Are you starting a fast this week? Perhaps you’re preparing for Tzom Gedeliyah or Yom Kippur. While fasting is a spiritual practice for many, did you know that it can also benefit your health and aid in weight loss? That’s right – fasting can cleanse more than your soul; it’s an effective tool for overall health improvement. Let’s delve into what happens when you fast, and why it can be beneficial for you (even if you’re grumbling about it halfway through).
Fasting for 12 hours or more ushers your body into several fascinating changes; let’s peek into what happens behind the scenes:
1. **Goodbye, Instant Energy!** The first 8-12 hours of fasting sees your body exhaust its glycogen reserves, its readily accessible energy source derived from carbs. If you consumed bread or carbs before commencing fasting, that’s the primary energy source your body turns to first.
2. **Hello, Fat Burning!** Once the readily available energy gets depleted, your body enters a phenomenal state – it starts burning fat. When you’re fasting, your body switches to the fat-burning mode. This process, known as lipolysis, initiates after roughly 12 hours without food, whereby your fat cells are broken down to provide energy.
3. **Insulin Takes a Break:** Fasting aids in lowering your insulin levels, an advantage because high insulin levels hinder your body’s ability to burn fat. Reducing insulin intake makes your body more efficient at utilizing stored fat as fuel.
On the flip side, you may ask, “Why do I still feel hungry if my body has fat to burn?” It indeed feels unfair, right? Your body may have abundant fat stored that could be harnessed for energy, so why does it still make you feel hungry?
1. **Hunger Hormones:** Ghrelin, known as the hunger hormone, is released by your stomach when it’s empty. This results in you feeling hungry, even when your body could technically use fat for energy.It’s your body’s way of hinting, “Hey, we usually eat around this time—what’s going on?”
2. **Habit:** Part of that hunger emanates from habit. If you regularly eat at certain times, your body will signal hunger, whether it needs food or not.My brain is playing tricks on you!
3. **Mental Hunger:** Fasting can disrupt your routine, leading to mental hunger. Sometimes, merely thinking about fasting makes us obsess over food more than usual!
So, can fasting assist with weight loss? In one word, yes! But it happens not just because you’re missing meals. The principal reason fasting works for weight loss is that it allows you to create a calorie deficit. That is, if you consume fewer calories than you burn, weight loss ensues.
1. **Fewer Opportunities to Overeat:** When you fast, the time that you have available to eat naturally decreases, making it simpler to evade snacking or overindulgence.
2. **Fat Burning Mode:** As discussed earlier, about 12 hours into fasting, your body looks to fat for fuel. Pairing this with a calorie deficit sets the stage for successful weight loss.
3. **Metabolism Boost:** Fasting can improve insulin sensitivity over time and enhance your metabolism, helping your body become proficient at burning fat and using energy efficiently.
You’re probably aware of the headaches and crankiness that kick in halfway through a fast. Let’s explore why these symptoms occur and how to mitigate them:
1. **Low Blood Sugar:** As your blood sugar levels drop and your body tries to adapt, this may result in headaches and irritability.
2. **Dehydration:** Fasting could mean that you’re not consuming as much water as usual, leading to dehydration. Always ensure to hydrate effectively before you fast.
3. **Caffeine Withdrawal:** For coffee or tea lovers, skipping your usual caffeine intake can give rise to severe withdrawal symptoms, including headaches and fatigue.
Fasting is not just a tool for weight loss; it brings with it a host of other health benefits.
1. **Improved Insulin Sensitivity:** Fasting helps reduce insulin levels, which in turn can enhance your body’s capability to process blood sugar and minimize the risk of type 2 diabetes.
2. **Cellular Cleanup:** During a fast, your body enters autophagy mode, which is essentially cellular spring cleaning.
3. **Mental Clarity:** Many people report improved mental concentration and clear-headedness during fasting periods.
Be wary of food overload when you break your fast! Flooding your system with an excessive amount of food within a short span can be counterproductive, leaving you feeling sluggish and even hungrier. Instead, break the fast smartly: begin with a small portion of something gentle like a warm soup or a handful of nuts. Always hydrate
