Fast like a Queen

Okay, you may have heard the hype ... Fasting has benefits.

So if you are 35 years and upwards, and have an interest in supporting yourself through declining hormones,  cellular longevity, and feeling alive in your body. You may find this interesting. 

I learned about fasting 25 years ago when I was doing my training to become a naturopath

Going back a few years before that, I was living in the middle of the Canadian mountains.

This is when I did “The 10-day master cleanse fast”

It was life-changing.

I am not suggesting you go out and do a 10-day fast.

But since then I have been fascinated with fasting. I have tried all sorts of fasts and now teach fasting to my clients and run online fasting programs. 

It's exciting now science has caught up, even though fasting is certainly not new, and has been practiced by most cultures for a very long time.

We now know more about the benefits of fasting on a  cellular level.

Now that I have turned 50 I am very interested in the benefits for women going through perimenopause and that are metabolically compromised. 

More research is starting to happen with this group of people.

This is what we are learning.

Why fast?

Fasting is a way to reset and heal the body, to allow yourself to listen to what your body needs. A time for the body to take a breath, fasting can help bring balance back to the body. It is very restorative.

It can help with

• Hormone support 

• Helps slow down aging cells

• Helps with cellular damage

• Blood sugar regulation

• Increases cellular energy

• Decreases inflammation

• Increases immunity

• Supports gut health

• Weight loss. 

If you are a woman over 35 you will start to experience the start of your hormones declining.

This is a natural process that takes place.

BUT lifestyle, diet, and stress can accelerate the decline of your hormones, quite often creating a compromised metabolic system. 

When we look at the benefits of fasting, we can see that this helps with Metabolic health. 

This is so important as we age. 

How often should I fast?

There is no rule here and depending on you and what you want to achieve.

I tend to tell my clients doing a 3 to 5-day fast up to 4 times a year can be great, if you can fit it into your lifestyle.

When we are looking at shorter fasts like a 24-hour or a 48-hour fast, this can be implemented into a weekly, fortnightly, or monthly practice. 

Can’t imagine going without food for too long?

This is most likely because you are having trouble with switching from sugar-burning to fat-burning

What does that mean? 

Well, the body is smart and will burn the fuel that is the easiest to access. 

This is sugar and when we run out of sugar to burn the body should just be able to “switch” over to fat (ketones)  burning for fuel. ( metabolic flexibility) 

But for a few different reasons, perimenopause being one of them, some of us find it hard to switch from sugar to fat-burning. So when we run out of sugar……. We can get hangry and feel like we need food ASAP to fuel the brain and the rest of the body.

Fasting helps to remind our beautiful body that it can switch and use fat as a fuel source.

This is where the healing and benefits kick on while fasting. 

Different approaches to fasting

There are no rules as to how you should fast, it depends on what works for your body and your lifestyle. 

Not one size fits all that's for sure. Some of my recommendations to clients. 

24 or 48-hour Water fast:

This can work well when you want to do shorter fasts more frequently. I have just started doing a 24-hour water fast once a fortnight. Very helpful when in perimenopause

3 or 5-day fast:

This is more of a time commitment and it's important to have the space to be able to rest and go inward to get the full benefits of fasting: recommended up to 4 times a year.

5 to 10-day fast: 

I would only recommend this if you have fasted before and get health advice to see if this is right for you. I have done a 10-day fast and it was amazing, would I recommend it to all my clients no.

Broth fast: I have to say broths are my favorite type of fasting. it is low in natural sugar and is very healing if you have gut issues.

Vegetable fast: Very nourishing on the gut and can be a great first fast.

Juice fast: I would be aware of the high sugar intake of some fruits.

Water fast: My least favorite!! I am such a foodie! But has great cellular and anti-aging benefits.

These days you can buy some really good bone broths ready-made. If you would like to try making your own it is pretty easy, just have to set aside some time.

Bone Broth

Ingredients.

• 2 kg of bones e.g. organic chicken frames, beef or lamb bones (As a guide one chicken frame weighs about 1 kg)

• 1 large onion, chopped into quarters

• 1 bulb of garlic, split into cloves (skin on or off)

• 2 carrots, chopped into chunks

• 3 celery stalks and leaves, roughly chopped

• 1 leek, roughly chopped 
 (or add an extra onion)

• Any other vegetable off-cuts you have 

• 1 cup fresh parsley, chopped

• 2 Tbsp. of apple cider vinegar (which helps the minerals leach from the bones)

• 1 tsp peppercorns (optional)

• Salt and pepper
  

Method: 

Put the bone and all other ingredients (except parsley) in a large pot.

Fill the pot with water so it just covers all ingredients.

Let the mixture sit for 30 minutes, then turn on the heat and boil.

Once boiling, skim off the film that rises to the top, and then reduce to a simmer. 

Leave simmering for 4-8 hours. The longer you cook, the more flavor and nutrients will be released from the bones.

10 minutes before you turn the heat off, stir through the parsley and season accordingly.

Alternatively, you can put everything in a crockpot and cook slowly overnight.

Once the mixture has cooled, remove the vegetables and bones

(squeezing out any extra liquid) and then strain through a sieve.

Pour into small containers and store in the fridge 

And have a cup and a half 3 times daily. 

Do it your way

I see so many women feeling overwhelmed with their health.

With their busy lives, and all the people they look after before themselves.

When we are in this hormonal transition, (that can take up to 10 years) things can feel like a roller coaster ride.

I find coming up with a fasting rhythm that works with my cyclic energy, that works for my lifestyle, feels empowering, and helps me create an anchor to be able to come back into myself.

Is fasting for everyone? 

No Fasting is not recommended if you are pregnant, breastfeeding, have diabetes, have an eating disorder, dealing with chronic fatigue, or if you are just simply not ready.

In this case, I tend to do a lead-up program for a lot of my clients before we fast so we can work on getting your body to switch from sugar-burning to fat-burning with ease. 

This can take time. 

So my advice is don't rush out there and start fasting straight away if it's all new to you. It may put you off. 

I love to educate people about fasting so you can do it your way, you get all the benefits of fasting and feel alive and connected to what your body needs.

Always check with your healthcare provider

And when first starting on your fasting journey it is best to get some support. 

xx Coryn