Why do I want to fast?
Fasting is the most efficient way to reduce insulin resistance. Insulin resistance is when fat, muscle and liver cells do not respond well to insulin and cannot take glucose up from the blood. This has as a result that glucose builds up in the blood and the pancreas starts to make more insulin. If the pancreas cannot produce enough insulin to keep up in demand, blood sugar rises. This is a circle in where you will need more and more insulin to function and this can lead to pre-diabetes or diabetes type 2. To know if you are insulin resistant you should test your fasting insulin levels.
Fasting is also great for fat loss. Energy for food is stored as glycogen or fat. Once your body runs out of glycogen it will start burning fat. Note that low insulin levels are necessary to make the stored fat available. You will get in a ketogenic state where fatty acids will be broken down with the production of keton bodies, meanwhile giving energy. Unlike what most people believe, you don’t need glucose to fuel your brain, the brain can use keton bodies.
You can also achieve this by following a ketogenic diet, meaning low carb, moderate protein and high fat intake. To calculate your keto macro’s you can use this site http://mariamindbodyhealth.com/keto-calculator/
Fasting increases mental focus. I have noticed having been doing IF and only eating in the evening I do more during my day. If I have a breakfast or a lunch I usually feel tired and want to go to bed. The lower the insulin, the better.
Fasting for 3 to 5 days improves immune function because of apoptosis and autophagy. Junk goes away and the cell renews itself. Dysfunctional autophagy may lead to Alzheimer disease or even cancer.
Fasting can be used to lower triglycerides levels in the blood. High levels of triglycerides are a risk factor for cardiovascular disease. Lowering your levels of triglycerides also lowers your Low Density Lipoproteins since the triglycerides that are released from the liver are a precursor for LDL.
Fasting is also cheap since there is no need in buying food. And you can do it anytime anywhere.
So these are the main reasons I want to fast.
However I don’t suggest you start fasting right away. If you’re underweight, still growing, pregnant or breastfeeding you certainly should not fast. In any case it is best that you do it under guidance of your GP
For more in dept information read the book ‘The complete guide to fasting’ from Dr. Jason Fung. Most of this information I got out of that book.
Entering Life 