Fasting Guide
What Is Fasting?
Fasting is intentionally going without food for a set period. It’s not starvation—your body has plenty of stored energy to use. People have fasted for thousands of years for spiritual, cultural, or health reasons, and science now backs its benefits for healing and longevity when done wisely.
For you, fasting can be a tool to reset your body, reduce inflammation and promote repair at a cellular level—all facilitating your goals to feel better and healthier and to support your healing journey.
How Does Fasting Work?
Your body is like a machine that switches fuel sources based on what’s available:
Normally: After eating, you burn glucose (sugar) from food for energy. Extra glucose gets stored as glycogen in your liver and muscles, or as fat if there’s too much.
During fasting: When food stops coming in, your body taps into those stores. First, it uses glycogen (for about 12-24 hours), then shifts to burning fat for fuel via a process called ketosis. This shift triggers powerful healing mechanisms.
Fasting also flips a metabolic switch that reduces energy spent on digestion and ramps up repair mode—cleaning up damaged cells, balancing hormones, and calming inflammation.
Why Is Fasting Useful for Health and Healing?
Fasting isn’t just about skipping meals—it’s a reset button for your body. Here’s why it’s a game-changer for your health:
Reduces Inflammation: Less food intake lowers the inflammatory signals (like cytokines) that can damage your tissues over time—think of it as turning down the heat on chronic conditions.
Triggers Autophagy: This is your body’s “clean-up crew.” Fasting ramps up autophagy, where cells recycle junk (damaged proteins, organelles) into energy or new parts, keeping you youthful and resilient.
Improves Insulin Sensitivity: Fasting gives your pancreas a break, lowering blood sugar and insulin levels. This helps prevent or manage diabetes and reduces fat storage.
Boosts Fat Burning: In ketosis, your body burns stored fat for energy, which can trim excess weight—a bonus if that’s part of your healing goals.
Supports Brain Health: Ketones (from fat burning) fuel your brain and increase BDNF (brain-derived neurotrophic factor), a protein that protects neurons and sharpens your mind.
Resets Gut Health: A break from food lets your gut rest, repair its lining, and rebalance its microbiome—crucial for digestion and immunity.
For you, fasting can tackle root causes of feeling unwell (like inflammation or sluggish repair) while boosting your body’s natural ability to heal itself.
The Stages of Fasting: Your Healing Journey
Fasting unfolds in stages, each building on the last. Here’s what happens in your body, why it matters, and how it’s worthwhile for your healing.
Stage 1: Fed State (0-4 Hours After Eating)
What’s Happening: Your body digests food, absorbing nutrients and spiking blood sugar. Insulin rises to shuttle glucose into cells for energy or storage.
Healing Contribution: This isn’t fasting yet—it’s the baseline. Your body’s busy processing, not repairing.
Why It’s Worthwhile: A healthy meal here (think veggies, protein, healthy fats) sets you up with nutrients to power the fasting stages ahead.
Stage 2: Early Fasting (4-12 Hours)
What’s Happening: Blood sugar drops as digestion finishes. Your body starts burning stored glycogen in the liver and muscles for energy.
Healing Contribution: Digestion slows, freeing energy for other tasks. Hormones like glucagon rise to keep blood sugar stable.
Why It’s Worthwhile: This is your body’s warm-up—easing into fasting without stress. It’s a gentle nudge toward repair mode, prepping you for deeper benefits.
Stage 3: Glycogen Depletion (12-24 Hours)
What’s Happening: Glycogen runs low, and your body ramps up fat breakdown. You might feel hungry or tired as it transitions.
Healing Contribution: Early autophagy begins—cells start cleaning house. Insulin drops, reducing inflammation signals.
Why It’s Worthwhile: This stage kickstarts detoxification and fat-burning. For you, it’s the first real step toward healing inflammation and resetting metabolism—stick with it!
Stage 4: Ketosis (24-48 Hours)
What’s Happening: With glycogen gone, your liver converts fat into ketones for energy. You’re now in ketosis, burning fat full-time.
Healing Contribution: Autophagy ramps up, clearing damaged cells. Ketones reduce oxidative stress (less cell damage) and fuel your brain clearly.
Why It’s Worthwhile: This is a sweet spot for healing. Your body’s in repair overdrive—reducing inflammation, boosting clarity, and shedding excess fat. It’s like a deep clean for your system.
Stage 5: Deep Ketosis & Protein Conservation (48-72 Hours+)
What’s Happening: Ketone levels peak, and your body gets stingy with protein (muscle) by using fat almost exclusively. Growth hormone spikes to protect muscle and promote repair.
Healing Contribution: Autophagy hits its stride, regenerating tissues. Stem cell production may increase, aiding long-term healing.
Why It’s Worthwhile: This is the heavy lifting of cellular renewal. For chronic issues (like inflammation-driven pain or fatigue), this stage can reset your body at a foundational level—worth it for lasting health gains.
Beyond 72 Hours (Extended Fasting)
What’s Happening: Your body settles into a steady state of fat-burning and repair. Hunger often fades as hormones balance.
Healing Contribution: Deep tissue repair and immune system reboot (e.g., old white blood cells get replaced). Inflammation drops further.
Why It’s Worthwhile: This is for serious healing—like reversing chronic conditions or boosting longevity. It’s a marathon, not a sprint, so only go here with guidance if you’re new.
How to Fast Safely for Your Goals
Fasting isn’t one-size-fits-all. Here’s how to tailor it to your healing journey:
Intermittent Fasting (16:8): Eat in an 8-hour window, fast for 16 (e.g., 12 PM-8 PM eating, then fast). Great for beginners to reduce inflammation and improve metabolism daily.
24-Hour Fast: Skip food for a full day once or twice a week. Hits ketosis and early autophagy—perfect for a reset.
Extended Fasting (48-72+ Hours): Go longer for deep healing. Consult a doctor if you’re new or have health conditions.
Tips for Success:
Hydrate: Read my post about Hydration!
Break the Fast Gently: Start with broth, then light foods (e.g., veggies, lean protein) to avoid digestive shock.
Listen to Your Body: Fatigue or dizziness? Stop and eat. Healing shouldn’t hurt.
Why It’s Worth It for You
Every stage of fasting builds toward your goal of health and healing:
Short-term: Less inflammation, sharper focus, better energy.
Long-term: Cleaner cells, balanced hormones, stronger immunity—protection against the conditions we see today (heart disease, diabetes, etc.).
Fasting leverages your body’s own power to heal what’s broken. It’s not magic—it’s biology. For you, it’s a practical, free tool to feel better and heal from the inside out.
