Fasting For Holistic Health

The Subtle Art of Not Eating Anything

How easy is it to just do nothing? No cooking, no preparation, no shopping... to simply stop doing something we’ve done many times throughout every single day of our lives. To fight off those urges, cravings, habits, addictions, emotions, desires, and everything else which drives each and every one of us to consume food as we do. Perhaps not so easy after all, so why on Earth would anyone do this willingly for an extended period of time?

Fasting is Not Only for Weight Loss

Fasting provides a battleground where you can overcome the factors which unknowingly dictate your entire life. Whilst observing yourself during a deep fast, you’ll encounter previously hidden motivations and have the opportunity to address them. There’s a good reason fasting features in practically every major religion – rather than just contending with physical hunger, a fast can facilitate genuine mental and emotional development.

Food Obsession

In a society obsessed with consumption, we’re constantly bombarded with information on the best things to consume, and when and how to consume them; it’s a never-ending conveyor belt of new (super) foods and new (fad) diets. Even fasting doesn’t fail to get the ‘new and improved’ treatment, with more types of fast being introduced every other day.

Indeed, only a culture addicted to eating could possibly think they can improve a fast by adding food to it

Is Fasting Healthy?

Anything can be done badly, but if conducted correctly the answer is most likely yes. The internet is full of either baseless claims or those backed up by poorly designed studies. For example, if you consume only distilled water on a water fast without adding in electrolytes, you could cause yourself harm through dehydration. If you’re thinking about fasting and you’re confused by all the conflicting information out there, contact a fasting coach.

Will Fasting Make Me Lose Fat?

Your fast involves being in a state of Ketosis, where your body switches from burning glucose for energy to burning fat. It’s named after the ketones produced by the fat and these ketones are an excellent source of energy for your body and, in particular, your brain. During your fast, you’ll be burning through fat at a much faster rate than usual. This is especially true during a Dry Fast, where your body creates water through the combination of Hydrogen from your fat and Oxygen from the air.

Will I Lose Muscle During a Fast?

An increase in Human Growth Hormone, coupled with being in Ketosis, results in fat burning whilst limiting muscle loss. This makes sense from a survival perspective - if you’re starving and need to hunt or gather food, it seems rather suicidal for your body to deplete muscle and organ tissue for energy prior to using up your actual energy reserves (fat). Your body isn't stupid and it saves the best for last.

Gut Health

We’re slowly realising just how important our gut health is to everything from our immune system to our brain, including our mental health. Fasting gives your digestive system a break, which can help to reduce inflammation and supports the healing of the gut lining. It also encourages a better balance of gut bacteria, helping to clear out waste material and harmful microbes from the intestines. By not constantly digesting food, your gut is given time to repair and reset.

Is Fasting Good for My Mind?

As well as giving my body a bit of a reset, I highly value the reset fasting gives my mind. I’m prone to eating far too much and far too quickly, and whenever I fast, I come away with a renewed appreciation and care for what I consume and how. There’s evidence for it helping to beat cravings and I’ve used it myself to successfully beat addiction.

The aforementioned ketones are used by the brain to create new synapses, thereby improving your memory and brightening your mood. Ketones are excellent brain food and I always feel clear-headed and mentally alert during a fast. Furthermore, fasting has been shown to induce antidepressant effects within the brain.

Will Fasting Cure Me?

Which leads nicely onto the holy grail of fasting, Autophagy - the act of eating oneself. It’s always happening to some extent and the rate is influenced by various factors including diet and exercise. When your body eats itself, it unsurprisingly eats the cells which are damaged first to recycle and re-use them for cellular repair. It won’t surprise you to hear that autophagy plays a key role in maintaining our health and preventing disease of all kinds.

Both short and long-term fasting causes changes in the immune system by replacing old or damaged immune cells and replacing them with new, and enhancing resistance to toxins. I can’t claim that fasting will cure anything, but we can see how the effects on the mind and body could result in improvements to one’s health.

My Fasting Experience

My fasting journey started many years ago with a few juice fasts. The intention was to give my digestive system a break while I cleared it out and provided my body with a tonne of easily-assimilated nutrients. I was frankly amazed at the results and not only from a health perspective, but the challenging nature of a fast appealed to me. It wasn’t long after I began doing week-long juice fasts before moving onto water fasting.

Starting out with juice certainly made it easier for me to handle real fasts without any sustenance, but I don’t believe it’s at all necessary. The main thing is to get advice on how to fast properly, make and follow a plan, and know when and how to stop.

