Eating well is a fundamental aspect of maintaining a healthy lifestyle. However, in a world where processed foods take over almost everything, and where our eating habits are conditioned by the food industry’s marketing campaigns, the question is not only what to eat, but also when not to eat.

Even though we don’t realize it, we often eat even though we don’t need to, and we even turn this into a habit, a pattern of behavior that we assume to be normal and natural… even though it is not.

In the following lines we will see what the main benefits of fasting are , and why it is advisable to perform some form of fasting with a certain frequency.

The benefits of fasting

Here we will see some of the advantages of fasting, although it must be clear that some of them depend on the duration of the fast. Obviously this activity must go hand in hand with good hydration and a monitoring of the general state of health so that it is not counterproductive or harmful, as we will see. At least in the first few times that you try fasting, it is advisable to have professional advice, which is easy to obtain.

That said, let’s see what the benefits of fasting are most prominent.

1. Helps burn fat naturally

The fat that we have distributed throughout the body is fundamentally a great store of energy. Therefore, these fat deposits are only consumed by the body when the fat available in other parts of the body has already been consumed.

That is why fasting is a very useful context to burn a good part of that accumulated fat , something that is not achieved by doing intense exercise sessions of less than 60 minutes, which is what is usually done when going to the gym.

2. Decreases the probability of inflammatory processes

It has been seen that the performance of controlled fasting lowers the probability of generating inflammatory processes, and also acts as a protective factor against certain cardiovascular diseases .

3. Contributes to weight loss by maintaining muscles

Many people believe that stopping eating high-calorie foods and substituting them for others is enough to lose weight, but in many cases this only serves to lose mass in general, and especially muscle, since there is a lack of raw material with which to maintain it.

Fasting, on the other hand, is beneficial for lowering fat levels at a faster rate than the muscles, provided that a healthy diet and exercise are followed before and after.

4. Slows down biological ageing processes

Caloric restriction managed through controlled fasting slows down the processes associated with aging, and the increased production of “the protein of youth”, SIRT3 , appears to be involved.

5. It is a good psychological turning point

Fasting gives the opportunity to embrace new eating habits after its completion, something that can be complicated if it goes away with the inertia of doing what we have always been doing at the time of eating something.

In other words, fasting represents a point of inflection that predisposes us to commit ourselves to new, healthier habits .

How to start fasting? The proposal of MyFasting

As we have seen, fasting goes hand in hand with several advantages of many different kinds, but it is best to start with expert supervision to ensure that it is done effectively and safely.

There are several options for planned fasting, although it is always best to have professional supervision.

In this sense, in the Spanish area the organization MiAyuno stands out, specifically oriented to carry out fasting programs in which there is constant medical supervision and all the necessary services are planned: activities, elaboration of natural juices and broths to be consumed during the process, and stay in rural houses, hotels or spas.

Thus, the programs carried out by MiAyuno, in which a maximum of 20 fasters participate, are based on 4 pillars: the fasting itself, hiking and physical activity activities in natural environments, talks and workshops to train and inform, and emotional and physical welfare therapies. In addition, every day a control of the tension and pulse of each person is carried out.

  • If you are interested in knowing more about MiAyuno, you will find their contact details at this link.

Bibliographic references:

  • Aksungar, F.B., Topkaya, A.E., Akyildiz M. (2007). Interleukin-6, C-reactive protein and biochemical parameters during prolonged intermittent fasting. 51(1). pp. 88 – 95.
  • Wegman, M.P., Guo, M.H., Bennion D.M., Shankar, M.N., Chrzanowski, S.M., Goldberg, L.A. et. al. Practicality of intermittent fasting in humans and its effect on oxidative stress and genes related to aging and metabolism. 18(2). pp. 162 – 172.