Fasting has always been a familiar concept.
Growing up in Indian culture and within a Muslim family where fasting is a regular occurrence and has always been a part of my life, whether I took part in it or not.
Around my youthful university days, my thought processes were foggy, and my attention span was diminishing even though I am a reasonably healthy person with a healthy lifestyle. At some point, I thought of not eating; it was a whim, and I felt it was right. These were days before social media or easy research, where information on fasting would be easily accessible.
My first fasting routine
I was waking up, having a glass of water, catching the London underground to the university lecture, getting through the embarrassment of my rumbling tummy, finishing my studies in the evening, exercising and breaking the fast by having a healthy meal. The process seemed easy, but the first two weeks were brutal. However, after that two weeks, my tummy was no longer rumbling, I was hardly hungry, and I felt amazing, with great focus and zero fogginess.
Was it easy to get through my studies by not eating?
Yes.
But there were other fascinating results.
There were increases in energy.
Better recovery
Amazing sleep
No cravings, especially for sugar
Self-discipline
And the most profound - freedom.
Freedom from food, not having to think about breakfast or lunch. And when travelling, there was no need to grab any food or a trap by the thought of getting hungry, and I was happy and confident that I could go through long periods of not eating. It could resemble our deep ancestral traits of hunters and gatherers, being away from food for an extended period.
The bigger concept
Autophagia
Fasting or the feeling of hunger promotes a process called autophagia. Autophagia sweeps and cleans up dead, damaged and deformed cells and stimulates new cells and healthy metabolism.
Insulin resistance
It is defined by the CDC as "an impaired response of the body to insulin, resulting in elevated levels of glucose in the blood (a key component of type 2 diabetes and metabolic syndrome)."
Fasting and resistance training are two of the best ways to reduce insulin resistance, keeping you metabolically strong.
Autophagia and insulin resistance are the two concepts for lifelong holistic health.
Intense resistance training is still a big part of my lifestyle through the fasting process, and with a physical osteopathy profession, fasting in no way impedes my performance. On the contrary, I am more energetic, with great focus and always in an uplifted mood. And it has not affected my muscle mass, or overall metabolism, which makes the traditional concept of regular snacks a myth and highly harmful.
The protocol
The aim of fasting is to the feeling of hunger and battle through hunger to maintain the benefits of the process.
An eating window is a period when you have your meals.
16-hour fasting, 8-hour eating window
18-hour fasting, 6-hour eating window
20-hour fasting, 4-hour eating window
I am on the 20-hour fasting, 4-hour eating window, which suits me perfectly.
During fasting, I drink water, black coffee and sometimes green tea.
Once every two weeks, I would skip eating the whole day on a Sunday. I would not always recommend this. However, freeing myself from needing food to work is a challenge.
I hope this has been informative and an excellent introduction to great metabolic health.
If you have any questions, please email me at nadhiir@1stcareosteopathy.co.uk - Osteopath Canterbury, Chilham, Ashford.