Life Lessons

My Unusual Celebration of New Years

Why do I fast for ten days at the end of each year?

As the year draws to a close, I share this story while in a fasted state: my body is rich in β-Hydroxybutyrate (BHB) with ideal glucose levels. This condition gives me a serene and contented feeling, mental sharpness, and a beautiful lightness of being.

As my family joyfully celebrates the New Year amidst bustling streets, vibrant fireworks, and cheerful chaos, I opt for a more serene celebration. I embrace the peace of a quieter space, away from the clamor of the city’s festivities, where my heart feels more content and fulfilled than in the hollow jubilance of the New Year celebrations.

Ten days ago, I purposefully embarked on a fasting journey with five meditation sessions, an annual ritual to clean my body and mind. This intentional practice, regular intermittent fasting, and light workouts like Yoga and Pilates form a strategic intervention designed to enhance my overall health and well-being.

In this story, I introduce the rationale behind this seemingly extreme practice, offering insights into the profound benefits of long-term fasting for those considering such an endeavor. I want to emphasize that this practice isn’t suitable for everyone without seeking medical consultation and supervision beforehand. My goal is to give hope to some people who are experiencing metabolic disorders like abdominal obesity, offering them an alternative approach to medical supervision.

A Brief Background to My Fasting History

Back in the day, fasting didn’t catch my attention. I had this idea that fasting meant starving yourself and causing unnecessary stress to your body. Little did I know about the hormonal changes fasting could trigger in the body and mind.

I used to believe eating often was the key to keeping up my energy and improving my metabolism. But it turns out, those beliefs were way off the mark, and it took some time for me to realize their inaccuracy.

Back in the early 1980s, the idea of eating frequently was appealing. I thought it was the right approach to add three snacks to my three meals. But my body disagreed. I didn’t realize then the harm that constantly elevated blood sugar levels could bring, leading to insulin resistance. It took me a while to understand how this eating pattern didn’t suit my body’s needs.

My body eventually reached a breaking point, leading to metabolic syndrome, abdominal obesity, and the risk of type II diabetes. Fortunately, this wake-up call came early enough for me to take action. Curious and determined, I sought practical solutions to tackle this critical issue.

Skipping a meal sparked my curiosity about fasting’s potential benefits, prompting me to delve into the literature. Yet, I craved firsthand experience to validate these claims and embarked on my own experimental journey to understand fasting’s effects. Starting to skip breakfasts and seeing instant benefits paved the way.

After experiencing positive outcomes and no adverse effects from skipping a meal, I ventured further by skipping another. Surprisingly, this adjustment brought even more metabolic advantages. It became clear that fasting was beneficial for my overall well-being.

After conducting experiments and meticulously tracking my objective measurements and subjective experiences, I established a single-meal eating routine. This lifestyle choice evolved into a healthy habit that suited me well.

As I integrated meal skipping and adopted a one-meal-a-day regimen, my body slowly transitioned to being fat-adapted, making long-term fasting increasingly effortless. The biochemistry of ketosis appealed to me.

Encouraged by my progress, I started occasionally extending my fasting windows from 22 hours to 46 hours, uncovering additional benefits along the way. Over time, I pushed the boundaries, gradually lengthening my fasts — 3, 5, 7 days, and occasionally reaching a remarkable 10-day fasting period.

The crucial factor that enabled me to harness the benefits of extended fasting was transitioning my body to become fat-adapted. This adaptation allowed my body to efficiently utilize stored fat as its primary energy source in the absence of food.

Indeed, voluntary fasting, like any facet of life, carries inherent risks. Even the body’s most basic needs — air, water, and food — come with their share of potential risks.

The vital caution I heed during extended fasting is maintaining proper hydration by drinking sufficient water and ensuring my electrolyte levels stay balanced. If I detect any imbalances, I supplement with electrolytes to support my body during the extended fasting period.

Fasting is sometimes mistaken for starvation, but my viewpoint differs from this misconception, shaped by both personal experience and extensive research.

Why Fasting Has Nothing to Do With Starvation

People hold varied perspectives on fasting. Some who haven’t experienced it might speculate and link fasting to starvation. It’s common to fear what we don’t understand.

Personally, my confidence in fasting stems from years of research and firsthand experience, allowing me to comprehend its effects on both my body and mind.

I have deep empathy and compassion for those facing starvation, particularly children who suffer from malnutrition and the inability to grow properly.

Globally, millions of people continue to endure these hardships, and it’s crucial that we extend assistance within our means. Additionally, fasting, recognized as a spiritual growth tool in many cultures for centuries, can encourage increased empathy.

While fasting may resemble starvation at first glance for some, it’s actually an entirely distinct metabolic state. Critics, with genuine intentions, often voice concerns about potential risks associated with fasting.

Equating fasting with starvation without considering the context is like equating high-caloric food with obesity. Both comparisons oversimplify complex topics, disregarding crucial factors that distinguish them.

