Fasting Made Easy

SOLUTIONS FOR LONGEVITY

I received the following information from several sources but mostly from Dr. Dan Pompa. It provides solutions for what has been described above. I’m a huge believer in the power of fasting and intermittent fasting to decrease cellular inflammation and ignite healing in the body. Fasting means abstaining from all or some kinds of food or drink for a specified time period, and has been used since ancient times as a way to get sick people well. It is not a magic quick-fix cure, but does allow the body’s innate healing mechanisms to be mobilized by removing the obstacles to healing. By letting the body exclusively focus on healing itself, restoration is accelerated. It is simple yet one of the most powerful ways to improve health at the most basic cellular level. By making it a practice in my life, it has provided incredible benefits for me, as well as those I coach back to health.

BENEFITS OF FASTING

The main reason I believe fasting markedly improves most every health condition is that it eliminates the inflammation of the cell. There are two types of inflammation: chronic and acute. Acute inflammation lasts just a short period of time (between seconds and a few days), and is a normal and healthy biological response to wound healing (from accidents or injuries) or infection. Chronic inflammation, on the other hand, occurs over a longer time period (often many years), is not healthy, and is directly implicated in most all modern health disorders, including autoimmune disorders, obesity and diabetes, hormone challenges, and more. To impact most any health challenge we must decrease chronic inflammation. And there is simply no quicker way to decrease inflammation than fasting.

In addition, a recent study suggested that fasting for three consecutive days actually “flips a switch” to ignite regeneration of the immune system as it triggers the body to begin producing new white blood cells. It’s like pressing the reset button on your body’s wiring system. The study also found that prolonged fasting triggered a reduction of the enzyme PKA, linking to aging and increased risk of cancer and tumor growth. Dr. Valter Longo, Professor of Gerontology and the Biological Sciences at the University of California, stated “There is no evidence at all that fasting would be dangerous while there is strong evidence that it is beneficial.” 

Fasting and daily intermittent fasting also spikes human growth hormone (HGH) levels, which offer strong anti-aging effects by literally slowing the rate at which your cells age. Fasting also dramatically increases energy levels since the body isn’t burdened by digesting food all day. Without the burden of digesting, the gut is able to heal from conditions like IBS, leaky gut and other severe inflammation driven conditions like Crohn’s and colitis. Other positive side effects of fasting and intermittent fasting include: weight-loss, increased brain function and cognitive skills, powerful detoxification effects, life extension, improved hormone balance and insulin sensitivity, enhanced digestion, decreased disease risk, reduced appetite, and the list goes on.

INTERMITTENT FASTING

(Quick guide)

There are various methods of fasting other than daily intermittent fasting (14-18 hours fasting per day), including taking one or two days a week to fast, or the block fasting approach, which involves fasting for consecutive days at a time. I sometimes like to take one day a week as a fasting day, while still including daily intermittent fasting in my routine.

Fasting is simply another tool to keep in your toolbox of health strategies. The beauty lies in its simplicity and its amazing way of decreasing cellular inflammation. I’ve had much personal and clinical success with the technique, but it doesn’t mean it’s the perfect solution for you. All you can do is give it a try, keep an open mind, and stay in tune with your body. If you’d like to experiment, you can begin the transition from sugar burner to fat burner by putting yourself into ketosis (when your body is efficient in burning fat for fuel). Once in ketosis, your body is burning your own fat for fuel so you can go for longer periods without food, i.e. intermittent fasting, and not get that dreaded “hangry” feeling. Remember to incorporate the diet variation technique if you’re not getting results.

Experiment with daily intermittent fasting, 1 day per week fasting, or a 3-4 day block of fasting and see what works best for you:

• Due to less overall food consumption while fasting, make every calorie count by eating a very nutrient rich diet. Consume plenty of good fat, quality animal protein, and organic vegetables (following core principles to ensure nutritional bases are covered).
• Take in good fat in the morning to stabilize blood sugar levels and to keep you in the fat-burning zone until lunch time. Try adding plenty of coconut oil, coconut milk, grass-fed butter oil or grass-fed heavy cream to your organic coffee or tea.
• Be patient with yourself as you transition from a “sugar burner” to a “fat burner,” and incorporate the diet variation if weight loss plateaus.