Part of regarding The Bible as our Life Manual is also utilizing it as our Health Manual. Incorporating ancient practices into our modern lives keeps us grounded spiritually and physically. Fasting is a great way to experience this connection. It can be an incredibly effective strategy for weight loss, detoxification, and digestive resetting.

Introduction to Fasting

Although some instances of fasting in the Bible are extreme (think Jesus fasting from food and liquids for 40 days – yikes!), you do not have to go to these great lengths to experience the benefits. The easiest way to incorporate this practice into your routine is to Intermittent Fast (IF). This basically boils down to shortening your eating window – the time frame in which you eat your meals. The shorter the eating window, the more fat-burning takes place. This is because your body has the opportunity to tap into the fat stores for energy. Your body burns carbohydrates for energy first…and because many of us are constantly overfeeding ourselves carbohydrates, our bodies don’t often have the opportunity to use the fat. Shortening your eating window allows your body to burn through the carbohydrates and then utilize the fat. If you’re new to fasting, start with a 10 hour fast and work your way up to 16 hours. Most of this takes place while you are sleeping, so it’s not nearly as difficult as it sounds.

Fasting Variations

• 10 HOUR FAST: 14 Hour Eating Window – 10 Hour Fast
  (ex. eat all meals between 9am and 11pm – do not eat between 11pm and 9am).

• 12 HOUR FAST: 12 Hours Eating Window – 12 Hour Fast
  (ex. eat between 9am and 9pm – do not eat between 9pm and 9am)

• 14 HOUR FAST: 10 Hour Eating Window – 14 Hour Fast
  (ex. eat between 9am and 7pm – do not eat between 7pm and 9am)

• 16 HOUR FAST: – 8 Hour Eating Window – 16 Hour Fast
  (ex. eat between 9am and 5pm – do not eat between 5pm and 9am)

Fasting Q&A

Q: What about coffee?

A: Coffee is permitted. For traditional fasting - drink black coffee. You can add a little creamer like heavy whipping cream or unsweetened non-dairy milk which will not take you out of fat burning mode. If you add too many carbs or sugar to your coffee, your body switches from fat-burning to sugar burning.

Q: How often should you Intermittent Fast?

A: As much as you like. Some people fast for 16 hours everyday, some people do it a few times a week, and some people vary the hours. I usually fast for 14 hours during the week and less on the weekends.

Q: How long should I fast if I’m a newbie?

A: If you're just getting started, aim for 10-12 hours between dinner and breakfast. You can build up to a longer fast. If weight loss is a goal, the closer you get to 16 hours, the better. Then you can fast less when you are in maintenance mode.

Q: How should I keep track of my fast?

A: You don’t have to use an app but I find it so powerful to have an “official” on and off button to hit every day. My favorite app is called Zero. For Android, the Vora app is also a great choice.

I hope you found this Introduction to Fasting helpful! If you’d like more guidance and accountability, come join Feast 2 Fast® - my 4-week Metabolic Makeover. You can find more information about it here.

xoxo,

Chelsea