In designing my lifestyle, I weigh the nature of a process or tool — whether it aligns with our innate biology or appears artificially developed. Natural methods, like fasting, resonate with our genetic makeup, instilling a sense of trust and confidence.

Conversely, I approach artificial or unnatural tools cautiously, mindful of their potentially unknown impacts on our intricate biological systems. Achieving a balance between these approaches can cultivate a more comprehensive understanding of health improvement in our modern world.

Fasting embodies a natural state, yet it isn’t devoid of risks. To harness its benefits responsibly, we must vigilantly mitigate these risks. I documented my personal encounters with fasting’s side effects in an earlier article, illuminating the importance of navigating them cautiously and effectively to uphold our well-being.

Fasting deserves a more nuanced understanding, acknowledging its potential to optimize health while honoring individual differences and the necessity for tailored guidance.

Often misconstrued as akin to starvation, distinguishing between fasting and starvation is pivotal. Through education, awareness, and deliberate exploration, we empower ourselves to make informed choices, such as easing into fasting routines and being mindful during feeding windows.

Voluntary abstention from food characterizes fasting, triggering various metabolic shifts in the body: glycogen stores depletion, heightened fatty acid oxidation, and the production of ketone bodies for energy.

These physiological and psychological alterations can significantly impact our metabolic and mental well-being. Fasting has emerged as a potential therapeutic avenue for certain health conditions. However, it’s vital to factor in individual nuances like existing health concerns, age, and nutritional status when adopting fasting practices.

Fasting and starvation represent distinct metabolic states. While fasting involves voluntary abstention from food for a specific duration, starvation signifies involuntary and prolonged food deprivation, typically linked with severe malnutrition and energy deficiency, resulting in detrimental health consequences.

On the contrary, fasting is a deliberate practice that entails controlled intervals of abstaining from food while ensuring proper nutrition and hydration during periods outside the fasting window.

Numerous theories expound on the advantages of fasting. The hormesis theory posits that mild stressors, such as temporary food deprivation, activate cellular defense mechanisms, promoting resilience. Additionally, the evolutionary adaptation theory suggests that fasting mirrors ancestral food scarcity, prompting metabolic adaptations that potentially confer survival advantages.

The extensive literature underscores the marked differences between starvation and controlled well-managed fasting. Severe calorie restriction leading to starvation heightens the risk of nutrient deficiencies due to insufficient macronutrients (fats, proteins, or carbohydrates) and micronutrients (vitamins, minerals) essential for optimal health.

During starvation, the body resorts to significant muscle breakdown to prioritize brain energy, often resulting in muscle mass loss, decreased strength, and compromised physical performance.

Furthermore, deficiencies in minerals such as sodium, potassium, magnesium, and calcium may surface, presenting symptoms like fatigue, muscle cramps, irregular heartbeat, difficulty concentrating, and potential bone density decline.

Except for people with underlying health conditions, adverse effects like those observed in prolonged starvation are typically absent during fasting. Consequently, healthy people can effectively fast to enhance their health and mitigate chronic disease risks.

When approached systematically and informed by knowledge, fasting can be a potent tool for improving health in healthy people. It may also benefit those with metabolic challenges, provided they receive professional support and supervision.

I want to emphasize that fasting might not suit everyone for various reasons. People with specific medical conditions or unique circumstances must seek professional support and supervision when fasting.

6 Reasons I Perform Prolonged Fasting Occasionally

1 — Cellular Cleansing

Intermittent and prolonged fasting are pivotal for cellular health due to autophagy and mitophagy. These processes act as cellular cleansing mechanisms, crucial for cell and mitochondrial well-being.

Fasting initiates autophagy, clearing out damaged proteins, pathogens, and cellular waste. This purification stimulates cellular rejuvenation, promoting overall health.

Notably, a Nobel prize was awarded for groundbreaking research explicating the importance of autophagy

2 — To Lower Oxidative Stress and Inflammation

Ketosis from prolonged fasting exhibits powerful effects on oxidative stress and inflammation, well-documented in research. Ketone bodies, particularly β-Hydroxybutyrate (BHB), play a pivotal role.

BHB interacts with genes, downregulating pro-inflammatory cytokines while activating anti-inflammatory pathways. This mechanism positively impacts conditions like arthritis, allergies, and chronic inflammatory diseases.

Furthermore, BHB modulates genes associated with oxidative stress, reducing pro-inflammatory gene expression in various tissues and enhancing insulin sensitivity. It also boosts anti-inflammatory gene expression, notably PPAR-gamma, crucial for managing inflammation and glucose metabolism.

Additionally, BHB activates Nrf2, a key regulator of antioxidant responses, potentially reducing oxidative stress by enhancing enzymes like superoxide dismutase and catalase, thus countering reactive oxygen species and curbing chronic inflammation. You may check out the details in this story reflecting my research and experience.

