The Science Of Fasting: An Introduction

What is Intermittent Fasting?

Intermittent Fasting (IF) is a meal timing plan, where you eat only during an allocated period of time, and you fast for the remaining hours of the day.

Generally IF involves fasting for around 14-16 hours, and eating only during the remaining 8 hours of the day. Note that this does not call for a drastic reduction in calories.

Why Intermittent Fasting?

IF has many benefits, some of which include-

1. Dramatic fat loss, increase in muscle tone and density. This is made possible by all of the factors listed below working in harmony. 2. Fasting is necessary for the body to induce autophagy. Autophagy is the body’s natural detox process & takes place ONLY while fasting. It’s generally induced while we sleep, and ends when we start eating. Autophagy results in better organ function, better hair & skin.

How does fasting work:

Other than reducing our calorie intake, fasting works wonders on a long list of different hormones in our body, allowing it to burn more fat and run more efficiently. Here are just some of the important hormones fasting affects in the body with relation to fat burning:

Hormone Sensitive Lipase: Fasting increases the activation of hormone sensitive lipase, an enzyme in the body which is primed for fat burning – we just need to activate it and elevate it by fasting.

Insulin: Insulin is a hormone secreted by the body when we eat. Insulin promotes fat storage – and intermittent fasting lowers your insulin levels significantly enough to see a huge difference in how much fat a person loses. By lowering your insulin levels, your body also becomes more insulin-sensitive. Which means when you do eat a sugary or starchy food, the temporary insulin spike or elevation in the body will be much greater.

Glucagon: Fasting increases glucagon levels, which breaks down fat - glucagon is a hormone that acts directly opposite to insulin (the pancreas secretes it in an effort to raise blood sugar levels). When insulin is low in the body, glucagon levels are high - resulting in fat loss.

HGH: HGH or Human Growth Hormone is another hormone in the body known as ‘the fitness hormone’ – it aids in fat loss and muscle building. HGH levels are at their highest in our childhood years and gradually decline as we get older. Fasting has been proven to spike HGH levels DRASTICALLY. Research found that men who fasted for 24 hours and performed high intensity exercise while fasting had a 2000% increase in the level of HGH circulating in the body, while women had a 1300% increase.

Stem Cells: A study at the University Of Southern California found that fasting increased the amount of immune system stem cells. Our immune system gets weaker as we age, but fasting allows it to replenish and recharge.

Types of Intermittent Fasting –

1. 12 Hour Fasting

This beginner fasting strategy is the gateway to build confidence, discipline and awareness for longer fasts. Simply put, you fast 12 hours, of which 7-9 hours will be the hours you sleep. If you’ve never fasted before I recommend you start here for a week and then increase your fasting to 14-16 hours.

2. The Traditional 16/8 Or 20/4 Approach

This technique involves fasting for 16 hours a day and eating for 8 hours. For most people, this means eating dinner and then starting the 16 hour-fasting count, going to bed, waking up, and fasting for another 3-6 hours before eating their first meal of the day.

For those who are used to eating too frequently or eating a heavy breakfast, I.F. may not be easy at first, but your body will adapt to it in a matter of days. Let’s take an example. If you eat dinner at 9pm, and have a snack or dessert at 10.30pm, that will be your last meal of the day. So you start fasting at 10.30pm, count 16 hours from here, and you’re going to eat your first meal at 2.30pm the next day.

The big benefit here is at 16 hours your pancreas get a break from all the constant processing. As you know, 16/8 to 20/4 hour fasting, especially coupled with low-carb, can induce/enhance ketosis and fat-adaptation. Fat adaptation is the process where your body adapts and learns to utilize, store and burn fat more efficiently. Maximum fat adaptation takes place on a ketogenic diet, and in the long term leads to less fat gain/accumulation, and better fat utilization for energy during workouts as well as everyday life.

Busting Myths/FAQs

� It’s important to be counting calories and micronutrients and not have a calorie intake that’s too less than your BMR, as that could potentially result in muscle loss, tissue wastage, and hormonal imbalances. At most you want to be in a 500-600 calorie deficit to avoid any side effects or imbalances.

� The body is adaptable. It will change its cycles to better deal with hunger if it has to. And so the first step to fasting is adopting the right mindset. This is kind of like a selffulfilling prophecy. William Thomas, a now deceased sociologist, has his own theorem that says: If men define situations as real, they are real in their consequences. If you’re one minute into a fast, suffering from hunger, convincing yourself of impossibility, and obsessing over food, you’re not going to get very far. Relax and remind yourself that not eating for a while isn’t a big deal and that you won’t starve to death by going a few hours longer.

� As long as you get enough protein and vital nutrients, you are not going to risk any muscle loss by using intermittent fasting as compared to normal diet. It is also important to make sure that your calorie deficit is not too extreme; normally a 300- 500 kcal deficit per day is sufficient. Being on an extreme calorie deficit at an unsustainable pace is what leads to muscle loss or unhealthy weight loss, whether you’re fasting or not. Do not exceed 2 pounds of weight loss per week if you want to reach your goal safely and efficiently.

� Training while fasting. There are no rules or restrictions on this, although most people prefer to train at the end of their fast. It is recommended to perform HIIT strength training workouts as they boost metabolism to burn more calories.

How To Break Your Fast

When you’ve fasted for over 10-14 hours your body is more sensitive and in a state of ‘fight or flight’. Breaking a fast is not about eating a huge meal. It’s about eating a strategically planned meal that will fuel your day and allow you more flexibility with your food intake later in the evening.

� Before we break our fast, we should lower our cortisol levels and spike our insulin. Remember, high cortisol plus high insulin equals fat accumulation, especially in the belly. Insulin being a little bit high, without the high cortisol isn't nearly as bad.

Add some salt to your water towards the end of your fast. This isn't just to keep you minerally balanced. Cortisol has a direct relationship with salt. If our salt increases for a little bit, our body backs off production of what's called aldosterone. That slowing down of aldosterone ultimately lowers cortisol.

During the last few hours of your fast you want to consume 1/2 teaspoon of salt in every 1 liter of water you drink. The best options are organic pink Himalayan salt, and Celtic Sea Salt. Avoid anything processed.