Thinking about fasting to kick off a new change? You might see some results at first but this doesn’t always mean good things are coming. It often can lead to problems with your hormones.
Now before you come at me - yes, some level of fasting is good for the body. It gives your body a break from breaking down glucose and producing insulin. Around 12-13 hours (typically between dinner and breakfast) is plenty. After that, when you start to approach 14, 15, 16+ hours fasting you start to put a lot of stress on the body. Not eating for long periods of time, especially in the first half of the day, is a huge stressor on the body. Your body starts wondering when the hell am I going to eat?! And this will differ for men and women especially since our hormones are different.
This sends cortisol up in the body (a stress hormone). When cortisol is high, it can mute your hunger hormones. So even though you might not feel hungry, it doesnt mean that your body is running glucose or stored fat. Its in fight of flight mode running off adrenaline until you give it fuel.
But when your cortisol levels are in healthy ranges, you will be hungry for breakfast in the morning. High cortisol levels can impact your sleep issues, additional hormonal imbalances, and issues with excess weight.
Where to start
Eating breakfast! A Savory breakfast with protein, fat, and fiber in the morning, ideally 60-90 minutes after you wake up to support your body feeling fueled for the day! This still allows you to fast between dinner and breakfast by adjusting when you eat breakfast in the morning.
Eat first, coffee second. The morning love for coffee has become a sacred ritual for many but it can come at a cost of our blood sugar and stress levels when had on an empty stomach. Cortisol is what helps to wake you up in the morning so there is already some naturally in your body. Coffee is like adding fuel to the fire. Eat a savory breakfast first before grabbing that cup of coffee for the car or morning meeting so your cortisol levels have a chance to go down and having food will help minimize the disruption.
Raise your hand if you're going to start eating breakfast within 60-90 minutes of waking?
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