Looking to improve your health? Fasting is a hot topic that's gained popularity recently, but there's more to it than meets the eye. With so much conflicting information out there, it's easy to feel confused about the right approach. But the truth is, a one-size-fits-all approach simply doesn't work when it comes to fasting.
About the author
Erik has years of valuable experience working in the field of personalized medicine and longevity. He played a crucial role in the development of a genomics based startup that focuses on diet, exercise, sleep, stress, supplementation, genomics, and advanced blood panels. This exposure led to several opportunities including health coaching, training, teaching, program development, and creating resources for patients and providers to streamline workflows. With over 5 years of experience working with over 1,000 patients in this space, he has accumulated a rolodex of real-world health knowledge and wants to share it with others.
There is no solution that fits all
Having worked with over 1,000 patients, I can tell you that there's no one solution that works for everyone. We've all heard different advice over the years, from eating 6 small meals a day to drinking 3 glasses of milk. But with so much mixed messaging, it's easy to see why people get frustrated and overwhelmed.
Thankfully, we live in a world where food is easily accessible, but this also means that overconsumption has become a major issue. Many chronic conditions are linked to our eating habits, which is why fasting can be a great way to improve our overall health. However, it's important to remember that personalization is key.
In this blog article, I'll share my real-world experience and offer advice to help you make an informed decision that's right for you. Don't fall for the one-size-fits-all approach – learn the most important lessons about fasting and how you can customize it to your unique needs. So if you're ready to take control of your health, read on!
What is fasting & Why is it helpful?
Fasting is a practice that involves abstaining from food or caloric intake for a certain period of time. This allows your body to "rest and digest," which leads to many positive health benefits for certain individuals. Whether you're looking to improve your health, lose weight, or manage your religious or cultural beliefs, fasting can provide many benefits.
During a fast, your body is able to enter a state of healing and recovery, where a process called autophagy kicks in to clear the body of bad cells and recycle damaged material, making way for new and healthier cells. This can help prevent many of the diseases that plague our world, including obesity, Metabolic Syndrome, and Type 2 Diabetes.
Even if you are otherwise "healthy", fasting is a great tool to utilize periodically to "boost" your health. After an indulgent vacation or a period of time that includes overeating or high stress, fasting can help heal and reset the body.
If you're looking to improve your health, fasting might be the perfect tool for you! With many benefits ranging from weight loss to disease prevention, fasting can help you feel better, look better, and live a healthier life.
7 types of fasting
- Intermittent Fasting 16/8: Fasting for 16 hours and eating within an 8-hour window. Another example would be 14/10.
- Fasting 5:2: Eating normally for 5 days and restricting calorie intake to 500–600 calories for 2 non-consecutive days.
- Alternate-day fasting: Fasting every other day, where you eat normally on one day and fast the next.
- OMAD or One Meal a Day: Eating only one meal within a 1-hour or 2-hour window and fasting for the rest of the day.
- Extended fasting: Fasting for longer periods, typically 24 hours or more.
- KetoFlex 12/3: 12 stands for the amount of time during a typical day that you spend in a fasted state while avoiding food for 3 hours prior to bedtime. This 3 hours is thought to shunt our blood supply away from the gut to the brain which helps promote healthy sleep.
- Fasting Mimicking Diet (FMD): a type of diet that is designed to mimic the effects of fasting on the body, while still allowing for some caloric intake. This approach is designed to stress the body which sets off a cascade of health promoting benefits for some individuals.
My work with fasting clients: behind the scenes
For the first year of working with patients I started noticing that some people responded quite well and others didn’t. Most clients were intermittent fasting for 16–18 hours per day (eating for 6–8 hours total, for months on end), skipping breakfast, and also trying to stop eating 2–3 hours before bed.
If someone was to follow this regimen, they would have to consume all calories between the hours of 12 pm and 6–8 pm which isn’t always easy. Many clients struggled getting enough calories in during this window and this led to a few concerns: risk for late night eating (to catch up for their lack of caloric intake), fatigue, and nutrient deficiencies.
