Natural Hunger: The Health Connection

When I was only 124 pounds, I read something about fasting for greater strength. Now hold on here. Everyone from the doctor to the kid on the corner was recommending to gain weight by eating more and doing less.

But, here is the genius of it. By not eating for a day, my body got a change to clean out a bit, rest and get ready to digest food properly. Even with all of the benefits that I had read about, I did not dare mention this to anyone or they would really think I had gone "over the deep end." I tried fasting for a day and later for two days. After all, most of us had been so busy that we forget to eat (or sleep) so it was not such a big deal.

Strangely, the hunger pangs go away and you get a bit of a high from the low blood sugar. I really believe this is what some athletes, body builders and many dieting girls experience. They actually get to enjoy that weird dizzy feeling. Other reasons why skipping a few meals makes some people feel better:

• The fasting body releases more growth hormone that burns fat, stimulates muscle growth and boosts the immune system. This is why I avoid eating before bedtime. Let the body recover. Gorging on pizza after a night of beer guzzling might be good for the morale sometimes. But it impedes the immune system. If you have to eat something, eat complex carbohydrates, like oatmeal or yams. Do not and I repeat, do not eat any sugar within 1.5 hours of bedtime. The sugar will impede your growth hormone and you will often wake up more tired than when you went to bed

• When you are fasting, you are not eating allergic food. In this case, the fast is not helping as much as skipping the offending food. So, if you think that you are allergic to dairy or wheat products try just cutting them out for a day. You will be surprised at how strong the withdrawal symptoms can be. What you are allergic to, you will often crave. Once you are "clean," you will often reject the offending substance. I recall how I had to force myself to drink beer out of social acceptance. Once I was used to it, I actually craved it. When I just stopped for several months or switched to cider, I lost the taste for most beers. The same goes for milk and wheat bread. If I consume either, I get red eyes and gas.

• I find that I am more alert when I skip a few meals. Kind of more primal. My sense of smell sharpens and I tend to be more assertive. This can work against you if you are studying as a growling stomach makes it difficult to concentrate.

The down side of fasting:

• Difficulty with mental work. I know this from military training and going to university. The growling stomach is distracting and tend to make one more aggressive. This is great for the military. But not so good for one's social circles, business or studying. Some people report that they think more clearly when fasting. Personally, I find it distracting.

• Fatigue. After teaching three cardio kick-boxing classes in a row, on an empty stomach, I used to get "the shakes." Especially, when I had to catch a bus in minus 30 degree Celsius weather. I remedied this by bringing even a small amount of food, like a kiwi or a container of cooked rice. That small amount of food was enough to keep me going strong.

Using fasting to your advantage:

• I started making good muscle gains when I actually ATE LESS. That's right. LESS. I found that TWO good, sit down meals a day, beat out three or four hurried meals. When I gave my stomach a change to be empty, I noticed that I did not feel as groggy after a meal. It was like my body was being more efficient with the food.

• When you fast, ensure that you rest. Let your body do its job and sort out the absorption and elimination of nutrients. The mainstream advice of underweight people stuffing themselves, only plugs up their digestive tract and slows down their weight gains. Eat good food and chew it slowly. You will absorb and feel better.

• For the average or overweight person, the short fast will teach you that you can survive until you can eat good food and that you need to pay attention to your body's natural hunger and not just put something in your mouth for the sake of taste.

• You also regain your natural hunger which makes your body more ready to assimilate the food that you eat.

• Don't make a big deal about it. The more that you think or talk about not eating, the harder it gets. Just stay busy and don't sweat it.

Doug Setter, BSc. is a personal trainer and martial arts instructor. He has served as a U.N. Peacekeeper, completed 5 full marathons, climbed Mt. Rainier and held a welterweight kick-boxing title (at age 40). He is the author of Stomach Flattening, Reduce Your Alcohol Craving and One Less Victim: a Crime prevention guide. Visit his website: http://www.2ndwindbodyscience.com andhttp://www.reduceyouralcoholcraving.com

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