People interested in fasting, this is a LOOOONG post! Like many other folks, I stayed in the "research stage" of fasting for quite a while before trying it myself. For many years, my friend and colleague Tonnie has been raving about fasting expert, Dr. Mindy Pelz. I had tried both eating healthy during temporary diets such as doing a Whole 30 or 21 Day Sugar Detox, had eaten both paleo & ketogenic diets long term, and had done lots of intermittent fasting (eat for 8 hours during the day, then fast 16 hours, mainly overnight and into the next day). I watched some videos of Dr. Mindy on YouTube and loved what she had to say about women and fasting, but still I wasn’t quite ready to take the plunge on longer fasting. Fasting has been a regular part of the human experience up until the last few hundred years, but it often gets a bad rap!
Until, after the second winter in a row with brutal allergies in DFW, when one day I recalled how eating very clean and doing some fasting helped me in the past with my chronic sinus issues. By then, I was on Dr. Mindy’s email list and saw that she was leading a 3-day fast just after New Years. Long story short, the timing worked out great and I took on the challenge.
What sets apart Dr. Mindy in the world of fasting is her application of scientific studies and knowledge of hormones. It turns out, there are times when cycling women shouldn’t fast. (DISCLAIMER: of course, many people should never fast: children, pregnant and breastfeeding women as well as anyone who is struggling/has struggled with eating disorders! Also, if you are a man or a post-menopausal woman, you can fast whenever it feels right). Turns out that the few days leading up to and including ovulation as well as the full week before our periods are days when we need lots of healthy food to help build the hormones our bodies are trying so hard to make! Dr. Mindy’s new book, Fast Like a Girl, comes packed full of information that helps us understand and work with our natural hormonal cycles better. She even gives us food ideas and tons of recipes for the different parts of our cycle to help our body optimize our hormones.
So back to fasting, the best days for most cycling women to complete a longer fast (17+ hours) are days 6-9, and just after ovulation for several days. These are our “power days” when estrogen is high enough to give us energy and a mood boost to handle going without food for longer. When sticking to longer fasts on these days, women avoid some of the negative experiences of fasting such as losing hair, messing up cycles, getting frequent colds, etc. Dr. Mindy’s book and YouTube videos really explain which beneficial hormones turn on at what point in our fast, and she even shares fasting protocols for many types of conditions, including infertility, thyroid conditions, autoimmune disorders, and the ever-popular weight loss.
The great part about fasting is that you really don’t require much if at all in order to start! Prepping for a long fast with intermittent fasting is always a great idea, and switching to a cleaner diet (nature’s carbs such as sweet potatoes and squashes, not cookies, bread, pasta, etc.) helps the transition also. Dr. Mindy also recommends monitoring blood sugar and ketones with the KetoMojo. I bought mine and checked in with these several times a day, and I was sure glad I did!
The first full day of fasting, I didn’t experience too much in the way of symptoms. I had done plenty of 16-20 hour fasts in the prior 6 weeks, so my body could handle the early discomfort of switching from glucose for fuel to fat as fuel without headaches, too much fatigue, or anything else unpleasant. The second day, I definitely felt more fatigue and light-headedness. Around the 48-hour mark, I had a blood sugar reading that was pretty low, so I had a few olives and a half cup of bone broth to stay in ketosis but give my body a little something. That night was difficult to sleep - the hormones cranking up at that point include testosterone and growth hormones, so my heart was pounding and my body was surging with energy - it felt like it was telling me to go kill an animal for food! However, I woke up feeling much less uncomfortable, and my third day went much more smoothly. I felt more energized and even had what felt like more spiritual awareness. My body was deep into ketosis, burning fat for fuel, which is an abundant energy source. My sinus congestion cleared up, my skin glowed and looked 10 years younger, and I was amazed that it felt so great!
Many friends who aren’t afraid to ask the TMI questions questioned about my gut to see if I had diarrhea or was constipated. I wasn't! Dr. Pelz also has a plan to get out of fasting, which I followed to a T. First, a cup of bone broth, followed by some healthy probiotics such as sauerkraut or full fat yogurt 30 min later, then cooked vegetables for fiber 30 minutes after that, and lastly a full meal focusing on fat and protein. My choice was a grass fed beef burger over a salad with some avocado on the side. It was such an enjoyable meal!
Overall, I enjoyed my long fast. On top of my sinus issues clearing up, I felt lots of improvements in my gut health which have continued months later. Also, my hormones feel more balanced and my cycles have been the best I can remember. There were no negative health consequences for me outside of the fatigue I felt day 2 and the strange restlessness of my last night of fasting. Again, I had prepped my body with lots of medium length fasts and was ready for it. I continue to do 16-20 hour fasts several times a month, and a 24-hour fast about once monthly. I will probably do a 3-day fast about 1-2X/year. If you want more information, please feel free to email or reach out for a consult. Dr. Mindy Pelz’ book and YouTube channel were EXTREMELY helpful.