Fasting – What happens?

FASTING – WHY THERE IS(IS)T MORE THAN HUNGER

In my last Youtube video I invited you to join me in my water fasting. For me and my body such fasting periods are super good. But my disclaimer in advance: you are unique and whether fasting is good for you or safe for you, you should decide carefully and ideally together with your doctor.

NOT ALL FASTS ARE ALIKE

In my blog post in February about intermittent fasting I already shared my experiences regarding interval fasting. This time I made water and/or welfare chamfered, a complete renouncement of food for several days. With me it was about three and a half…

A NEW HYPE?

Even if it may seem to you that this is the latest fashion to do without food altogether, it actually has a long tradition. Admittedly, today it is again gaining increasing attention in the media and probably simply stands out in our affluent society.

WHY “NOTHING”?

People have been fasting for a long time for very different reasons. When there is an actual lack of food caused by famine, but also for religious, spiritual and health reasons. There are convincing data proving a positive effect of fasting on health – both short-term and long-term. In particular with humans with high blood pressure, predominance, diabetes and cardiovascular diseases very positive effects show up. One suspects even a connection with a longer life. For me it is crucial that I feel well during and after fasting, both mentally and physically.

HOW IS THIS WORKING?

Currently I am in the happy position to have food available everywhere and at all times. And it happens that the refrigerator opens at unusual times, especially after a journey… Our body and especially many metabolic processes have a precise timing. You can read more about this in my blog on the inner clock. It is important to understand that these processes often have a rather fixed duration and also need phases of rest in order to function optimally. In the fasting period we give these complex control cycles time to “re-settle” and to recover from the chaos of everyday life. A good example is probably insulin. The hormone from the pancreas that is responsible for regulating our blood sugar, through its influence on our carbohydrate and fat reserves. If this hormone is missing or does not work, we speak of diabetes. It has been shown that in this case fasting can have both preventive and therapeutic effects, i.e. it is good for prevention, but it can also improve or even cure an existing disease, depending on its type and stage.

PHYSICAL LEFTOVERS

What was also a fascinating realization for me is that our metabolic processes also leave residues or produce waste. And, as is fitting, our body also has a fabulous clean-up team. But these helpers remain in the background and often only become active when peace comes. With chamfered we grant thus time to the body to diminish the garbage as for example old cells and also wrongly built or folded proteins. Perhaps you have heard of misfolded proteins in connection with Alzheimer’s disease, where these proteins are then deposited in the brain. But many other chronic diseases, especially autoimmune diseases, can also improve as a result. This body’s own purification process is called autophagy.

THE FAST HIGH

In addition, fasting simply makes me feel good and I am not alone in this. The molecular mechanisms that are suspected behind this are, among other things, that we give our cells, which produce the happiness hormones, time to regenerate and overall our hormone levels return to normal. Even a reduced feeling of pain was observed. And however this works, my body sends me positive vibes!

Of course, my little blog cannot explain the countless and fascinating molecular mechanisms behind the fasting effect. Nevertheless, I hope to have provided you with a little appetizer and thus made you want to find out if this might be something for you as well. Be careful with yourself and do not believe every fasting myth, despite all the magic.

SOURCES:

1. McCue MD. An Introduction to Fasting, Starvation, and Food Limitation. In: McCue MD, ed. Comparative Physiology of Fasting, Starvation, and Food Limitation. Berlin, Heidelberg: Springer Berlin Heidelberg; 2012:1-5.

2. Longo VD, Mattson MP. Fasting: Molecular Mechanisms and Clinical Applications. Cell Metabolism. 2014;19(2):181-192.

3. Michalsen A, Hoffmann B, Moebus S et al.: Incorporation of fasting therapy in an integrative medicine ward: evaluation of outcome, safety, and effects on lifestyle adherence in a large prospective cohort study. J Altern Complement Med 11(4): 601–672 (2005)

4. Goldhamer AC: Initial cost of care results in medically supervised water-only fasting for treating high blood pressure and diabetes. J Altern Complement Med 8: 696–697 (2002)

5. Hussin NM, Shahar S, Teng NI, Ngah WZ, Das SK: Efficacy of fasting and calorie restriction (FCR) on mood and depression among ageing men. J Nutr Health Aging 17: 674–680 (2013)