3 — Healthy Weight Management

Fasting impacts weight loss and metabolic health in several ways. It regulates caloric intake within specific eating windows, revs up metabolism, and encourages the body to use stored fat for energy.

Ketosis, induced by fasting, increases fat utilization, improves insulin sensitivity, increases growth hormone, and curbs appetite, contributing to weight loss or healthy weight management and better metabolic flexibility.

Additionally, fasting triggers cellular clean-up processes like autophagy, reducing inflammation and promoting fat burning while preserving muscle mass. Studies in esteemed journals like Nature and Cell reveal fasting’s ability to promote fat-burning brown fat and enhance metabolic function.

4 — Mental Sharpness

Fasting, inducing ketosis, offers significant brain health benefits. It enhances brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), vital for neuronal survival and cognitive function.

A paper in Nature indicates fasting’s role in improving long-term memory and brain function by promoting BDNF production. I documented a summary of my research in an article titled Here’s How Fasting Can Change Brain Chemistry.

Ketosis, particularly β-Hydroxybutyrate, contributes to neuroprotection and neuroplasticity, potentially guarding against neurodegenerative diseases and enhancing cognitive abilities. This metabolic shift to ketones as brain fuel may offer protection and support cognitive clarity.

5 — Disease Prevention

Fasting, distinct from starvation, holds the potential for preventing and managing cardiometabolic disorders, obesity, neurodegenerative diseases, and even as a supporting strategy in cancer treatment.

Evidence in a Nature paper suggests fasting’s role in enhancing insulin sensitivity and reducing oxidative stress and inflammation, key factors in combating these conditions. Studies propose that fasting restricts glucose and glutamine, limiting fuel for cancer cells and potentially controlling their growth.

Nobel laureate Otto Warburg’s findings about cancer cells’ reliance on glycolysis support this approach. Furthermore, systemic factors like insulin and inflammation can influence cancer development, offering avenues for targeted intervention.

Through its diverse mechanisms, fasting shows promise in addressing these multifaceted health challenges. I summarized my research in an article titled Intermittent Fasting and Keto Diet for Cancer Prevention and Treatment.

6 — Nervous System Balance and Potential Lifespan Enhancement

Fasting shows promise in regulating the autonomic nervous system, enabling a balanced interplay between its sympathetic and parasympathetic elements. This balance improves cardiovascular health, stress management, and circadian rhythm regulation.

Studies highlight fasting’s influence on circadian rhythm genes in adipose and skin tissues. Additionally, fasting activates counter-regulatory responses involving the autonomic nervous system and epinephrine release, vital for maintaining blood glucose levels.

Animal studies suggest fasting’s role in longevity by activating pathways like sirtuins and AMPK while temporarily inhibiting mTOR, key mechanisms that regulate cellular energy and potentially extend lifespan.

Conclusions

Fasting, a deliberate practice of abstaining from food, differs significantly from starvation, an involuntary state of severe malnutrition.

Anthropological studies clarify that starvation arises from the inability to access food over extended periods. In contrast, fasting, embraced for therapeutic benefits by medical professionals, holds no resemblance to starvation.

My routine includes daily intermittent fasting with a one-meal-a-day plan, supplemented by periodic long-term fasting.

A recent experience following a ten-day fast revealed a 2% decrease in body fat without muscle loss thanks to optimized hormones, surprising the DEXA scanning officer. This fasting approach positively addressed unexpected post-COVID issues without compromising muscle mass or energy levels.

Despite skepticism, my story reinforces the value of natural therapies when approached with guidance from qualified healthcare professionals. It is necessary to remain open to such interventions, allowing them a chance with expert supervision for potential health benefits.

Takeaways

For beginners, I’d like to share a few practical tips.

The most critical point while fasting is to prevent dehydration. Therefore drink enough water with electrolytes. A pinch of salt can lower dizziness.

Keep a diary of your thoughts and emotions regularly. Meditate, take frequent rests, and get restorative sleep nightly. Here is how to address sleep issue when fasting or using keto diets.

Hunger hormone ghrehlin fluctuates. Ketosis can supress it. Learn to turn off the hunger switch.

Aim to get a fat-adapted state gradually. Once the body learn to switch fat burning mode, fasting can be a second nature.

If you feel dizzy and uncomfortable stop fasting and get guidance from qualified healthcare professionals.

They might not be suitable for everyone, but the best solutions for me to recover from prediabetes and abdominal obesity were time-restricted eating, long-term fasting, a ketogenic diet, mindfulness meditation, calisthenics, trampoline, and thermogenesis, which improved my sleep quality, lowered my cortisol levels, optimized leptin, making my body insulin-sensitive and fat-adapted.

Thank you for reading my perspectives. I wish you a healthy and happy life.

Happy festive season and a prosperous New Year.

To inform my new readers, I wrote numerous articles that might inform and inspire you. My topics include brain and cognitive function, significant health conditions, longevity, nutrition/food, valuable nutrients, ketogenic lifestyle, self-healing, weight management, writing/reading, and humor.

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