“Three Types of Fasting for Health and Wellness” By Sasha Laghonh, Founder of Sasha Talks

Fasting is the intentional choice of abstaining from foods and liquids for a specific period of time. The time duration and the type of fasting is determined by the individual’s objective for the fast. People fast for all types of reasons, a few include medical reasons (e.g. blood testing), health management and spiritual reasons. As with any activity which involves physical, emotional and mental health, it is strongly advised to check with a licensed medical practitioner when embarking upon a new regimen. One avenue to accommodate an individual’s needs does not equate to one size fit all.

In today’s age people are seeking quick-fix health remedies to offset years of negligence, or even oversight. It’s never too late to embrace a responsible approach to improving one’s health. Some folks are simply exploring new potential remedies to integrate in their wellness lifestyle. Apply discretion when choosing which activity can help fulfill one’s health and wellness needs because fasting is not meant for everyone. It’s not an exclusive activity but it does require due diligence to understand whether it serves as a viable solution to enhance one’s well-being. Managing one’s food and stimuli consumption over an extended time period can yield positive side effects within the human body. The benefits translate to the external physical body which reflects the internal organs optimally functioning to detox and rejuvenate the body on a cellular level. Per the National Institute of Health and the Mayo Clinic, the list of fasting benefits extracted from historical studies vary based on the context of the study.

Examples of Fasting Benefits:

• Improvement in Metabolism
• Improvement in Cellular Health
• Improvement in Digestive Health
• Weight Management
• Eliminates Brain Fog
• Enhances Health and Wellness
• Develops Discipline (Self-Development)
• Develops Spiritual Health (Spiritual Clarity)
  
• Strengthening Faith (For Faith Based Goals)
  

Below are three types of fasting methods that I periodically integrate to manage my overall health and wellness.

Three Types of Fasting

1. Dry Fasting — I was introduced to dry fasting while growing up in a fasting home. Dry fasting entails not consuming anything thus the mouth remaining dry during the fast. This means no solid foods, no liquids, no medications, no candy, literally nothing but the air one breathes. Such dry fasts can begin about half an hour prior to sunrise and cease a little bit following sunset. This discipline adheres to the historical food consumption patterns of our ancestors. While our ancestors battled with food scarcity, societies today are challenged with a general over consumption of food and synthetically engineered chemicals leading to greater health challenges. Practicing this standard of fasting can yield significant results within a thirty day period leading to improvement in digestion, cellular cleansing and repair, rejuvenation of microbiome diversity in the gut, mental clarity (removal of brain fog), self-discipline, and even spiritual clarity as a consideration. When ‘dry fasters’ aren’t consumed with the distractions of feeding, there’s more time for the body & mind to heal as the repair process gets activated during these time restricting fasting periods. Some of these positive side effects become amplified or suppressed based on the individual’s initial health condition prior to starting a specific fasting program.
   
2. Intermittent Fasting — This is another form of time restricted fasting. It’s not necessarily practiced in the form of dry fasting but there are several types of this popular fasting cadences available for individuals desiring timely results. These results range from weight loss to improving one’s overall wellness through mindful decision making. Around 2012, I recall when 5/2 fasting received immense attention thanks to Dr. Michael Mosley in the United Kingdom. The 5/2 concept encourages people to fast twice a week while eating regularly during the remaining days of the week. The latter two fasting days require people to only consume about 500–600 calories per day. Other forms of intermittent fasting include — 16:8, 18:6, 20:4 and 22:2 methods which also deliver results based on different types of health goals. For example, with the 16:8 fasting method, people fast for 16 hours and leverage the remaining 8 hours as a feeding window. These time restricted variations help with conditioning the body to fasting, detoxing and then nourishing the body for renewal.
3. Daniel’s Fast — This type of fasting is inspired from Daniel in the Bible. It’s not considered time restricted fasting, it’s a partial fast which focuses on specific types of food consumption. It’s often practiced for three weeks (21 days) which exclude consumption of animal based products and preservatives (this includes alcohol). The fast extends itself as an act of worship inspiring reflection through prayer and personal development. This fasting method isn’t reserved for a specific time of the year, although some may observe it for Lent.

From personal experience, I’ve successfully fasted by observing dry fasting, the 18:6 / 20:4 / 22:2 initiatives and the Daniel Fast. I’ve also entertained a 72 hour fast to reset the body while encouraging autophagy prior to resuming a healthier food consumption pattern following the holidays. Per the Cleveland Clinic, autophagy is defined as a process which allows the human body to break down and reuse old cell parts so the body’s cells can function more efficiently.

These wide variety of fasting schedules accommodate different lifestyles and wellness goals when implemented with mindful precision and care. I welcome the opportunity to fast when the body needs a reset from the physical demands of life as well when fasting delivers a retreat for strengthening my faith and self-development. Over the decades I’ve been able to refine my fasting strategy to yield sustainable results.

As with everything in life, our literal and metaphorical self-care requires maintenance. Nothing pertaining to our wellness can improve on auto pilot, we’re expected to focus our efforts to nourish our best selves. Maintenance of our health is a 24/7 responsibility regardless of what priorities and distractions are unfolding in our lives.

Remember — first, we need to become healthy in order to pursue any wellness goal. Often, people think they need to reach their wellness goal in order to become healthy. The latter is the reason why people can’t maintain their results. For example, if one is pursuing weight loss then they need to become healthy as a baseline to produce long term results. If the subject matter lacks a healthy benchmark to work from then they will likely struggle more with achieving the results and/or the results will be short lived because the root cause(s) of their weight gain need to be addressed.

Unfortunately, we can’t spot gain our goals, and spot reduce our blind spots. Inner work needs to be done through reflection and revisiting our mental & emotional health.

Wellness works like a well assembled orchestra — the body must flow with the energy of life. Our bodies are in search of a rhythm that works to support its optimal survival and maintenance.

This is why we need to become healthy first. Wellness goals need to be approached with an intentional strategy if the participants are serious about their short term and long term goal actualization.

Audiences should understand that fasting is not a substitute for ignoring other areas of self-care. It can serve as a supplement to enhance one’s ability to improve their physical, mental, emotional and spiritual care. Results may vary for participants based on their initial health condition, their mindset (including their self cultivated beliefs), and the level of their commitment when honoring their chosen fasting program. Exercise care and thoughtful planning before committing to any health and wellness regimen.

Meet Our Contributor — Sasha Laghonh
Sasha is the Founder of Sasha Talks, an educational and entertainment platform that integrates professional and self development into nurturing meaningful outcomes. She serves as a Senior Advisor to C-Suite executives and entrepreneurs among multiple industries. As a speaker, host and author, she partners alongside clients, from individuals to organizations, to capitalize upon their talent. To learn more, visit www.sashatalks.com.