The Mel Robbins Podcast – 6 Intermittent Fasting Protocols for Fat Loss, Mood, Energy, and Improving Your Overall Health

Intro

In this episode of “The Mel Robbins Podcast,” Dr. Mindy Peltz, a fasting expert, shares valuable insights on intermittent fasting protocols for fat loss, mood improvement, increased energy, and overall health. Fasting is a powerful tool that triggers healing responses in the body, burns fat, improves sleep, and slows down aging. Dr. Peltz is passionate about spreading the benefits of fasting to help people achieve better health.

Main Takeaways

Understanding Fasting and its Benefits

• Fasting is a healing state that can only be achieved by avoiding food for a certain period of time.
• When blood sugar goes down, it triggers healing responses in the body.
• Fasting can burn fat, supercharge the brain, kill hunger, improve sleep, take away chronic pain, and slow down aging.
• Fasting is a tool that everyone can use for better health, regardless of income or lifestyle.
• Dr. Mindy Peltz is a fasting expert who has transformed the lives of millions of people and is passionate about sharing the benefits of fasting with everyone.

The Importance of Switching Energy Systems

• Fasting helps the body switch between two energy systems: the sugar burner system and the fat burning energy system.
• Poor metabolic health occurs when the body stays in the sugar burner state and doesn’t switch to the fat burning state.
• Fasting is a way to switch between these states and trigger healing mechanisms in the body.
• Our innate human body is designed for feast famine cycling, but our access to food has made us forget this other energy system. Fasting helps us bring it back.
• Fasting triggers a healing response in cells that makes them stronger.

Intermittent Fasting and its Benefits

• Intermittent fasting can help with perimenopause symptoms, brain fog, and weight management.
• Fasting helps the body switch to a second fuel source called ketones, which provides 50% of the fuel for the brain.
• Fasting protocols focus on windows of time when you eat and when you don’t, rather than the type of food you eat.
• A study found that 8-10 hours of eating and leaving the rest of the day for fasting can overturn poor metabolic health.
• Compressing food into a 12-hour window can trigger weight loss, even without changing what you eat.

Different Types of Fasting Protocols

• There are six different types of fasting, with different lengths and health benefits.
• Intermittent fasting is the most popular type of fasting and involves limiting food intake for certain periods of time.
• Different fasting windows have different health benefits.
• Fasting for 17 hours can lead to a state of autophagy where cells consume the bad parts of the cell and repair themselves.
• Different types of fasting include gut reset fasting (24 hours) and fat burner fasting (36 hours) which have their own unique benefits such as stem cell production and significant reduction in belly fat.

Summary

Fasting as a Healing Tool

Fasting is a powerful tool that allows the body to switch between energy systems and trigger healing responses. By avoiding food for a certain period of time, fasting helps burn fat, improve brain function, reduce hunger, improve sleep, alleviate chronic pain, and slow down aging. It is a tool that can be used by anyone, regardless of income or lifestyle, to improve their overall health.

The Importance of Switching Energy Systems

Our bodies are designed for feast famine cycling, but our modern access to food has made us forget the other energy system, the fat burning energy system. Fasting helps us bring back this natural cycle by switching between the sugar burner system and the fat burning energy system. This switch triggers a healing response in cells, making them stronger and improving overall metabolic health.

Intermittent Fasting for Health Benefits

Intermittent fasting is a popular type of fasting that involves limiting food intake for certain periods of time. It can help with perimenopause symptoms, brain fog, and weight management. By compressing food into a 12-hour window or practicing longer fasting windows, such as 17 hours or more, the body can enter a state of autophagy where cells repair themselves and reduce inflammation. Intermittent fasting can also stimulate the production of growth hormone, which slows down the aging process and helps burn fat.

Different Types of Fasting Protocols

There are various fasting protocols, each with its own benefits. Gut reset fasting (24 hours) and fat burner fasting (36 hours) have unique advantages such as stem cell production and significant reduction in belly fat. It is important to consult a doctor and start with shorter fasting windows before attempting longer ones. Intermittent fasting, with its flexible eating and fasting windows, can be a great starting point for most people.

Conclusion

Fasting is a powerful tool for improving overall health and well-being. It helps the body switch between energy systems, triggers healing responses, and promotes fat burning, cellular repair, and anti-aging effects. With different fasting protocols available, individuals can find a fasting approach that suits their lifestyle and health goals. It is important to consult a doctor before starting any fasting regimen and to listen to your body throughout the process.