What you should know before you start fasting

I will not take your time with a long explanation of what fasting is and is not, and all of the subtle nuances of fasting, in this article. If you would like an article all about fasting, the different types, what does and does not "break" a fast, how to break a fast, etc…then I will gladly write one in the future. But for now, when I say the word "fast," I am speaking about abstaining from food, and only intaking water, black coffee, and non caloric tea.

I personally believe that a daily fast between 16 and 18 hours should not elicit a negative impact on a healthy individual. With that being said, if you are already at a low level of muscle mass, low thyroid, low sex hormones like testosterone and progesterone, or extremely high stress, and you are not CURRENTLY fasting, I do not think I would recommend you implement a fasting regimen into your current lifestyle. 

In my experience, a 16 to 18 hour fast is simply a great way for someone to reduce their food intake in a manner that often feels effortless and less difficult than small frequent meals throughout the entire day. Additionally, during the period in which someone is not eating, they are often able to think more clearly, and be more productive. 

However, some individuals may find that not eating makes them less productive. For these rare individuals, I would not recommend fasting if it impedes on your daily productivity and general well-being.

When we get into prolonged fasting, which I would say begins after 24 hours, there are some additional benefits due to simply not spending energy digesting foods.

Herin, we can divert energy towards repairing the gut, repairing damaged cells, possibly getting rid of cancerous cells, detoxification, general weight loss, and other beneficial processes that  would not otherwise the body would not otherwise prioritize if we were using energy to metabolize food. 

However, in my experience, fasting for more than 24 hours any more frequently than 2 - 3 times per month, likely is getting into the territory that may begin to impair endocrine function and muscle mass. However, in an individual who is very overweight,  the frequency of prolonged fasting can be increased without seeing much detriment to these areas. 

Additionally, someone who is overweight likely has issues with blood pressure, blood sugar, inflammation, cortisol, and other negative physiological parameters. I personally would prefer to fix these as soon as possible to avoid excess long term damage. Therefore, fasting is a tool that can be used to quickly reduce weight and stop all the negative effects caused by excess body fat accumulation.

Now, it is true that fasting will reduce the production of thyroid , and the aforementioned  sex hormones. Therefore, I want to support anabolism and the production of these hormones as much as possible during the period of eating. 

 For me, my biggest worry is that an individual does not consume sufficient micro nutrients and protein during the times in which they eat, and the reduction in hormone production is impaired even further. 

When we pair fasting with a diet that is low in nutrients, and devoid of protein this is when we begin to get in trouble with fasting causing poor health outcomes rather than positive health outcomes.

When eating after a fast, or before an upcoming fast, I always recommend eating as much variety and quantity of micro vitamins, minerals, and protein as possible. However, I cannot say that this recommendation is specific to a fasting lifestyle, as I always suggest eating these beneficial compounds.  However, it is that much more important if we are going prolonged  periods of time without any intake of  amino acids, vitamins, and minerals.

 I do believe you can get all the benefits of fasting by simply eating in an intelligent manner, fasting is a tool that can make things much easier, and has potential additional benefits beyond what you would get by simply caloric restriction. However, I am not confident in saying that for certain, and would likely wait until more science is published about the physiological, psychological, and longevity benefits of fasting.