The Amazing Benefits of Fasting

Today no food! We talk about fasting. Our Muslim brothers and sisters fast during the month of Ramadan and the rest of us should try fasting as well.

I wrote about intermittent fasting back in 2019 but that was more from the weight loss and weight maintenance standpoint. Yes, I still practice intermittent fasting, which I abandoned during the 2020 lockdown (to my peril).

There is more to fasting than just weight management. In fact there are many health benefits that we can derive from fasting such as :

- mental clarity

- lowering of insulin levels (to enable body fat burning)

- reversal of type 2 diabetes (in conjunction with low carb diet)

- increase in metabolic rate

- increase in brain derived neurotrophic factor

- increase in growth hormone (which keeps us youthful)

- autophagy (cellular rejuvenation)

- boosts stem cell mobilization

I am not going to write secara panjang lebar because it is best for you to listen from the experts.

So I share with you a lecture by Dr Pradip Jamnadas, a cardiologist, where he talks about the amazing benefits of fasting.

I shared this video with my partner and he was so impressed that he started intermittent fasting immediately. My mum enjoyed this lecture too and was so inspired that she also started fasting (in fact mum had done fasting way before when I was a teenager!).

If you have the time, watch this video and be inspired. Enjoy!

Side note :

At some point during the lecture Dr Pradip mentions something to the effect that you don't need protein because "you are not growing (ie for adults)". He recommends consumption of only 0.35g per pound of body weight (which I think is too low).

This is something that I disagree. Protein is important and we must not think that older people do not require it. Look around you. You may have noticed some old folks who are frail and shrunken. Some cannot walk unaided. Of course you can say that it is due to poor health and disease associated with aging.

That may be so but in some cases, I believe, it is due to loss of muscle mass which results in the body being unable to support the musculoskeletal system. And do not forget, protein makes up about 50% of your skeletal system. So it is not just about the calcium. You also need protein for bone health. 

The general rule is to consume 1g of protein per pound of body weight. From my personal experience it is very difficult to overeat protein (especially fatty meat). When I consume a piece of steak (raw weight about 200g, it will weigh less after cooking) with some other accompaniments, I feel very satiated and can do without a second meal.

Protein is essential for cell repair, maintenance and building of muscles and bones and skin health, among others. I feel that it is important to highlight this matter.