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Page 1: WHAT IS FASTING? - AKA The Coach · 2020-01-22 · you'll be consuming fewer calories, it's best to keep your workouts light and easy. This is especially recommended to people who
Page 2: WHAT IS FASTING? - AKA The Coach · 2020-01-22 · you'll be consuming fewer calories, it's best to keep your workouts light and easy. This is especially recommended to people who

WHAT IS FASTING?Fasting is a practice that dates back centuries and plays a central role in many

cultures and religions. It’s also one of the oldest therapies in medicine—doctors of

ancient times recommended it as an integral method of healing—as well as a

practice throughout human evolution. Ancient humans didn't have supermarkets,

refrigerators or food available year round. Sometimes they would go through

periods of famine, or scarce food to hunt, and thus couldn't find anything to eat. As

a result, our bodies evolved to function without food for extended periods of time.

Fasting is more natural to our bodies than eating 3–4 meals per day. Fasting is also

often done for religious or spiritual reasons, including in Islam, Christianity, Judaism

and Buddhism. My particular fast was a water fast, where I abstained from food

and only drank water for 150 days. Well, not just water, I also consumed 2

tablespoons of Organic Apple Cider Vinegar, 1/2 teaspoon of Pink Himalayan Salt,

Nutritional Yeast Pills, Electrolyte Powder, and a Multi-Vitamin every day for those

150 Days. My Fast wasn't for spiritual reasons, it was for health. I weighed 530

pounds, and felt the breath of the grim reaper on my neck, so I decided to make a

change. Tip on how I made that chance—and how you can too—are ahead…

F A S T I N G I S T H E W I L L I N G A B S T I N E N C E O R R E D U C T I O N O F S O M E O R A L L F O O D , D R I N K , O R B O T H , F O R A P E R I O D O F T I M E

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HOW DOES ONE FAST?S E C T I O N O N E

I'm going to lay out what I researched to be the best way to prepare for a

prolonged fast, then I'm going to share with you what I did to get my body ready for

a full fast. A 'house-cleaning' of sort is recommended, that means to try and detox

your body by eliminating all meat, dairy products, fish, eggs, black tea, coffee,

sugar, alcohol, cigarettes, and greasy foods. This will make the process of

prolonged fasting easier and enjoyable.

Now, eliminating all these substances won't be easy. In the case of caffeine,

cigarettes, and sugar, it will be more like a withdrawal from your addiction, and if

you're obese, then cutting out a lot of these foods is definitely a withdrawal from

your addiction. I gave all these things up slowly, over a 3 week span where I went

on an Intermittent diet, with a 4 hour eating window. The four hour window was

extreme, I could have started with an 8 or 6 hour window, but I was determined to

jump into a full fast in 3 weeks, so I soldiered through.

The Intermittent fasting regimen was a way to get my body and mind used to going

an extended period of time without food. You may want to start with an 8 hour

window and knock off an hour every 2 weeks until you get to 4 or 3 hours of eating

daily.

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HOW DOES ONE FAST?The first thing you need to do is wean yourself off certain foods . First, heavy foods

such as meats and dairy products should be eliminated, just gradually cut the

intake. If you take in dairy or meat daily, start skipping a day, then the next week, 2,

then 3, etc., until it is no longer consumed in your eating window. get rid of grains,

nuts, and beans too, in the same fashion.

What you want, ideally, going into the prolonged fast is about a good week of only

consuming easily digested foods like fruits, light salads, and soups.

S E C T I O N O N E

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HOW TO DO A SAFE AND EFFECTIVE

PROLONGED FASTS E C T I O N T W O

We start by learning about Angus Barbieri. in 1965, Angus was a then-27-year-old

Scotsman who ate nothing for 382 days. He lived on tea, coffee, soda water,

electrolytes, nutritional yeast, sodium pills, and vitamins. He went from weighing

456 in June 1965 to 180 lbs on July 11, 1966.

