The Daniel Fast for Financial Breakthrough. The most common purpose cited by those fasting is for financial reasons. Yes, the economy has improved.Fasting for Fast Weight Loss, Better Health, and Supreme Fitness. I stumbled across a fascinating article on something crazy called Intermittent Fasting (IF). Consisting of regular 1. Intermittent Fasting has been shown scientifically to help achieve fast weight loss, better health, and increased fitness levels. As a student of Optimal Living, I knew I had to dig in and learn more. And thus began an incredible journey down the path of intermittent fasting, towards my craziest challenge so far. The Evolutionary Perspective. Before I begin this story, let’s take quick walk up our family tree, all the way back to our hunter- gatherer ancestors, to understand this whole Intermittent Fasting concept. Now these guys, the hunter- gathered, they didn’t eat 3 meals at day at regular intervals like most do now. No, instead they went hunting & gathering, sometimes for days, before finding something good. As leading neuroscience & ageing expert Mark P. Mattson tells us, “our ancestors consumed food much less frequently and often had to subsist on one large meal per day, and thus from an evolutionary perspective, human beings were adapted to intermittent feeding rather than to grazing.”Hmm interesting. Could it be that modern society has put the human specie “zoo- like” environment, and our eating patterns have become progressively less optimal? And more importantly, what happens if we start eating the way we’re evolutionary programmed to? The answer, it turns out, is “amazing things”. The Mind- Blowing Health Benefits of Intermittent Fasting. Here are the scientifically proven benefits of doing regular fasts of 1. Increased Fatty Acid Oxidation (Body burns more fat as energy, leading to fast weight loss)Increased Cell Resistance (Slowed down ageing process, improved immunity)Increased Insulin Sensitivity (Less fluctuation in blood sugar levels, more constant energy & mood levels)Reduced Cortisol Production (Lower stress levels)Reduced Inflammation (Faster body healing, repair, and recovery)Reduced Cancer Cells Proliferation Rate (Reduced incidence of several types of cancer)Reduced Cognitive Decline for patients with Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease. Reduced Incidence of Heart Disease. That doesn’t mean the quote is useless. In fact, with a few slight modifications, it becomes extremely effective weight loss advice. Check out my version. Not bad eh! And you haven’t heard the craziest part yet: most people start experiencing these benefits within 2 weeks of starting to fast! Oh, and if it weren’t enough, here’s a study that simply blows my mind: In the. On average, the worms on the IF cycle outlasted their counterparts on a regular diet by 1. The life- span extension of these worms was the equivalent of keeping a man alive for 6. I know these are only worms, but still. My Thoughts As I Discovered This. This was all phenomenal stuff, no doubt about it. And as someone who loves experimenting, often with the goal of optimizing body, mind, and health, it was very alluring. However, there was one major issue separating me from these incredible benefits. I had to FAST to obtain them! I had to abstain from my beloved food for 1. How the hell was I supposed to do that? To put you in context, I’m like the anti- fasting guy. I usually eat every 2 hours, and I’ve always been a big believer in the 6- small- meals- a- day concept.
