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You’ve heard of fasting. Everyone has. Maybe you’re a fasting pro. Maybe you’ve never done it before, nor do you ever care to. I was the latter… until this week. I decided to give it a try and see what it’s all about.
In case you didn’t know already, fasting is a biohacking tool of restricting your food intake for various health benefits:
Okay, now I see why people do it. Tbh, I didn’t get it at first, but “longer life-span?” Worth a shot. So, I had dinner Monday night at 6 pm and I embarked on my very first 24 hour fast. This is how it went.
4 hours in
10 pm Monday night. I’m doing fine. Obviously. It’s just like any other day. I eat dinner then go to bed a few hours later. Then, I thought, “Hey, I’m going to be sleeping for the next 7 hours of this fast. That’s easy enough. I can do this fasting thing.” I shut my eyes and went to sleep feeling pretty confident in my biohacking/fasting skills.
12 hours in
Tuesday morning. “I NEED COFFEE.” I roll out of bed, make my way to the pantry, and go to grab one of the 5 different flavors of coffee beans on the shelf (I really like coffee okay). Right as I get that wonderful whiff of coffee, I remember… Fasting. So, no coffee. I fill up my water bottle, which I’ll have to do like 7 more times throughout this day without food, and think, “Well, this isn’t going to be as easy as I thought.”
16 hours in
It’s only lunchtime and I have already crossed so many things off my to-do list. I’ve been more productive than I typically am. Improved mental clarity? Check. I felt abnormally focused and unusually energized. I felt great!
20 hours in
Okay, I’m ravenous. All I can think about is food. All I see is food. “Why is my computer showing me ads for every food brand I’ve ever thought of!!” I’d accomplished all I needed to for the day (another fast-induced mental clarity win) and all I wanted was a big bowl of pho. 4 hours left. Stay strong. Amidst my unrelenting hunger, there was a sense of wired motivation. I had more energy than I ever expected to have in a state of total food-depravity. But let’s take advantage of it. Gym, here I come.
24 hours in
I did it! “Time to break fast and be a happy human again!!” After the best workout I’d had in weeks, I got ready to meet some friends for dinner at Cava- the Greek food version of Chipotle. Yes, it is as good as it sounds. The perfect meal on which to end my fast. While I was driving, I realized I wasn’t hungry as I thought I’d be. I was excited at the thought of eating, sure, but I thought, “I could do this for another 24 hours if I needed to!” I also realized I was singing along to the radio louder than usual. No way was it possible that I felt happier than normal. How could I be if I hadn’t eaten all day. But I did. Even as we were in line for our food, my friends said I was smiling and laughing more than I usually did and I’m always pretty giddy, so that’s saying something. I took my first bite of my greens and grains bowl and officially ended my fast.
So, 24 hour fast done. Here’s are my takeaways:
Upon taking that first bite, a strange feeling of achievement came over me. Make no mistake, that feeling was accompanied with the elation of finally getting to eat. Still, I patted myself on the back. I had put myself to the test- physically and mentally- and I passed. I attempted something I’d never done before and I successfully completed it. So, at the very least, fasting is an assessment of your willpower and leaves you with an incredible sense of accomplishment.
As for the other benefits… Well, I can’t yet speak for the reduced risk of diabetes, decreased cholesterol, or extended life-span, but I can attest to the others. During the fasting period, I experienced an enhanced ability to concentrate, as well as an increase in energy. The next day after the fast, I woke up feeling refreshed, less bloated, and- yep- stress-free. Those 24 hours might’ve deprived of a few good meals, but they did leave me feeling better than I ever expected.
I now understand all the rage about intermittent fasting, and I will be doing it regularly from here on. It’s a simple biohack and it works. You can do it, even when you think you can’t, and you’ll be better for it.
Live Wild. Try fasting.
In honor of April being Keep America Beautiful Month, we're sharing 12 small acts to save and preserve our planet. In a world of over 7 billion people, it can seem like our small acts to save this planet don't make an impact in the grand scheme. This couldn't be further from the truth. The impact of no act can be predicted, big or small.