He lost 276 pounds and set a record for the length of his fast. During my fast I

consumed the same supplements as Barbieri, plus I added Apple Cider Vinegar,

because of its health benefits. “Electrolyte” is the umbrella term for particles that

carry a positive or negative electric charge. In nutrition, the term refers to essential

minerals found in your blood, sweat and urine. Electrolytes found in your body

include: Sodium, Potassium, Chloride, Calcium, Magnesium, Phosphate,

Bicarbonate. These electrolytes are required for various bodily processes, including

proper nerve and muscle function, maintaining acid-base balance and keeping you

hydrated.

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HOW TO DO A SAFE AND EFFECTIVE

PROLONGED FASTElectrolytes are crucial to keeping your nervous system and muscles functioning

and your internal environment balanced. When we fast weight will drop off our

bodies fairly quickly. During the first 24 hours or so, we go through all the glycogen

in our liver. After that, our body needs to run on what it has stored, either protein

or fat. For the first few days, we'll lose around 1-2 pounds a day, and if obese, even

more. The reason is because we're shedding water weight and using more protein.

But consuming protein for fuel is risky to the body, because it means breaking

down muscles which could affect essential muscles like your heart.

This is why nature designed us to be efficient fasters, and makes fat by far a

preferential energy source, so after a few days, your body turns to its stored fat

reserves for energy. This is called Ketosis, and since fat is more energy dense per

pound than protein, weight loss during this phase slows down to a more

reasonable but still rapid pace of a little over 1 pound every 2 days.

S E C T I O N T W O

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HOW TO DO A SAFE AND EFFECTIVE

PROLONGED FASTA prolonged fast is a way of staying in ketosis for an extended period of time, and

forcing your body to rely entirely on its own fat stores instead of dietary fat intake.

Being in ketosis makes for fairly easy weight loss, because it suppresses hunger. So

once you get through the first few days, which are always rough, your hunger will

fade away as ketosis kicks in. Fasting, by eliminating hunger pangs, allows us to

completely get our mind off food, instead of always thinking about what we’re

going to eat next and worrying about whether or not we’re eating too much.

S E C T I O N T W O

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HOW TO DO A SAFE AND EFFECTIVE

PROLONGED FASTHOW TO DO PROLONGED FASTING

It's best to start slow with fasting and work your way up to go longer periods of

time. You might start with 24 hours without any food. Then, the next month you

might want to try 36 hours, and then 48, and go up from there. It just takes time for

your body to adjust, but you start to notice that as you fast, your hunger goes away

and you feel better mentally and physically. Listen to your body's signals. Let it tell

you when you need to eat. If you're just feeling mild to normal feelings of hunger,

try to continue the fast. If you're feeling strong hunger pains, your blood sugar

crashes, and you're weak, then eat. There is no problem with needing to go a

shorter amount of time.

S E C T I O N T W O

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HOW TO DO A SAFE AND EFFECTIVE

PROLONGED FASTHOW TO DO PROLONGED FASTING

1. Start Gradually: It's very important to ease into prolonged fasting. When you

first stop eating and start your fast, fast for however long you can in the

beginning. You will likely find you feel great, and you might even make it to 72

hours before feeling like you really need to eat. But, in the beginning, when you

feel those strong signs of hunger, just eat. You may notice you can go longer

the next time you give it a try, but don't force yourself.

2. Take Electrolytes and Sea Salt: During a period of fasting, your body is living

off of its reserves. There are people who try to do a long period of fasting, and

they feel sick or even pass out because their bodies still need certain nutrients.

You need to take a multivitamin-mineral and sea salt. You also need to have

plenty of electrolytes. These help give your body the vital nutrients it needs

while fasting.

