Intermittent Fasting is a Healing Modality

Fasting is a Powerful Healing Modality

Intermittent fasting is one of the most powerful modalities for reducing inflammation, boosting immunity and enhancing tissue healing.  This is one of the reasons why many people feel nauseated when they have infections.  This innate mechanism is the body’s way of influencing us to fast so it can produce the right environment to boost natural immunity.

Researchers at the Intermountain Medical Center Heart Institute found that men who had fasted for 24 hours had a 2000% increase in circulating HGH.  Women who were tested had a 1300% increase in HGH.  The researchers found that the fasting individuals had significantly reduced their triglycerides, boosted their HDL cholesterol and stabilized their blood sugar.

The best way to begin fasting is by giving your body 12 hours between dinner and breakfast every single day.  This allows 4 hours to complete digestion and 8 hours for the liver to complete its detoxification cycle.  After this is a standard part of lifestyle try taking one day a week and extending the fast to 16-18 hours.  Eventually, you may choose to do a full 24 hour fast each week.

Simple Fast:  Basic fast with water only for 12 hours between dinner and breakfast which gives the liver a chance to complete its cycle.

Example:  Finish dinner at 7pm and don’t eat again until 7am

Cycle Fast:  Three times each week you fast for 16 hours by skipping either breakfast or dinner.

Example:  Finish dinner at 7pm and eat again around 11am-12pm at lunch the next day.  Do this on Monday, Wednesday and Friday each week.

Strong Fast:  Consume all food in a 6-8 hour eating window each day.  You would eat 2 meals per day and fast through either breakfast or dinner.

Example:  This would mean fasting in the morning and eating between 12-7pm each day  or 8am-3pm each day or whatever 6-8 hour period you like best.

Warrior Fast:  Ancient warrior would often march all day and would feast at night.  Consume all food in a 3-5 hour eating window each day.  This may be from 2-6pm or 3-7pm, etc.

1 Day Food Fast: 24 hours each week with only consuming water, greens powders and herbal tea.  Some may have bone broth during this fast.

How I Do Intermittent Fasting:

I personally like to go 16-18 hours from dinner to my first meal the next day. I will typically drink 48-60oz of water and herbal tea in the morning during this period. Sometimes, I will do greens powder in water. I usually eat my first meal between 12-2pm and finish my last meal between 6-9pm depending upon my schedule.

I will often instruct my clients to do some organic coffee or herbal tea with coconut oil and/or grass-fed butter or ghee in it (1 tsp of each is good). This provides small and medium chain fatty acids that are easy on the digestive system and provide immediate energy in the form of ketones for the brain. This helps to stabilize blood sugar and stress hormones. If someone struggles with hypoglycemia than this is an important step.

I find that 16-18 hours each day helps me feel strong and full of vigor. It also improves my digestive system, skin health and immune system. Experiment with this and see if you can find the right rhythm for yourself.  Here are some additional benefits to fasting:

SOURCE

Re-posted from Dr. Jockers web site – Thank you Dr. Jockers for this great information.

Sources For This Article Include:  

1. Ho KY, Veldhuis JD, Johnson ML, Furlanetto R, Evans WS, Alberti KG, Thorner MO. Fasting enhances growth hormone secretion and amplifies the complex rhythms of growth hormone secretion in man. J Clin Invest. 1988 Apr;81(4):968-75. PMID: 3127426
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3. Yamamoto M, Iguchi G, Fukuoka H, Suda K, Bando H, Takahashi M, Nishizawa H, Seino S, Takahashi Y. SIRT1 regulates adaptive response of the growth hormone–insulin-like growth factor-I axis under fasting conditions in liver. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2013 Sep 10;110(37):14948-53. PMID: 23980167
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5. Growth Hormone. Wikipedia. Link Here
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8. Ji S, Guan R, Frank SJ, Messina JL. Insulin inhibits growth hormone signaling via the growth hormone receptor/JAK2/STAT5B pathway. J Biol Chem. 1999 May 7;274(19):13434-42. PMID: 10224108
9. Dirks-Naylor AJ, Kouzi SA, Yang S, Tran NT, Bero JD, Mabolo R, Phan DT, Whitt SD, Taylor HN. Can short-term fasting protect against doxorubicin-induced cardiotoxicity? World J Biol Chem. 2014 Aug 26;5(3):269-74. PMID: 25225594
10. Michalsen A, Li C. Fasting therapy for treating and preventing disease – current state of evidence. Forsch Komplementmed. 2013;20(6):444-53. PMID: 24434759
11. Michalsen A. Prolonged fasting as a method of mood enhancement in chronic pain syndromes: a review of clinical evidence and mechanisms. Curr Pain Headache Rep. 2010 Apr;14(2):80-7. PMID: 20425196
12. Anderson JL, Carlquist JF, Roberts WL, Horne BD, May HT, Schwarz EL, Pasquali M, Nielson R, Kushnir MM, Rockwood AL, Bair TL, Muhlestein JB; Intermountain Heart Collaborative Study Group. Asymmetric dimethylarginine, cortisol/cortisone ratio, and C-peptide: markers for diabetes and cardiovascular risk? Am Heart J. 2007 Jan;153(1):67-73. PMID: 17174641

Additional Sources Include:

AJCN    Eurekalert     NaturalNews       MarksDailyApple

http://www.optimizestrength.com/eat-like-lion-fasting-makes-driven/

http://www.maxhealthchiro.com/beginners-guide-daily-intermittent-fasting/

http://totalhealthnd.com/2012/09/14/naturopath-london-intermittent-fasting/

http://www.undergroundhealth.com/intermittent-fasting-finally-becoming-mainstream-health-recommendation/

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