Why you should try a 36 hour fast
I lost 2 kg immediately. Yes, it’s water weight. Yes, I felt hungry towards the evening. But most importantly – it felt good. I used to do this more often, back in Bangkok when I worked with a bunch of bros and it was their daily/weekly/monthly routine to fast.
It almost felt as good as eating comfort feel-good foods, in another way. I felt this rush of zen in the morning and afternoon, Research shows that a metabolic switch happens where energy for cells and lipids are freed from your body fast, rather than glucose that you normally get from food. Those lipids from your body fats are transformed into ketones, which have a positive effect on brain health.
Oh yeah baby, brain health, give it to me.
The ketones and lower glucose levels also begin autophagy (90% of the times I pronounce this word I stumble 5 times over the word before I can pronounce it the right way) which is a cleaning process in your brain. It starts to recycle dysfunctional proteins. Also (YES there is more!) your DNA is repaired and your neurons are strengthened against stress.
Hello — why aren’t more people fasting ?!
It was easy for me to start because we had a busy week with a lot of food, and I had a big dinner and dessert the night before. Even did an 8.5KM run in the afternoon at 5:50″ pace.
I started to get hungry towards the end of the evening, distracted myself with a warm shower, some last-minute urgent work for The Oh Collective and then just a good read (10 essays that will change your life is master, I don’t know why Bol.com charges double the price for this book!?) and just an early night in. I woke up without hunger, did a BBG all body workout and broke my fast.
I love it because
- I didn’t have to spend mind space on “What am I going to eat?”
- Could substitute my time eating for work / workout / reading
- Felt a constant flow of energy throughout the day – although it dropped towards the evening (tbh – I’m a morning person anyway and you can scrap me from the floor in the evening, fasting or no fasting)
- It’s good for your wallet 🙂 I spent €0 on food/drinks yesterday
- It made me focus on hitting my 3 liter water intake for the day
Would I recommend it to my friends?
Hell yes. Edgar is no fan, but I’d like to incorporate this into my weekly routine.