S E C T I O N T W O

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HOW TO DO A SAFE AND EFFECTIVE

PROLONGED FASTHOW TO DO PROLONGED FASTING

3. Keep Hydrated: Hydration is always important, especially when you fast,

because a little dehydration can already cause headaches, thirst, dry mouth,

and fatigue. It's easy to get dehydrated when you fast because 20%-30% of the

body components are fluid. You may want to drink water when you are thirsty

and be careful not to overdrink because it may cause bloating.

4. Maintain Mild Exercises: Because you'll be eating less, which also means

you'll be consuming fewer calories, it's best to keep your workouts light and

easy. This is especially recommended to people who are still new to fasting, so

you can evaluate how you can manage your physical activity with lower caloric

intake. You can do low-intensity exercises, such as housework, gentle

stretching, mild yoga, and walking. Just listen to your body when you feel like

you need a break from your exercise.

S E C T I O N T W O

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HOW TO DO A SAFE AND EFFECTIVE

PROLONGED FASTHOW TO DO PROLONGED FASTING

5. Keep Yourself Busy: it can be tempting to eat on hours or days of fasting,

especially when you start to feel hungry, you're bored, or you're new to the

program. You need some diversion, be it meditating, walking or all the stuff

your supposed to do around the house or with family members. Play video

games, take up a foreign language, listen to a podcast, read a book, just keep

busy! The diversion can help keep you busy and distract you from temptation.

6. Re-Feed Slowly: When you're done fasting, you might feel like you want to eat

a large meal. Please don't.. Going from not eating for a long period to eating

too much all at once will be a shock to the system. When you start eating after

a fast, make it a small, light meal. Just go slowly—eat a little bit, wait, and eat a

little bit more. Just like how you had to ease into fasting, you need to ease back

into eating or re-feeding. "

S E C T I O N T W O

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THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF FASTS PART 1

1. Juice Fast: A juice fast involves consuming liquids from fruits or vegetables

only. No solid foods are eaten for a specified period of time, which can be

anywhere from one day to several weeks. A juice fast is simple but requires

some planning to ensure you get enough vitamins and minerals from a variety

of fresh fruits and vegetables. Fruit and vegetables can be processed in a

juicer, a blender or a food processor. A blend of fruit or vegetables is mixed

with water and consumed three to six times daily.

2. Water Fast: A water fast is very stringent and should not be implemented

without consulting your doctor. Only pure water is consumed throughout the

day. The length of the fast varies depending on physical condition and goals.

Medically supervised water fasts have shown success in normalizing blood

pressure, notes an article published in the October 2002 issue of ""Journal of

Alternative and Complementary Medicine.""

S E C T I O N T H R E E

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THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF FASTS PART 1

3. Dry Fast: Dry fasting is a type of fasting where you don’t consume food or

water for a certain period. Although it has recently been growing in popularity

in the modern world, dry fasting is ancient and has been in use for thousands

of years, mainly for religious purposes. It can be performed for a limited period

or be combined with intermittent fasting for long term use.

Please note that you should not, under any circumstances, attempt to go

without water for more than 48 hours at a time. It doesn’t matter how many

articles and expert advice you may come across on the internet, going without

water for more than three days can lead to severe consequences and may

even be fatal in some extreme cases.

S E C T I O N T H R E E

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THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF FASTS PART 1

4. Cleansing Fast: Cleansing fasts use a liquid drink containing lemon juice, some

form of simple sugar for calories and cayenne pepper or another spice. The

idea is to cleanse the colon of food and toxins. The liquid is drunk 6 to 12 times

daily. A more intense cleansing may use a laxative tea consumed twice daily,

once in the morning and in the evening. Cleansing fasts can last from one to 14

days. Longer fasts should be supervised, and you should be aware of any

symptoms of negative reactions.

5. Partial Fasts: Partial fasts exclude a particular type of food such as rice, wheat

or meats. A partial fast includes some solid food but can restrict the amount of

food to less than one to three complete meals.

