The Incredible Healing Power of Fasting
What is Fasting?
Fasting has some remarkable benefits. Today, many of us are over eating. I’m not just talking the amount of calories, but the amount of times we are eating throughout the day. We are not giving our digestive system any type of break. Fasting, in addition to giving your digestive system a break, can assist in a process called autophagy. Autophagy is a process that goes around and cleans up cellular debris It’s a process of clearing the body of senescent cells, or cells you no longer need.
Benefits of Fasting
1. Autophagy
As I discussed, autophagy is the process of clearing up cellular debris. This study shows how fasting increases neuronal autophagy. This is absolutely incredible because it will prevent neurodegenerative diseases.
2. Stabilize blood sugar
Fasting is great for stabilizing blood sugar. When no food is coming in, it’s easy to stabilize blood sugar. Fasting is probably the best treatment when it comes to lowering insulin. Insulin is the hormone that drives glucose into the cells.
3. Immunity
Fasting clears out old cells, and replaces them with new ones. This keeps your immune system in top shape.
4. Weight loss
This is very beneficial for weight loss. In addition to not taking in any calories, you are training your body to burn fat for fuel, rather than sugar. When we burn fat for fuel, we can make use of the extra pounds we may have, and use them as energy. Also, when you stabilize insulin, it’s easier to lose weight because insulin is our bodies major fat storing hormone. We also know that fasting boosts human growth hormone, which protects muscle and burns fat.
5. Cancer
Fasting as been show to reduce tumor size in many studies. Fasting reduces the growth signal to cancer. Some of the nutrient sensors that it blocks are mTOR, and insulin. mTOR is a pathway that signals growth. Cancer cells primarily feed off os sugar. When you reduce glucose, and insulin, your chances for cancer go down.
Fasting Methods
Intermittent fasting-
This is the most popular form if fasting. It is taking a portion of your day, usually 12-16 hours of not eating. This includes sleeping. So, if your done eating at 8 pm, don’t eat again until 8 am. You can start at 12, and gradually work your way up to 16. This is something you can do everyday.
Longer fasts-
You can do a longer fast as well, usually 24-72 hours. This can be done with water only, or other substances. Water alone will give you the most benefit. You can also have green juices, bone broth, and supplements on a long fast.
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