In addition, some patients told me that their sleep felt “off” for some reason. At about the same time I started noticing that many of my male clients had low free testosterone in their bloodwork. After investigating, it seemed like too much fasting was somehow influencing hormone levels in the blood. This could also explain some of the sleep problems because hormones influence sleep quality.
I started asking every patient the following questions:
- Do you currently fast? If yes, what type of fasting?
- How long have you been following your current regimen?
- Do you have trouble sleeping?
- Do you experience fatigue later in the day?
- Have you noticed any changes in your libido?
- Do you experience late-night cravings?
The answers to these questions dictate next steps for each person. For those that answer yes to most of the above questions, reducing or eliminating fasting improved almost every symptom. Keep in mind that these individuals simply stopped fasting and ate more quality food.
Impact of fasting on muscle and bone density
When people fast for an extended period of time, there is a slight risk for decreased muscle mass and bone density due to the lack of protein and nutritional requirements. This is why it’s important to pay close attention to total calories and food quality during the feeding window. With our busy lives, it’s quite common for people to focus too much on the “fasting side” while neglecting the “feeding side.”
Fasting isn’t for everyone
Other groups that seemed to have troubles with fasting include athletes and those with hormone problems or eating disorders. If you fit into one of these categories, please consult with a qualified longevity professional to find out if it's right for you.
Success tips
If you are interested in fasting, the following information will be helpful for you:
DO:
- Light exercise such as walking, easy strength training, or yoga. This will help preserve muscle mass and strength. Keep it light and have fun.
- Supplement with electrolytes or water with lemon and a pinch of himalayan or grey sea salt to help with hydration.
- Drink black coffee if you enjoy it. It does not break the fast as long as it’s black. Aside from the mental stimulation, it contains health-promoting polyphenols that the body needs. It also helps curb hunger cravings.
- Practice a form of mindfulness such as meditation, prayer, or gratitude. The combination of fasting + mindfulness can greatly improve many aspects of your health.
- Consider taking a cold shower or cold plunge during the fast to accelerate the effects. Even a brief period of cold exposure (15–30 seconds) can promote many health benefits. Over time, increase the amount of time spent under cold conditions and your body will adapt.
DON’T:
- Use dairy-based coffee creamer or dairy products such as heavy creamer or milk (they will break the fast)
- Use amino acids (they will break the fast)
- Use protein powder (this will break the fast)
- Overexercise (this can deplete energy stores and lead to fatigue)
- Fast too much as a beginner (take baby steps, work up to your goal)
Supplements during the fast
- There are differing opinions out there when it comes to supplementation while fasting. Some professionals say it’s okay to continue all supplements while others say it’s best to avoid. This is why I strongly recommend a personalized approach to fasting. I personally avoid supplements during the fast to give my body a break. It’s best to speak with an experienced medical professional when it comes to this.
Key takeaways
When used correctly in the right situation at the right time, fasting can be life changing and improve health outcomes. Some people can follow a consistent fasting regimen for an extended period of time while others should pay closer attention to the duration and amount of time spent in a fasting state. To simply sum up the approach for different individuals:
1. For those struggling with obesity, blood sugar problems, metabolic syndrome, or inflammation, fasting is a great tool to help return the body back to homeostasis. If medications are involved, it’s best to speak with a qualified professional to understand how these affect the fasting process.
2. For those who are otherwise healthy or active (normal body weight, no signs of disease, etc.), fasting can be a great tool to implement periodically but doesn’t necessarily improve health and longevity outcomes when followed for an extended period of time. A key concept for this population is to focus on the quality of food instead of worrying so much about fasting everyday.
Next steps
Book a complimentary consultation with a longevity professional. In the course of 30 minutes, you will have the opportunity to discuss your health, goals, and expectations with an expert from Healthy Longevity Clinic in Boca Raton.