6. Liquid Protein Fast: Liquid protein fasts are typically used for weight loss in

obese patients. Liquid protein diets can help people lose anywhere from 10 to

100 lb. but should be medically supervised.

S E C T I O N T H R E E

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THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF FASTS PART 1

7. Diagnostic Fast: Diagnostic fasts can be performed for a variety of testing

purposes. Diagnostic fasts require you to abstain from eating or drinking

anything except water for eight to 12 hours prior to testing. As one example, a

diagnostic fast is required before you take the fasting glucose tolerance test,

which measures blood glucose levels to diagnose diabetes or hypoglycemia.

8. Religious Fasts: Religious fasts are done for spiritual or ritual reasons. The

Daniel Fast is modeled after the book of Daniel in the Bible. This is a partial fast

restricting all foods except fruits, vegetables, grains and water for 21 days. The

Jewish Tzomot includes seven different religious fasts throughout the year.

Ramadan is an Islamic fast, lasting one month during which Muslims fast from

sunrise to sundown.

S E C T I O N T H R E E

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THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF FASTS PART 2

Intermittent Fasting: Intermittent fasting is an eating pattern where you cycle

between periods of eating and fasting.

It doesn’t specify which foods you should eat but rather when you should eat them.

It can be more accurately described as an eating pattern, rather than a diet. We as

humans, fast every day, while we sleep. Intermittent fasting can be seen as simply

extending that fast a little longer. You can do this by skipping breakfast, eating your

first meal at noon and your last meal at 8 pm. Then you're technically fasting for 16

hours every day, and restricting your eating to an 8-hour eating window. This is the

most popular form of intermittent fasting, known as the 16/8 method.

Once you get started, you'll find that Intermittent Fasting is actually easy to do.

Hunger during it is usually not an issue, although it can be a problem in the

beginning, while your body is getting used to not eating for extended periods of

time. No food is allowed during the fasting period, but you can drink water, coffee,

tea and other non-caloric beverages. Some forms of intermittent fasting allow

S E C T I O N F O U R

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THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF FASTS PART 2

S E C T I O N F O U R

small amounts of low-calorie foods during the fasting period. Taking supplements

is generally allowed while fasting, as long as there are no calories in them. There

are several different intermittent fasting methods, all of which split the day or week

into eating periods and fasting periods. These methods are:

1. The Twice-a-Week Method – 5:2: This approach to it focuses on capping your

calories at 500 for two days a week. During the other five days of the week, you

maintain a healthy and normal diet. On fasting days, this method usually

includes a 200-calorie meal and a 300-calorie meal. It’s important to focus on

high fiber and high protein foods to help keep you full, but to also help keep

your calorie intake low. You can choose whichever two fasting days (say,

Tuesdays and Thursdays) as long as there is a non-fasting day between them.

2. Alternate Day Fasting: This variation involves fasting every other day. For

example, you take in 2500-3000 calories on your eating day, then nothing but

water the next day. There are other versions which have you take in 1500-2000

calories on your eating days, then 500 calories on your fasting days.

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THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF FASTS PART 2

3. Time-Restricted Eating (example: 20/4, 18/6, 16/8, or 14/10) Method: In this

option, you have set fasting and eating windows. For example, you fast for 16

hours of the day and are able to eat for only eight hours of the day. Since most

people already fast while they sleep, this method is popular. It’s convenient as

you extend the overnight fast by skipping breakfast and not eating until lunch.

4. The 24-Hour Fast (or eat: stop: eat method): This method involves fasting

completely for a full 24 hours. Once or twice a week. Most people fast from

breakfast to breakfast or lunch to lunch.

5. OMAD (One Meal A Day): This method involves eating one nutrient and

caloric dense meal within a 1-2 hour eating window and fasting the other 23-23

hours.

