Fasting has been an integral part of human history from our hunter gatherer days and continues in most major religious practices. But, why is fasting having such a renaissance in day to day life?

Studies show that fasting increases to body’s ability to rejuvenate and repair. Through many pathways, your cells become more resilient against daily stressors, more efficient at maintaining optimal function, and even increase longevity. What this means is that damaging free radicals, cellular waste, and unfavorable genetics are all LESS LIKELY to adversely effect you. That’s right, you can improve your genetics through fasting! Genetics aren’t fixed but they are fluid. This is called epigenetics. Ultimately, this improvement in cellular function decreases inflammation and extends longevity! You heard that right… fasting slows down the aging process!

In addition to these amazing benefits, fasting improves your metabolism. With fasting , your calorie burning rate remains stable, unlike with calorie restricted diets where the metabolic rate often decreases. And fasting also helps regulate hunger hormones, so hunger decreases with time. The result is weight loss, loss of fat and increased lean muscle. This is simply by adjusting when you eat, without changing what you eat. Fasting can also lower cancer risk and improve cognition.

Overall, fasting can be incorporated into your life in a few ways. Often, the simplest way is to extend the overnight fast. In this method, you shorten the window for eating, aiming to eat only during a 4 – 8 hour window each day. In this method, you fast for 16 – 20 hours. This is often called “Time Restricted Feeding”. “Intermittent Fasting” typically occurs with two, non-consecutive days within each week. Traditionally, zero calories are consumed, but is often modified to a 500 or 600 calorie allowance. “Fasting Mimicking Diets” are designed to do just that. One method is to eat 800 – 1000 calories of plant-based food for five consecutive days each month. The remaining 25 days you maintain a healthy, normal calorie diet.

Talk with your doctor about fasting and which method may be most beneficial for your health!