The Transformational Power of Fasting

If you’ve read about my story, you’ll know I haven’t always been a particularly healthy person.  I used to smoke, drink too much, and eat pizza for breakfast, lunch and dinner. I also struggled with Asthma and chronic fatigue amongst other things, all of which where the result of my unhealthy lifestyle. Covid-19 provided the catalyst I needed to make big changes and I decided I was done with being a victim.

My plan was to get fit, eat health, quit my addictions, and start living authentically. To help kickstart this change, I planned a 7-day water fast with a 72-hour dry fast in the middle. A dray fast is where no water is consumed and I did a ‘hard’ version, where I didn’t even allow myself any contact with water for the duration. It was tough, but it left behind a deep-seated desire to live a healthier lifestyle, altogether removing any desire to consume harmful foods, drinks, and other substances.

This applied to other forms of consumption too, with a keener awareness of negative influences in my physical, mental, and emotional environments. 5 years later and I continue to pursue a life which serves me and benefits others; It's not an exaggeration to say I had undergone a thorough reset and recalibration of my subconscious outlook on life.

Fasting Can Change Your life

This fast was one of the defining moments of my life thus far and set me on the path I’ve been wandering along ever since. As such, I don’t hesitate to recommend fasting as an option to those looking for a way to transform their lives, whether that’s addressing addiction, redefining a relationship with food, or seeking personal development.

I now conduct 48- to 72-hour fasts every 3-4 months, usually during a Solstice, to address any unwanted and unseen motivations which may have sneaked back in. I also relish the opportunity for my body to undergo a deep cleanse, purging itself of the accumulated toxins so pervasive in our modern world.

Ultimately, everyone’s experience of fasting will be unique to them and may not suit everybody, nor is it always a great time, with mindset and environment being key factors. Nevertheless, I try to convince everyone to at least conduct some research and consider it as method which may significantly improve their lives. If you’re interested in learning more about how to conduct your own fast, contact The English Herbalist.

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FAQs

10 Frequently Asked Questions

1. What is fasting?

Fasting is the voluntary abstention from food (and sometimes drink) for a set period of time, often for health, spiritual, or mental clarity purposes

2. Is fasting safe?

Fasting is generally safe for healthy individuals when done correctly, but those with medical conditions, pregnant women, or people on medication should seek professional advice prior to starting

3. Will I lose muscle during a fast?

Short-term fasting typically preserves muscle due to increased human growth hormone and the body’s preference for burning fat over protein in ketosis. In fact, there is evidence to suggest you conserve more muscle than you do in a normal, non-fasted state

4. Can fasting help with weight loss?

Yes, fasting often leads to calorie reduction and fat burning, especially during longer fasts. The key is to stop your fast correctly and prevent overconsumption

5. How long should I fast for health benefits?

Common fasting durations include 16–24 hours (for intermittent fasting), 2–3 days (48-72 hour short fasts), or longer fasts (potentially up for 40 days). The benefits can begin after just 12–16 hours of fasting, but autophagy and immune repair only begin later, so the more time spent in these states the better. It may not be wrong to suggest a couple of hours fasting after 16 hours is as beneficial as the first 16 hours of fasting in total

6. What can I consume while fasting?

Many people incorrectly advocate for drinking black coffee and herbal teas during water fasts. I've even seen people promoting the consumption of amino acids, lemon juice, and MCT oil. In my opinion, based on decades of research, anything other than water will break the fast. Juice fasts and other psuedo-fasts have their own rules, as the goal isn't to enter a fasted state.

7. Does fasting affect gut health?

Yes, fasting gives your digestive system time to rest, reduces gut inflammation, and supports a healthier balance of gut bacteria

8. Can fasting improve mental clarity?

Many people report improved focus and mood while fasting, likely due to the production of ketones and changes in brain chemistry

9. What is autophagy and how is it related to fasting?

Autophagy is the body’s process of cleaning out damaged cells. Fasting stimulates autophagy, promoting cellular repair, boosting the immune system, and potentially even slowing the process of aging

10. How should I break a fast?

Break your fast gently and slowly with easily digestible foods. Avoid heavy or processed meals immediately after fasting. A general rule of thumb is to take 1 day 're-feeding' for every day spent fasting. Re-feeding refers to your process of reintroducing foods to your body in a healthy and measured way.

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Looking for a herbalist or nutritional advice?

Get in touch with Adam Pike, The English Herbalist

Holistic Herbalist, Nutritionist & Natural Health Consultant

The English Herbalist