S E C T I O N F O U R

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THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF FASTS PART 2

S E C T I O N F O U R

Intermittent fasting is not a magic pill whether you are doing it, keto, low carb, high

protein, vegetarian, the Mediterranean diet, it all comes down to the quality of your

calories as well as how much you’re consuming. You can’t eat junk food and

excessive calories on non-fasting days or during your eating window and expect to

lose weight. Intermittent fasting is not safe for some people, including pregnant

women, children, people at risk for hypoglycemia, or people with certain chronic

diseases. If you’re at risk for an eating disorder, you shouldn’t attempt fasting.

If you’re interested in trying it, you should also be aware of some side effects. It can

be associated with irritability, low energy, persistent hunger, temperature

sensitivity and poor work and activity performance. If you're interested in an it

regimen, you can start by cutting out nighttime eating and snacking and then start

to limit your eating window each day, such as only eating from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Consider a simple form of it when starting out, like the 16/8 or 14/10. As you

progress and monitor how you feel, you may choose to gradually increase your

fasting window. Speak with your doctor or a dietitian before starting it, Taylor

recommends, and proceed with caution and take it slow.

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THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF FASTS PART 2

Prolonged Fasts: Prolonged fasting is when you go for a longer period without

food. It's not just cutting calories or skipping one meal, or eating at specific hours

of the day, its going for 48-72 hours or longer without food. The length of time a

person may fast can vary. Sometimes, it may be a week, and sometimes, it can even

be months. In my case, I fasted for 5 months, while Angus Barbieri fasted for about

13 months. There are those who will tell you that a true water fast involves water

only, and you shouldn't take supplements. I'm here to tell you that if you plan on

fasting longer than a week, you're playing Russian roulette with your life if you

don't take in electrolytes. Water only extended fasts must be approached with

great care.

S E C T I O N F O U R

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BENEFITS OF INTERMITTENT FASTING1. Weight Loss: According to an article published in August 2015 in the Journal of

the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, there’s a chance that any version of IF

may contribute to weight loss. The researchers looked at data from 13 studies

and found that average weight loss ranged from 1.3 percent for a two-week

trial to 8 percent for an eight-week trial.

2. Reduced Blood Pressure: A study published in June 2018 in Nutrition and

Healthy Aging found 16:8 significantly decreased the systolic blood pressure

among the 23 study participants. The link has been shown in both animal and

human studies, according to a review published in March 2019 in Nutrients.

And, an October 2019 study published in the European Journal of Nutrition

found IF led to even greater reductions in systolic blood pressure than another

diet that didn’t involve defined eating times.

S E C T I O N F I V E

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BENEFITS OF INTERMITTENT FASTING3. Reduced Inflammation: A study published in Nutrition Research involving 50

participants who were fasting for Ramadan, which involves fasting from sunrise

to sunset, and eating overnight, showed that during the fasting period, pro-

inflammatory markers were lower than usual, as was blood pressure, body

weight, and body fat.

4. Lower Cholesterol: According to a three-week-long study published in Obesity,

alternate-day fasting may help lower total cholesterol as well as LDL

cholesterol when done in combination with endurance exercise. LDL

cholesterol is the “bad” cholesterol that can raise your risk of heart disease or

stroke, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The

Obesity researchers also noted that IF reduced the presence of triglycerides,

which are fats found in the blood that can lead to stroke, heart attack, or heart

disease, according to the Mayo Clinic.

S E C T I O N F I V E

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BENEFITS OF INTERMITTENT FASTING5. Better Outcomes for Stroke Survivors: Healthier cholesterol levels and lower

blood pressure (two benefits noted above) play a major role in helping reduce

your risk of stroke. An article in Experimental and Translational Stroke Medicine

found that IF and calorie reduction in general may provide a protective

mechanism for the brain. In cases where stroke occurs, it seems eating this

way pre-stroke may ward off brain injury. The researchers say future studies

are needed to determine whether following IF post-stroke can aid recovery.

