Fasting: What is It, and Why it Matters

Fasting is becoming increasingly popular in health circles as a free, easy tool to improve metabolic health. How easy? It requires doing literally nothing! It’s the practice of abstaining from eating. You’ve likely heard of various names such as intermittent fasting and extended fasting, both of which appear to yield tremendous benefits. Below you’ll find five health benefits that contribute to its rise in popularity. This blog is for educational purposes only (like always), meaning we need to tell you that you should always consult your doctor before implementing a fasting regimen.

1. Fasting increases insulin sensitivity.

Our ability to properly respond to insulin plays a significant role in the status of our metabolic health. Simply put, insulin tells our cells to open up because there is glucose (blood sugar) ready to be used for energy. Insulin rises as glucose rises, which comes from the food we eat. Carbohydrates, in particular, have the most significant impact on insulin and glucose levels. Problems arise when our cells become less responsive to insulin and are no longer efficient at removing glucose from the blood. This is called insulin resistance and ultimately leads to conditions such as type-2 diabetes. By fasting we are no longer flooding the system with new glucose, leaving our body to utilize what’s already there, which, over time, resets our sensitivity to insulin and ability to efficiently utilize glucose.

2. Fasting reduces inflammation.

The process of eating can cause oxidative stress and inflammation in the body; how much depends on the foods we choose to eat. Fasting is the absence of eating, which means there is no inflammation or oxidative stress during this time period. It also appears that there are components in the blood, such as BHB, produced during fasting which further lowers inflammation. Inflammation is tied to many of the chronic diseases that plague humanity today. Adding fasting to your health routine may be a potent tool in increasing longevity and overall wellness.

3. Fasting increases your metabolism.

It’s been recently reported that only 12.2% of Americans are considered metabolically healthy. With most of the Western diseases tied to metabolic health, it’s imperative that we prioritize our metabolic metrics such as LDL & HDL levels, waist-to-hip ratio, fasting blood glucose levels, and blood pressure. Fasting has been shown to have favorable impacts on all the aforementioned metrics. In conjunction with proper diet and exercise, fasting can help fast track you to being among the metabolic elite.

4. Fasting improves your cardiovascular health.

Reduced cholesterol, weight, blood pressure, and blood sugar, all contribute to a stronger, more robust cardiovascular system. Heart health metrics across the board appear to be positively impacted by fasting. We know that the western diet, rich in sugar and refined carbohydrates, is linked to cardiovascular disease, obesity, and dyslipidemia. Fasting from these foods especially can be a very potent tool for your cardiovascular health.

5. Fasting may increase longevity.

Fasting appears to improve cellular age and thereby longevity. Two assumed measures of longevity are mitochondrial health and telomere length, both of which are improved by the practice of fasting. Inflammation is also tied to accelerated aging, sometimes referred to "inflammaging." Knowing that inflammation is also reduced through fasting, it’s no wonder fasting has been touted as a way to slow down Father Time!

Fasting is a practice that dates back as far as written history. We even see animals in nature practice it as well. Science is just now catching up and cracking the surface as to the benefits that fasting may unlock. At first glance, it appears to be a powerful tool for strengthening our metabolic health. Knowing the ties between metabolic health and the diseases we face today, it may be time to seriously consider fasting as another component of your health and wellness routine.

So, what should you do? Don't just take our word for it... after consulting with a Doctor, experiment with intermittent fasting yourself. Try narrowing your eating windows to around 8 hours/day for starters, which will allow you to fast for 16 hours/day. While we have played around with 24-96 hour fasts before, this is a topic for another time...