I hope you walk away from this article with more knowledge than you had yesterday about fasting and longevity.
To your health,
Erik Nelson
About the author
Erik has years of valuable experience working in the field of personalized medicine and longevity. He played a crucial role in the development of a genomics based startup that focuses on diet, exercise, sleep, stress, supplementation, genomics, and advanced blood panels. This exposure led to several opportunities including health coaching, training, teaching, program development, and creating resources for patients and providers to streamline workflows. With over 5 years of experience working with over 1,000 patients in this space, he has accumulated a rolodex of real-world health knowledge and wants to share it with others.
There is no solution that fits all
Having worked with over 1,000 patients, I can tell you that there's no one solution that works for everyone. We've all heard different advice over the years, from eating 6 small meals a day to drinking 3 glasses of milk. But with so much mixed messaging, it's easy to see why people get frustrated and overwhelmed.
Thankfully, we live in a world where food is easily accessible, but this also means that overconsumption has become a major issue. Many chronic conditions are linked to our eating habits, which is why fasting can be a great way to improve our overall health. However, it's important to remember that personalization is key.
In this blog article, I'll share my real-world experience and offer advice to help you make an informed decision that's right for you. Don't fall for the one-size-fits-all approach – learn the most important lessons about fasting and how you can customize it to your unique needs. So if you're ready to take control of your health, read on!
What is fasting & Why is it helpful?
Fasting is a practice that involves abstaining from food or caloric intake for a certain period of time. This allows your body to "rest and digest," which leads to many positive health benefits for certain individuals. Whether you're looking to improve your health, lose weight, or manage your religious or cultural beliefs, fasting can provide many benefits.
During a fast, your body is able to enter a state of healing and recovery, where a process called autophagy kicks in to clear the body of bad cells and recycle damaged material, making way for new and healthier cells. This can help prevent many of the diseases that plague our world, including obesity, Metabolic Syndrome, and Type 2 Diabetes.
Even if you are otherwise "healthy", fasting is a great tool to utilize periodically to "boost" your health. After an indulgent vacation or a period of time that includes overeating or high stress, fasting can help heal and reset the body.
If you're looking to improve your health, fasting might be the perfect tool for you! With many benefits ranging from weight loss to disease prevention, fasting can help you feel better, look better, and live a healthier life.
7 types of fasting
- Intermittent Fasting 16/8: Fasting for 16 hours and eating within an 8-hour window. Another example would be 14/10.
- Fasting 5:2: Eating normally for 5 days and restricting calorie intake to 500–600 calories for 2 non-consecutive days.
- Alternate-day fasting: Fasting every other day, where you eat normally on one day and fast the next.
- OMAD or One Meal a Day: Eating only one meal within a 1-hour or 2-hour window and fasting for the rest of the day.
- Extended fasting: Fasting for longer periods, typically 24 hours or more.
- KetoFlex 12/3: 12 stands for the amount of time during a typical day that you spend in a fasted state while avoiding food for 3 hours prior to bedtime. This 3 hours is thought to shunt our blood supply away from the gut to the brain which helps promote healthy sleep.
- Fasting Mimicking Diet (FMD): a type of diet that is designed to mimic the effects of fasting on the body, while still allowing for some caloric intake. This approach is designed to stress the body which sets off a cascade of health promoting benefits for some individuals.
My work with fasting clients: behind the scenes
For the first year of working with patients I started noticing that some people responded quite well and others didn’t. Most clients were intermittent fasting for 16–18 hours per day (eating for 6–8 hours total, for months on end), skipping breakfast, and also trying to stop eating 2–3 hours before bed.
If someone was to follow this regimen, they would have to consume all calories between the hours of 12 pm and 6–8 pm which isn’t always easy. Many clients struggled getting enough calories in during this window and this led to a few concerns: risk for late night eating (to catch up for their lack of caloric intake), fatigue, and nutrient deficiencies.
