Fasting has been used for many years in many different cultures and religions. In the past couple of years, fasting has taken off and become very popular. A well-known type of fasting today is intermittent fasting. Intermittent fasting is abstaining from foods and beverages for a certain amount of hours of the day. 16:8 is probably the most popular type of intermittent fasting done today, where you fast for 16 hours and have an 8 hour eating period. Some people even do a 4 hour eating period. Other forms of fasting include water fasting and juice fasting. Water fasting is when only water is consumed for a certain amount of days. This form of fasting should only be done under the supervision of a medical provider, as there could be many side effects like hypoglycemia, fainting, dehydration just to name a few.
As you might imagine, water fasting is also extremely difficult so most people don’t comply with it making it an unsustainable way to fast. Juice fasting is often done in wellness retreats and has become more popular with juice bars being more available. Juice fasting is easier than water fast, as you can consume naturally cold-pressed juices but it does have its negative sides to it too. Juice fasting may not be an option for those struggling with glucose levels or may interfere with some medications. Lastly, there is a fasting-mimicking diet, a controlled way to mimic fasting while consuming scientifically formulated ingredients. This is typically done in a period of fasting, over the course of a few days, making it easier to comply with. With the fasting-mimicking diet, you are getting nutrients while still obtaining the prolonged fasting benefits. In research, prolonged fasting has shown to induce autophagy. Autophagy is your body’s way of cleaning up poorly functioning cells. This means prolonged fasting helps your body reduce poor cells, free radicals, and waste by initiating autophagy thus reducing inflammation, and enhancing cellular rejuvenation. Call us today to schedule a free 15 min consultation and see if which form of fasting may be right for you.
