FEMALE MUSCLE

Two common topics in health and fitness conversations these days are fasting and cleansing. There’s certainly no shortage of marketing hype as to what it means to cleanse or fast. It’s important to inform yourself in this arena, and this is what I’m doing today.

Fasting and cleansing aren’t quick fixes and shouldn’t be used for fat loss on their own. Contrary to what some people may say, they’re meant to enhance health benefits and support the body’s ability to naturally detoxify. Our bodies are struggling in this area due to toxic overload and inferior nutrition.

We’re living in a very toxic world with processed foods, sugars, pesticides, insecticides and overall pollution. It’s everywhere, and then, to top it off, the human body isn’t being supplied with the vital nutrients it needs, such as aminos, minerals, and vitamins, that allow the body to actually detoxify. I also need to make note that modern stress has a huge impact on our physiology. Stress is killing us!

Properly structured fasting really helps clean out the body and supports renewal. Hard-training and dieting athletes and busy professionals should really listen up. They’re stressing their bodies more than most. Aging combined with cumulative stresses can result in significant health issues, not just declining performance. Fasting lets the magic of autophagy get to work on clearing the old and building the new.

Dr. Yoshinori Ohsumi was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 2016 for uncovering the mechanisms of autophagy. In short, “autophagy” means “self eat.” It’s the body’s way of cleaning out old, underperforming parts (cells). Fasting gives digestion a break and allows for the absence of insulin, which is how this process becomes active. Additionally, fasting also increases growth hormone levels, which begins the renewal and rebuilding process.

We now know that many diseases such as Alzheimer’s and cancer exist in part because autophagy isn’t being optimized in our overfed culture. Low-carb eating has also been shown to be beneficial simply because low insulin means increased glucagon from the pancreas. Glucagon supports autophagy. However, the flaw here is that food is still going into the body, so energy is diverted away from the process to deal with what is readily available. Fasting for the right amount of time supports phase 1 and phase 2 detoxification. Both phases, along with autophagy, help effectively clean house.

This is why fasting and cleansing beautifully fit together, and when you combine them with strategic nutritional support, you can have a potent combination to promote health, performance, body composition, slower aging, and reduced risk of disease.

Shorter fasts such as 12 to 18 hours are more about fat loss and boosting hormones such as growth hormone, whereas longer, structured fasts of 24 to 48 hours are more about intensive detoxification. Fasting isn’t recommended if you are training intensely or have cortisol dysregulation (HPA axis dysregulation or adrenal fatigue), hypoglycemia, or diabetes. You want to consult with someone who can help do this right.

For another article on fasting by Tammy, click here! 

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