6. Boosted Brain Function: Dr. Sara Gottfried says IF may improve mental acuity

and concentration. And there’s some early research to support that idea: A

study on rats published in February 2018 in Experimental Biology and Medicine

found it may help protect against the decline in memory that comes with age.

According to Johns Hopkins Health Review, IF can improve connections in the

brain’s hippocampus and also protect against amyloid plaques, which are

found in patients with Alzheimer’s. This study was done only in animals,

though, so it’s still unclear whether the benefit holds true for humans.

S E C T I O N F I V E

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BENEFITS OF INTERMITTENT FASTING7. Cancer Protection: Some studies have shown that alternate-day fasting may

reduce cancer risk by decreasing the development of lymphoma, limiting

tumor survival, and slowing the spread of cancer cells, according to a review of

studies published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. The studies that

showed the cancer benefit were all animal studies, though, and more studies

are needed to confirm a benefit for humans and understand the mechanism

behind these effects.

8. Increased Cell Turnover: Dr. Sara Gottfried says the period of rest involved in

intermittent fasting increases autophagy, which is “an important detoxification

function in the body to clean out damaged cells.” Basically, a break from eating

and digestion gives the body a chance to heal and get rid of junk inside the

cells that can accelerate aging, she says.

S E C T I O N F I V E

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BENEFITS OF INTERMITTENT FASTING8. Increased Cell Turnover (Cont.); A study published in May 2019 in Nutrients

found that time-restricted feeding, which the researchers defined as eating

between 8 am and 2 pm, increased the expression of the autophagy gene LC3A

and the protein MTOR, which regulates cell growth. This study was small,

involving only 11 participants for four days. Another study, published in August

2019 in Autophagy, also noted that food restriction is a well-recognized way to

increase autophagy, specifically neuronal autophagy, which may offer

protective benefits for the brain. There were some limitations with this study as

well, though: It was done on mice and not humans.

9. Reduced Insulin Resistance: Dr. Gottfried proposes that intermittent fasting

may help stabilize blood sugar levels in people with diabetes because it resets

insulin, though more research is needed. The idea is that restricting calories

may improve insulin resistance, which is a marker of type 2 diabetes,

according to a study published in April 2019 in Nutrients.

S E C T I O N F I V E

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BENEFITS OF INTERMITTENT FASTING10. Lower Risk of Cardiovascular Issues: When insulin levels fall, so does the risk

of dangerous cardiovascular events, such as congestive heart failure, which is

important for patients with type 2 diabetes because they are two to four times

more likely to die from heart disease than adults without diabetes, according to

the American Heart Association.

11. Increased Longevity: There have been a few animal and rodent studies that

have shown IF may extend life span, possibly because fasting seems to build

resistance to age-related diseases. A review published in Current Obesity

Reports in June 2019 noted that while these findings are promising, it’s been

hard to replicate them in human studies. Until that happens, it’s best to be

skeptical about this potential benefit.

S E C T I O N F I V E

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BENEFITS OF PROLONGED FASTING

1. Regrowth of Your Brain: Prolonged fasting, may regrow your brain cells.

Certain parts of the brain could be affected from a prolonged fast, including

the hippocampus and parts of the brain stem.

2. Increased Mitochondria: Mitochondria are the energy factors of the body and

these levels go through the roof during prolonged fasting.

3. Autophagy: Autophagy is the body’s way of cleaning out damaged cells, in

order to regenerate newer, healthier cells, according to Priya Khorana, PhD, in

nutrition education from Columbia University. Autophagy helps slow down the

aging process, keeping your body looking younger and leading to certain

health benefits such as:

Helping your metabolism work better

Reducing risk of neurodegenerative diseases

Helping to regulate inflammation

S E C T I O N S I X

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BENEFITS OF PROLONGED FASTING

S E C T I O N S I X

3. Autophagy: Benefits continued…

Helping us fight infectious disease Improving muscle performance

Preventing the onset of cancer Improving your digestive health

Improving your skin health Minimizing Apoptosis (Cell Death)

Supporting a healthy weight: Autophagy requires fat-burning to be turned on

but spares protein. On very long fasts, you will lose protein mass, but in

shorter periods of fasting, you can activate autophagy, burn fat, spare

protein, and get all the benefits of a leaner, fitter you.