I bring snacks everywhere I go. The Asian girls in my classes always giggle when they see me peel and eat hard boiled eggs in the middle of a lecture to get my protein fix. The other problem is that when I go without food, I feel like crap. As soon as hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) sets in, my energy drops and I get cranky.“Yeah”, I thought, “You know what? Screw this fasting thing. I love food too much, and this is crazy anyways”. Turning Point: The Universe Gets Involved. Later that night, something strange happened. I grabbed the Men’s Health magazine issue next to my bed for a little pre- sleep reading. I opened the magazine randomly in the middle. The article that was in front of me? A piece on Intermittent Fasting titled “The World’s Most Effective Diet”. Wow. I’m a big believer in the flow of the universe, and that signs are the universe’s way of hinting us the right direction. As I read the MH article, I was moved by the great insight the author provided as he related the day- to- day lifestyle of an “intermittent- faster”, and describe all eloquently all the ways it had improved his life. I couldn’t help but think the universe was telling me something. This article was no coincidence, it was a sign. I pondered on Ralph Waldo Emerson’s wisdom that “all life is one big experiment. The more experiments you do, the better.” and right there and then, I made a decision: “Intermittent Fasting for 1. Let’s do it.” Boom! I turned off the lights and closed my eyes, hoping to sleep for as long as possible. I wasn’t allowed to “break fast” until 5: 3. I had solid 7. 5 hours of no- food time ahead of me. All righttttt! I thought about it, and couldn’t even recall the last time I’d gone more than an hour before having my morning smoothie. I remembered wondering what I had gotten myself into, but I had committed to this little project and there was no way I was backing out. I did a little yoga, took my (cold) shower, and prepared my “copious” breakfast: a liter of green tea. I headed over to my computer, knowing full well that the key to this whole operation was to keep myself busy all day. I started working on my upcoming e. Book. I immersed myself in it, and before long I had an hour of good writing under my belt, and it was time to make more tea. Over the next few hours, I had little waves of hunger come in and out, but overall I felt focused and achieved a great state of flow. After 3 hours of solid creative work, I decided to step outside and enjoy the afternoon sunshine. I got on my bike, and went cruising around Perth, enjoying life. I couldn’t believe how well this experiment was going. When I got back from my bike ride, I remembered I had to do something. It was Sunday 4pm, the weekend market was about to close, and I didn’t have my groceries for the week. That’s right, I had to go grocery shopping. I had to go buying large amounts of delicious food after 1. The stakes had just been raised. I walked into the market, and my nostrils were immediately flooded with the wonderful aromas of fresh baked bread and croissants. I felt this sharp pain in my stomach, and thought about turning around. But no, this was a challenge, and pushing myself through this could only make me stronger. I got everything I needed, paid for my stuff, and even managed to remain courteous to the cashier despite my advance state of hunger. As I walked out, I looked down at my watch. I just had to go home, put the groceries away, then I would cook one hell of a feast. I felt a bit woozy driving home, my mind was a bit foggy as I unpacked my groceries, but before I knew it, my i. Phone alarm went off. A proud smile beamed over my face. I had just crushed this fasting day, put myself out of my comfort zone, and come out a bit stronger on the other side. Best feeling ever. And then, it was time for some fooooood!!! On fasting days, I appreciate my food SO MUCH more. That first bite of food after 1. I experience a high level of mental clarity, as more of my energy is being using for cognitive activities instead of the digestion process. I’m more productive and get more stuff done, because I spend less time preparing & eating food. It’s making me mentally tougher, it’s increasing my self- control. While cold showers give me a “let’s do this”- type mental toughness, fasting helps me remain focused & persistent over a longer period of time. Both are equally important part of getting my mind where I want it to be. Stepping Things Up: Training in a Fasted State. On the 1. 0th Day of Fasting, I celebrated by pushing the envelope a bit. Stepping things up if you will. I was chilling at the beach, and eventually got restless from too much reading & journaling, so decided to get up and go for a run along the water. This would be my first ever “fasted training session” and besides being fun, this run would serve 2 purposes: 1. Put my body under more “stress”, thus possibly “supercharging” the benefits of the fast. Allow me to enjoy the sights provided by the return of Australian summer & bikini- season : )The workout was amazing, I felt light and fast. I didn’t get tired, my mind felt clear, and I even received a few smiles from the ladies. Overall, great success. That night, happy with my first fasted training, I found myself thinking how I could take this Intermittent Fasting experiment to the next level. The very first article I found, on Fasted Training, absolutely blew my mind. This article by Intermittent Fasting expert Martin Berkhan looked at a groundbreaking study that looked at 2 groups of subjects, and put them on a cycling training program for 4 weeks. One group would do the training in fasted state, while to other group would have food before training. At the end of the 4 weeks, when comparing the results 2 main findings were discovered: 1. The fasted group increased VO2. Max by 9. 