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What About Fasting?
Blog | June 29, 2014
While discussing the side effects of chemotherapy with a friend who recently battled Hodgkin’s Lymphoma, I chanced upon a really interesting article published by the University of Southern California. The piece discussed the benefits of intermittent fasting for people who have undergone chemotherapy. As some of you may already know, though chemotherapy can be effective in treating cancer, it also devastates the rest of the body in doing so. The article focused on a study published in a recent issue of the scientific journal, Cell Stem Cell.
According to the study, fasting enabled the body to regenerate and repair cells damaged by chemotherapy. Essentially, fasting ‘awakened’ dormant cells and triggered them into a state of renewal. Heady, complicated stuff for sure, but amazing nonetheless. Dr. Tanya Dorff, who also worked on the study, is hopeful that fasting may repair much of the collateral damage that chemotherapy causes in the body.
Fasting has been around for thousands of years as a religious ritual. Taoism, Buddhism, Christianity, etc., all have methods of fasting. While religious practitioners fast mainly for reasons of discipline, self-control and devotion, fasting also has numerous health benefits. According to Mark Mattson, one of the lead scientists at the National Institute on Aging, fasting has been shown to increase longevity, prevent disease and lead to better brain function, especially as we age. Mattson also echoes the findings of the study on chemotherapy and says that fasting may trigger our cells into an active form of defense against old and new damage no matter the cause.
A simple google search shows that there are a number of ways to fast. Some include fasting for a 24-48 hour period with no food while other methods involve cycling calories every 12-16 hours. An important point to remember when fasting is not to binge after breaking your fast. Also, most experts suggest fasting no more than once or twice a week, especially if it’s a practice that one wishes do to on a regular basis.
One particular problem with fasting as I see it is that women (especially younger women in their teens) can unnecessarily starve themselves with the excuse that they are just ‘fasting.’ This is, in turn, can lead to dangerous eating disorders. The truth is there is a distinction between fasting and starving ourselves. Fasting is a disciplined and active choice that we do with our overall wellbeing in mind while simply starving ourselves is a neurotic quick fix in an attempt to fit into our size zero jeans from high school or because summer is here and we want to shed those last few pounds in a hurry. Always be aware of your choices and be honest with yourself.
If you’re currently fasting or have fasted in the past let me know your experiences!
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Private Member |
I fasted for a little over a year after reading Brad Pilons Eat Stop Eat book with amazing success. You fast for 24 hrs twice a week and with that you can really enjoy larger meals or ‘naughtier’ meals then you could if you were simply trying to lose weight traditionally.
What I loved was the freedom. If I wanted to go to dinner with my friends on a Friday and have a few drinks I would simply fast the next day.
I dont fast now since I’m breastfeeding and I did not fast during pregnancy but if you dont suffer from any eating disorders I think it’s a great way to shed some fat 🙂
Private Member |
You can totally fast while breast feeding! I’ve been doing since my daughter was four months old and still make enough milk to store extra. There are research studies you can read about that confirmed the breast milk supply and nutritional content is not altered if hydration is maintained. Plus, if you put things into a realistic perspective and not based on dieting, people are forced to not eat in other countries due to poverty and our hunter/gatherer ancestors fasted until they found food and there were obviously breast feeding mamas, which goes to show that our bodies can handle it.
Private Member |
I started the same, with eat-stop-eat. I was so happy to find this out to “allow” me to fast, as I discovered/experimented for such a long time that after being sick (GI infection) I felt so good afterwards to be “lightweight” . I had more energy in a way. As I became a busy mom/worker those last years, I had hardly time for breakfast. Actually this is now one of the best thing that happened to me. If I am having breakfast, it feels like an anchor. If I fast from 8pm to next day lunch time I really feel more energetic as I will not be in a “rest and digest” state before 2pm. I think some call it the warrior fast. Sometimes I will snack around 10 a.m. though.
Private Member |
I do not really fast, but I occasionally do not eat for a day. On rare occasions I have gone 2-3 days. My diet is very healthy and I am an athlete, so I have learned to listen to my body. On the 1-day fasts I train normally and do not notice a change in performance or the way I feel. When I have gone longer without eating, training volume was a little lower on days 2 and 3. After the 2 and 3-day fasts I have woken up very refreshed and rested. Then after a good breakfast and lunch I’m back training at full volume again. After reading the original research article (http://bit.ly/1iRm1O3), I might incorporate monthly 2-day fasts into my annual training plan.
I’d like to add that a LOT of water is extremely important when anyone fasts!
Thanks for this article Zuzka!
Private Member |
I had Hodgkin’s Lymphoma when I was 11 and this is interesting. But as a child I do not think about fasting. Actually, support drugs made me different tastes. One moment I want eat chicken breast with curry and rice and 5 minute later I want spaghetti. And also this time I often want french fries or pizza.. Every from children wanted junk food.. also we eat big portions of meal. I was able to eat whole package of spaghetti with big can of Morcadela souce. I do not why.. it was probably caused by drugs. Because we losed weight and doctors wanted to rise-up..Problem was that after treatment, when I stop to eat this drugs, my weight rapidly rise-up and I was terrible fat..after time it was better, but my weight was still fluctuated..Now I am 9 years after treatment and in 2011 I started with your workouts Zuzka.. I lose weight and now it is still OK. Thanks to you, your advices and motivation.
Private Member |
Interesting time to write about fasting seeing as ramadan has just begun!
Private Member |
I just wanted write that 🙂
Private Member |
Awesome read! Ramadan Kareem!
Private Member |
I Fast regularly to maintain weight & health. Found very beneficial since start a few yrs ago. It is quite hard to not binge eat after fast, so it’s important & I’ve learned to manage this.
Thank you for posting as I never really realized the impact fasting can have, till now:),.
Private Member |
Interesting. I think there are other reasons a woman might want to be cautious about fasting. I have fasted a few times (usually during lent) know a few people who are fasting during Ramadan (7/29 to 8/28)and others who fasted for their Baha’i faith during March.
Private Member |
I swear by Master Cleanse, 10 day fasting routine. Really nice way to reboot the whole body.
Private Member |
started Ramadan fasting yesterday
Private Member |
Fasting can be good and normal physioligical process for the body as long as this body is in ketogenic state or is keto ( fat)-adapted.if the bodies metabolism is fueled by carbs ( which most of the bodies are 🙁 ), the fastening will be experienced as starvation , which triggers one’s physiology into fight or flight , stress related hormonal state. This state causes adrenal fatigue -exhaustion .
Private Member |
Thanks for bringing this up, it’s a very good point to consider.
Private Member |
Intermittent fasting has changed my life. I follow a 20/4 protocol, and every weekend I do 36/12. I also train fasted. I have lost fat, my skin is better, my brain is sharper and my energy level high.