The Long Fast

We say we are going to fast for 24, 36, 48 hours and then something happens, and we don't. Let's walk through the biology of what happens. There are hundreds of thousands of people trying to get through a three-day water fast but the mind holds them back.

There is a distributed system of ancient bacteria that run our body. They are in charge so to speak. They are imbedded in our cells. Don't think too hard about it or you might get a little freaked out! They are mitochondria, the power plant of our cells. Let's say there is a cookie in front of you and you are fighting in your mind not to eat that cookie. The mitochondria are also pushing your system. That voice in our head is generated by the system that urges us not to starve.

The truth is, they are going to die if you fast. The mitochondria have to take the weak bacteria and kill them, then replace them with new. This is called autophagy in the fasting world. If the mitochondria live in an environment where they don't get to choose long enough, they find fat reserves to eat from and the cookie loses its voice.

There are some things we can do during a fast that give us most of the benefits of a fast that completely turn off the voice of craving. These things are built on ketones. If you can get up to a meaningful level of ketosis, it turns on a hormone called cck which keeps hunger at bay. Also, the hunger hormone drops at 0.5 ketones. The cookie totally loses its power.

• In two small cups of black coffee, you can up your levels of ketones. 8 carbon chain MCT and a dollop of butter in your coffee, quadruples the ketones.

• Eat dinner at 4 pm and breakfast the next morning at 10 am. That's an 18 hr fast in between!

1.) All of that to say, fast a couple of times every week.

2.) There is no need to fast back-to-back.

3.) Going without sugar is the healthiest choice for us all but some complex carbs are good for us too. 4.) Think about what you put in your mouth every time you eat. It matters!

Melissa Saulnier survived Ovarian Cancer in 2006.

This content is for informational and educational purposes only. It is not intended to provide medical advice or to take the place of such advice or treatment from a personal physician. All readers/viewers of this content are advised to consult their doctors or qualified health professionals regarding specific health questions. Melissa Saulnier does not take responsibility for possible health consequences of any person or persons reading or following the information in this educational content. All viewers of this content, especially those taking prescription or over-the-counter medications, should consult their physicians before beginning any nutrition, supplement or lifestyle program.