, etc.

What’s a Good App to Track Fasts?

LIFE Fasting Tracker - LIFE Apps | LIVE and LEARN

The best, and free, intermittent fasting tracking app for iPhone and Android. Easy to use. Supports all fasting types. Fast with friends. Download for Free.