7% vs 2. This means that the fasted had a significantly greater fitness improvement. The fasted group increased Glycogen Storage (how much energy is stored in the muscles) by a whopping +5. This is of particular interest for endurance athletes because it allows for greater energy reserves. Think of it as a bigger fuel tank on a racing car. The article also taught me something very interesting: Kenyan runners, arguably the best endurance athletes on the planet, are known to do most of their training in a fasted state. Wait, what? Researchers then compared the subjects’ post- fasting blood samples to those taken after a day of normal eating. The results? The scientists observed that the male participants’ levels of human growth hormone (HGH) were 2. HGH? WHAT?? For those who don’t know what it is, HGH is pretty much the “superhuman” hormone. It’s a commonly used substance in illegal doping protocols by high- level athletes. Is Fasting Healthy? It sounds so simple - no choices, no counting calories, no cooking. Just say 'no' to food, and start fasting for quick weight loss and other health benefits. After all, Beyonce did it. She said she lost 2. Dreamgirls. But what about the rest of us mortals? We wonder: And finally, is fasting healthy? Although fasting has been practiced for thousands of years, the question is still a subject of intense medical debate. Web. MD consulted experts on weight loss and fasting for some answers. Fasting and Weight Loss. If you weed through all the controversy, you'll find that most medical experts agree on one thing: fasting is not a healthy weight loss tool. Some say it can actually make weight problems worse. Fasting slows your metabolic rate down so your diet from before the fast is even more fattening after you fast. When you are changing that balance, the good bacteria are affected, too. The issue of fasting to cleanse the body has no biological basis because the body is real good at that by itself. This is basic science and physiology every doctor learns in medical school. When you go without eating for more than a day or two, the body enters into ketosis. Ketosis occurs when the body runs out of carbohydrates to burn for energy, so it burns fat. But fasting has been used for religious and spiritual purification for centuries. Nearly every religious text you can name, from the Old and New Testaments of the Bible to the Quran and the Upanishads, calls upon followers to fast periodically as a rite of spiritual purification, penitence, or preparation for union with God. Medical Reasons for Fasting. Another topic on which there is medical agreement is the benefit - actually, the necessity - - of fasting before surgery. Short- term fasting before tests for cholesterol and blood sugar levels, for example, helps achieve a more accurate baseline count. Fasting to Treat Disease. Fasting advocates also claim that the practice can effectively treat serious health conditions, from arthritis and colitis to heart disease and depression. In his practice, Fuhrman tells Web. MD, he has seen fasting - - combined with improving the diet before and afterward - - eliminate lupus, arthritis and chronic skin conditions like psoriasis and eczema. He says he has also seen fasting heal the digestive tracts of those with ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease, and lower blood pressure. He cites half a dozen studies published in medical journals ranging from the American Journal of Physiology - Endocrinology and Metabolism to the Scandinavian Journal of Rheumatology. Studies published in The Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences and The Journal of Nutrition in 2. Fasting may yield psychological benefits as well. But for those whose medical conditions do not respond to other treatments, Fuhrman says, . For most medical conditions, if you stick to a strict diet, you don. Mager, D. E.; Wan, R.. Brown, M., Cheng, A., et al. Journal of the Federation of. American Societies for Experimental Biologies, 2. Hsieh. E. A., Chai, C. M., Hellerstein, M. K., et al., American Journal. Physiology, Endocrinology and Metabolism, 2. E9. 65- 7. 2. Wan, R., Camandola, S., Mattson, M. P.,The Journal of. Nutrition,June 2. Miller, H., de. Toledo, F. W., Resch, K. L., Scandinavian Journal of. Rheumatology, 2. 00. Michael; Rafael. de Cabo, Titilola Lyun, Michelle Rios, Adrienne Hagepanos, Donald K. Ingram. Mark A. Lane. Dagger, Mark P. Mattson, Proceedings of the National Academy of. Sciences of the United States of America,May 1. Goldhamer, A. C., Lisle, D. J., Sultanta, P., et. Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine. Goldhamer, A. C., Lisle, D. J., Parpia, B., et al, Journal. Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics, 2. Madelyn Fernstrom, Ph. D, CNS,founder and director, University of. Pittsburgh Medical Center's Weight Loss Management Center; associate professor. University of Pittsburgh School of. Medicine. Joel Fuhrman, MD, family physician, Flemington, N. J.; author. Eat To Live: The Revolutionary Plan for Fast and Sustained Weight Loss. Fasting and Eating for Health. Web. MD Feature: . All rights reserved.
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