Fasting and Metabolism
100% Hardcore Truth
By Chris Walker Fitness Professional
If you've read any of my articles you would have discovered the importance of a healthy metabolism and why we need to protect it during a fast. I'll attempt to explain the virtues of protecting your body and health without sounding to carnal. Ok, fasting is to sustain from food or deprive oneself of food. Something people do when they diet they deprive themselves of food, nutrients, calories (calorie deprivation). We know that calorie deprivation leads to muscle loss (catabolism) and a slower metabolism. Metabolism, to refresh your memory is the speed at which your body burns through food. Your bodies internal fire. People who have a healthy metabolism feed their fire six times a day. We know this to be true in nature when we have a camp fire. If we constantly add logs to the fire the fire will be intense and consume anything placed in the fire. If we're lax with our fire and don't add sufficient logs to the fire; the fire will be less intense and thus take a long time to consume an object. We control our metabolism by constantly adding logs or consuming food frequently six meals every 3-31/2 hrs. Muscle is metabolically active tissue and the location on the body where fat is burned. We can control the size of these fat burning sites and determine how many fat burning sites there are. Ok, so during a fast it's very important to protect our muscle which in essence is our metabolism. The last thing we would want to do is destroy our metabolism and make it easier for our bodies to store fat upon completion of the fast. This perhaps could be a reason why the body of Christ is overweight, along with gluttony, lack of exercise and ignorance of the body. Well, let's first identify why one would want to fast in the first place and what fasting means to a Christian.
Why Should you Fast
Fasting is becoming a hot trend some find virtue in fasting or cleansing for weight loss, in religious circles fasting is a spiritual discipline one would exercise to draw closer to God. Here are some important facts on the power and importance of fasting. Fasting was an expected discipline in both the Old and New Testament eras. For example, Moses fasted at least two recorded forty-day periods. Jesus fasted 40 days and reminded His followers to fast, "when you fast," not if you fast. Fasting and prayer can restore the loss of the "first love" for your Lord and result in a more intimate relationship with Christ. Fasting is a biblical way to truly humble yourself in the sight of God (Psalm 35:13; Ezra 8:21). King David said, "I humble myself through fasting." Fasting enables the Holy Spirit to reveal your true spiritual condition, resulting in brokenness, repentance, and a transformed life. The Holy Spirit will quicken the Word of God in your heart and His truth will become more meaningful to you! Fasting can transform your prayer life into a richer and more personal experience. Fasting can result in a dynamic personal revival in your own life-and make you a channel of revival to others. Fasting and prayer are the only disciplines that fulfill the requirements of II Chronicles 7:14: "If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land." If you fast, you will find yourself being humbled as I did. You will discover more time to pray and seek God's face. And as He leads you to recognize and repent of unconfessed sin, you will experience special blessings from God.
Who Should Fast
If you're considering going on a fast and not sure if your health may be at risk; talk to your doctor before you begin. The following is some of the people who should not fast or seek counsel from a doctor prior to beginning a fast:
- Persons who are physically too thin or emaciated
- Persons who are prone to anorexia, bulimia, or other behavioral disorders
- Those who suffer weakness or anemia
- Persons who have tumors, bleeding ulcers, cancer, blood diseases, or who have heart disease
- Those who suffer chronic problems with kidneys, liver, lungs, heart, or other important organs Individuals who take insulin for diabetes, or suffer any other blood sugar problem such as hyperglycemia
- Women who are pregnant or nursing
Protecting Metabolism
Our body has two modes in which we operate Aerobic, (oxygen meets demand) such as when walking, Anaerobic, (oxygen does not meet demand) such as in weight training. The majority of the time our body is in aerobic mode. In aerobic mode our body has two methods of energy glycogen which is stored glucose ( fuel) or fat. During a fast our body uses up all the stored glycogen and then switches to fat storage. It is very important that we avoid high insulin spikes. Insulin spikes occur when we consume sugary foods or simple carbohydrates anything that's bleached refined or processed. High insulin spikes trap fat because your pancreas cannot produce necessary hormones to release fat as it is busy producing insulin. Your body as a result will look for alternative means of energy and begin cannibalizing muscle tissue, breaking down amino acids and using it for a fuel source. This brings me to another protecting muscle fact. It's very important not to do strenuous activity during a fast. When you do strenuous activity you're in anaerobic mode in anaerobic mode your body can only use one source of energy glycogen. Failing to find glycogen your body will, as in the previous example be forced to catabolism. For these very reasons I do not recommend juice fasts or intense exercise during a fast.
Nutrition During a Fast
I'm assuming you know the specifics of a fast if not there are tons of articles covering how to fast on the internet. I'm more concerned with your health during a fast. Start your day with a quality multivitamin to ensure you're bodies micronutrient requirements are covered. I would also advise you ingest an EFA (essential fatty acid ) supplement, for example flaxseed oil. In case of a quick expenditure of energy, for example running for a bus your body will use the flaxseed oil as a preferred method first before looking for alternate methods of energy. It's important that you let your body know you're not going to starve it. Most people fast from 6am-6pm. When you break your fast rather than have one huge meal as most people do. Have three moderate size meals and space them 2 hours apart. These meals should contain a lean protein, a fibrous carbohydrate and a starchy carbohydrate, with equal portions of each. This will ensure you don't have insulin spikes. Remember I said your metabolism is your bodies internal fire right about now your fire is almost out and we want to throw some more logs on the fire before it's completely extinguished. Great, your body now knows you're not going to starve it and your glycogen stores are full and you're ready to continue with your fast whether it be three days, two weeks or forty days. I've never done a forty day fast but I've done a thirty day fast and during the fast I was able to maintain muscle mass using these principles. Happy fasting!
Chris Walker is the founder of fitnesstrainingformenandwomen.com located in Kitchener, Ontario. Chris is a certified fitness trainer, (CFT) and actively works with medical doctors and health care professionals in helping their patients to reduce bodyfat restore musculoskeletal strength and gain control over their blood sugar readings, good and bad blood fats and blood pressure readings, among other critical fitness issues. Chris is a member of International Sports Sciences Association, (ISSA) and Canfitpro Organization. Chris has made TV appearances on Global Television and is a published author. Chris produces a book that he gives to all readers titled, "New Body", everything you need to transform your body.
Thanks for reading.
Fasting & Metabolism