In addition, some patients told me that their sleep felt “off” for some reason. At about the same time I started noticing that many of my male clients had low free testosterone in their bloodwork. After investigating, it seemed like too much fasting was somehow influencing hormone levels in the blood. This could also explain some of the sleep problems because hormones influence sleep quality.
I started asking every patient the following questions:
- Do you currently fast? If yes, what type of fasting?
- How long have you been following your current regimen?
- Do you have trouble sleeping?
- Do you experience fatigue later in the day?
- Have you noticed any changes in your libido?
- Do you experience late-night cravings?
The answers to these questions dictate next steps for each person. For those that answer yes to most of the above questions, reducing or eliminating fasting improved almost every symptom. Keep in mind that these individuals simply stopped fasting and ate more quality food.
Impact of fasting on muscle and bone density
When people fast for an extended period of time, there is a slight risk for decreased muscle mass and bone density due to the lack of protein and nutritional requirements. This is why it’s important to pay close attention to total calories and food quality during the feeding window. With our busy lives, it’s quite common for people to focus too much on the “fasting side” while neglecting the “feeding side.”
Fasting isn’t for everyone
Other groups that seemed to have troubles with fasting include athletes and those with hormone problems or eating disorders. If you fit into one of these categories, please consult with a qualified longevity professional to find out if it's right for you.
Success tips
If you are interested in fasting, the following information will be helpful for you:
DO:
- Light exercise such as walking, easy strength training, or yoga. This will help preserve muscle mass and strength. Keep it light and have fun.
- Supplement with electrolytes or water with lemon and a pinch of himalayan or grey sea salt to help with hydration.
- Drink black coffee if you enjoy it. It does not break the fast as long as it’s black. Aside from the mental stimulation, it contains health-promoting polyphenols that the body needs. It also helps curb hunger cravings.
- Practice a form of mindfulness such as meditation, prayer, or gratitude. The combination of fasting + mindfulness can greatly improve many aspects of your health.
- Consider taking a cold shower or cold plunge during the fast to accelerate the effects. Even a brief period of cold exposure (15–30 seconds) can promote many health benefits. Over time, increase the amount of time spent under cold conditions and your body will adapt.
DON’T:
- Use dairy-based coffee creamer or dairy products such as heavy creamer or milk (they will break the fast)
- Use amino acids (they will break the fast)
- Use protein powder (this will break the fast)
- Overexercise (this can deplete energy stores and lead to fatigue)
- Fast too much as a beginner (take baby steps, work up to your goal)
Supplements during the fast
- There are differing opinions out there when it comes to supplementation while fasting. Some professionals say it’s okay to continue all supplements while others say it’s best to avoid. This is why I strongly recommend a personalized approach to fasting. I personally avoid supplements during the fast to give my body a break. It’s best to speak with an experienced medical professional when it comes to this.
Key takeaways
When used correctly in the right situation at the right time, fasting can be life changing and improve health outcomes. Some people can follow a consistent fasting regimen for an extended period of time while others should pay closer attention to the duration and amount of time spent in a fasting state. To simply sum up the approach for different individuals:
1. For those struggling with obesity, blood sugar problems, metabolic syndrome, or inflammation, fasting is a great tool to help return the body back to homeostasis. If medications are involved, it’s best to speak with a qualified professional to understand how these affect the fasting process.
2. For those who are otherwise healthy or active (normal body weight, no signs of disease, etc.), fasting can be a great tool to implement periodically but doesn’t necessarily improve health and longevity outcomes when followed for an extended period of time. A key concept for this population is to focus on the quality of food instead of worrying so much about fasting everyday.
Next steps
Book a complimentary consultation with a longevity professional. In the course of 30 minutes, you will have the opportunity to discuss your health, goals, and expectations with an expert from Healthy Longevity Clinic in Boca Raton.
I hope you walk away from this article with more knowledge than you had yesterday about fasting and longevity.
To your health,
Erik Nelson
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