Insulin and the Importance of Clean Fasting

This week we are going to get sciency (not sure that is a word) and take a look at how insulin works in our bodies and how fasting is the key to reversing issues caused by insulin. It will also explain why the "clean fast" is so important for our bodies to clean out and repair themselves. This was the the key to me starting IF because I have always had blood sugar issues, feeling faint and/or passing out, shaky, hangry, etc... Since I started fasting, I have not felt any of those things, NOT ONCE. However, I KNOW that if I did not clean fast I would still be feeling that way throughout the day.

I am going to be re-explaining information from Gin Stephen's books, specifically these chapters:

Fast, Feast, Repeat: Chapters 1
Delay, Don't Deny: Chapter 4

You can get the specific low down by reading these books.

Information about Fasting - Insulin (this is going to be simplified for better understanding)

The following is the way our bodies are supposed to work when we take a bite of food or drink a sugary or flavored drink: 

• Our pancreas releases insulin (unless you are a type 1 diabetic) to take care of the glucose in our blood.
• Insulin takes the glucose from our blood and stores it in the liver and muscles as glycogen, the excess is stored as fat for later use
• When glucose goes down (thanks to insulin) the body receives a signal to release glycogen from the liver to be used by our body and brain.
• Once the glycogen is used up, the body taps into fat stores, produces ketones, which are a great fuel source, and uses the fat for energy.

Unfortunately for many of us, we are drinking, snacking, eating all day long which causes our body to continually release insulin. This creates a state of hyperinsulinemia or too much insulin. Because of the continual insulin release your body never gets the opportunity to tap into stored fat.

To be blunt, insulin is a fat storing hormone. If we constantly have it coursing through our bodies the outcome will be fat storage.

A good analogy is to think about a hoarder's house with all of the stuff everywhere. The inside of your body is like the inside of a hoarders house. There is so much "stuff" in your body it never gets the chance to truly clean it out.

The best way to clean out your body and tap into your fat stores is to clean fast. If you have cream or sweetener in your coffee or tea or flavored water, you will cause an insulin release and start the cycle of your body accessing glycogen. When you clean fast and get to hour 16, that is when your body transitions to fat burning (this is very simplified and generalized).

Fasting Protocols/Tips - What does my fasting day look like?:

• Just start fasting with plain tea or black coffee and/or plain water
• Notice how your body feels 
• When I feel a tummy rumble I celebrate the fact that my body is tapping into my fat stores
• I do a modified One Meal a Day (OMAD): 
• I begin my day with black coffee and sparkling PLAIN water (I like bubbles)
• I break my fast between 2:00 and 3:00
• I usually start with some protein like cashews, almonds, nuts
• I will have a snack or small meal - I like breakfast sandwiches or burritos
• When I get home I have a protein smoothie with almond milk, cinnamon, nutmeg, almond yogurt, protein powder (Arbonne) and ice and then a small dinner
• I have not ever been a big eater so instead of eating one multi-course meal I spread it out over a 4-5 hour eating window and eat two smaller meals instead of one big one.
• I love the flexibility of changing up when I fast or eat to fit my schedule for the day.
• On Sundays, I have a large family breakfast and I only fast 16 hours (sometimes it's only 15 hours)

Interesting Observations - Things I notice when I am fasting and/or Non-Scale victories

An interesting thing that I have noticed since I began fasting is that I go through stages of "soreness" in my body. Because of fasting, my body is healing from the inside out. Because of autophagy (I'll write more about that in an upcoming post) my body cycles through areas of need. An example is blemishes on my face and head which I liken to my body working on getting toxins out. Another interesting observation is the first 4 - 6 months of fasting I had great energy all during the day and while eating and then when my body started digesting dinner, I became very tired. Luckily, that passes as your body adjusts to fasting. Now I have great energy until I go to bed, even after a 5 hour eating window.

Up next week we'll learn about our metabolism, calories in/calories out and metabolic adaptaion.