Fasting Definition and Stages

For this discussion "Fasting" means not eating, and not drinking anything with calories, and not drinking "diet drinks". Artificial sweeteners can trigger an insulin response, which could negate the benefits of fasting.

Fasting improves insulin levels, gut health, cardiovascular health and increases Human Growth Hormone (HGH). HGH influences our height, as well as our bones and muscles.

Important Side Note for Women: The production of HGH begins decreasing for women as early as the 20s when HGH production begins to drop by 10-20% every decade. By the time a woman reaches 50, HGH production is down by 80% from what was produced in early adulthood. And one decade later (by the age of sixty), a woman barely produces any HGH at all. (Per the Internet)

Another study conducted by researchers at MIT revealed that stem cells drastically increased their rate of regeneration when the subject was in a "fasted state." More specifically, stem cells extracted after the fasting period and cultured showed a double in their regenerative capacity. - Dr Mindy Peltz, "The Menopause Reset"

What happens during a fast:

1. Intermittent Daily Fast 12-16 hours - I've adopted this and found I generally feel better when I fast 14-16 hours a night. A number of the benefits listed above can be hard to measure especially since I wasn't having a problem prior to fasting. My window is to stop eating from 6 or 8 pm at night and start again after 10 am.

(Admittedly this closed my primary alcohol intake window which is probably a key factor in the health improvements I noticed.. and a good one at that.)

2. Autophagy Fast more than 17 hours - cell cleansing

3. Dinner to Dinner Fast (24 hr) – gut repair, cardiovascular improvement, stem cell regenerative capacity improvement

4. 36 Hour Fast– decrease insulin resistance, and improve fat loss

5. Fast Mimicking – 800-1000 cals with no animal protein and protein <20g/day – makes stem cells

6. Dry Fasting

7. 3-5 Day Fasting

For more information on Fasting check out the work and sites for Dr. William Li, Dr. Mindy Peltz or Dr Amy Shah.

Autophagy is a cellular recycling process that breaks down and recycles old, damaged, or abnormal substances within a cell. It's a survival mechanism that helps cells function properly and maintain energy balance.