Autophagy quells unnecessary inflammation. Chronic inflammation raises

insulin, causing more weight storage– so less inflammation helps reduce

insulin levels. Autophagy reduces toxins in your cells. As long as you can

excrete those toxins, they are less likely to need fat cells to store them.

Autophagy supports metabolic efficiency by repairing the parts of cells that

make and package proteins and process energy, which is particularly helpful

when cells need to switch to fat-burning for energy.

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BENEFITS OF PROLONGED FASTING

4. Enhanced Stem Cell Production: Stem cells are cells that don't have a

purpose yet, but you still need them for the body calls them into action

because other cells are damaged or needs to be replaced. As we age, we lose

stem cells. They also are lost the more stress we're under, but during

prolonged fasting, we can enhance our stem cell reserve.

5. Decreased Inflammation: Inflammation can cause pain and all kinds of issues

with our health from rheumatoid arthritis to diabetes and even auto-immune

diseases. Prolonged fasting is an essential tool to help us ease our

inflammation.

6. Decreased Tumor Growth: When you're fasting, you deplete your sugar

reserves, and your body starts to run on ketones and fatty acids. As I

mentioned before, ketones are a byproduct of fat being burned. It's an

alternative fuel source for the body. Instead of running on glucose for fuel, we

switch to running on ketones which, in turn, help us burn fat. Ketones are the

S E C T I O N S I X

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BENEFITS OF PROLONGED FASTING

S E C T I O N S I X

6. body's preferred fuel source, and it's much more efficient for heart and brain

functioning. The absence of carbohydrates triggers ketones. Tumors can't

survive with ketones, they are starved off. So, if you have a tumor whether

that's a polyp, a cyst, boils, or fibroids, prolonged fasting may be very beneficial

to you. It's also important to understand that cancer lives on sugar, so another

added benefit of fasting and depleting your sugar reserves is you could starve

the cancer cells as well.

7. Increased Antioxidants: Your body has a whole network of antioxidants like

Vitamin C and Vitamin E. During fasting, your antioxidant levels go way up,

because during this time, your body is repairing and defending itself against

things like microbes.

8. Blood Sugar Control: Longer fasting can also benefit your blood sugar level

through lowering insulin resistance, which then reduces your risk of diabetes,

as well. When our body decreases insulin resistance, it may increase insulin

sensitivity so it can transport glucose effectively to your cells.

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BENEFITS OF PROLONGED FASTING

9. Increased Human Growth Hormone (HGH) Levels: HGH (Human Growth

Hormone) is a protein hormone that is vital to muscle strength, weight loss,

metabolism, and growth.

10. Weight Loss Support: Long fasting is a wonderful way of reducing excess

weight effectively. We avoid unhealthy foods that can break our diet, thereby

eventually leading to increased weight loss. When there is no intake of carbs,

our body uses its stored fat for energy. "

S E C T I O N S I X

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HOW NOT TO GAIN WEIGHT AFTER FASTINGYou need to change your eating habits after losing weight, whether it's a fast or any

other diet, your old eating regimen is the reason you needed to lose weight in the

first place. I changed to an OMAD lifestyle after completing my 150 days fast

because it makes it impossible for me to regress back to my old eating habit and

regain the weight. My basic advice would be:

Keep Fasting Periods Short. Eat a Small Amount on Fast Days.

Stay Hydrated. Go for Walks or Meditate.

Don't Break Fasts With a Feast. Stop Fasting If You Feel Unwell.

Eat Enough Protein. Eat Whole Foods on Non-Fasting Days.

S E C T I O N S E V E N

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