Tuesday, October 14, 2025
How to Intermittently Fast (Wisely): Break Your Fast with Purpose, Power & Protein
Thinking about fasting? Fasting is more than abstaining from food. It’s a rhythm woven into human history, biology, and spiritual longing. When done safely, it can reset your body, clarify your mind, and restore balance. But when done without care, it can create physical depletion in necessary minerals and vitamins, leaving you with excess cravings or bingeing to make up; your body can feel weak and exhausted and your emotions raw and jagged.
This guide explores what fasting is, how it affects the body, how to fast safely, and
why breaking a fast with protein changes everything.
Of course, as always, consult your doctor or a Certified Wellness Counselor before beginning any fasting practice.
What Is Fasting (and is it the same as Intermittent Fasting)?
Fasting is a voluntary pause from caloric intake long enough for your body to shift from feeding, to repair and rebalancing. Intermittent fasting simply means repeating this rhythm of cycles of eating and fasting on a consistent schedule (Patterson & Sears, 2017) perhaps daily or even weekly. In rats, intermittent or periodic fasting protects against cancer, diabetes, heart disease, and neurodegeneration; in humans, it reduces the consequences of, for example, obesity, hypertension, asthma, and rheumatoid arthritis (Visioli et al., 2022).
Why People Fast: From History to Health
Throughout history, fasting has been used for both practical and spiritual purposes: cleansing the body, deepening focus and clarity, building discipline and even community practice, and creating space for renewal (Iqbal, 2022). Modern science now affirms what many ancient traditions intuited: fasting can improve insulin sensitivity, support cellular repair, and balance energy when approached with care (Iqbal, 2022; Visioli et al., 2022).
What Happens in Your Body When You Fast (and Why It Matters)
Fasting has many benefits including “reduction of oxidative damage and inflammation, increase of energy metabolism, and in boosting cellular protection….[fasting]ameliorates many biochemical parameters related to cardiovascular and cancer risk, and neurodegeneration” (Visioli et al., 2022).
Your body moves through distinct phases when fasting and you can choose your fasting time to align with the benefits of a particular phase:
2 to 4 hours: You’re still digesting. Glucose and insulin are active. Nothing feels different yet.
6 to 12 hours: Insulin begins to fall. The liver releases glycogen (stored glucose). When glycogen runs low, your body switches to using fat as fuel, a metabolic advantage that promotes flexibility in the fuel source the body uses for energy and leads to steady energy production and availability (Nakrani et al., 2023).
12 to 18 hours and beyond: Fat breakdown increases, and the liver produces ketones. These ketones provide clean, steady energy for the brain and muscles, supporting focus and mental clarity, and preserves muscle. This is called the metabolic switch (Anton et al., 2018).
18 to 24 hours: Autophagy begins, your cells clean out damaged proteins and organelles. This promotes longevity, delays aging, and reduces inflammation, though prolonged fasting should only be done with professional guidance (Cleveland Clinic, 2023).
Each phase has distinct advantages such as, metabolic reset, reduced inflammation, or mental clarity, but fasting too long or too often can lead to fatigue or nutrient depletion.
How to Fast Safely
● Medical supervision: Always contact your doctor before you begin any new health regimen. This is extremely important especially for anyone with chronic illness, medication use, or pregnancy.
● Start small: Begin with a 12-hour overnight fast - stop eating at 6pm and start again at 6am the next day.
● Hydrate well: Water, green tea, and unsweetened herbal tea are usually safe during fasts. Undistilled apple cider vinegar (ACV) with the “mother” or strands of probiotics (5ml to 250ml) also helps to ward off poor digestion and settle the stomach during the fast - remember to rinse your mouth immediately with clean water to remove the excess acid that can damage your enamel. Brush 30 minutes after the ACV so as not to damage the enamel in its softened state after being exposed to the ACV.
● Listen to your body: End your fast if you feel dizzy or weak.
● Gradual adjustment: Increase fasting length slowly as your body adapts.
● Journaling & Bio-individuality: Journaling is such an abused word but all it really means is to make notes and bio-individuality means to focus those notes on what works for you. Getting and staying healthy and happy is a big and ongoing experiment of what works for you and for your body.
Stop intermittent fasting if you have any of these known symptoms “headaches, lethargy, constipation, dehydration, hypoglycemia, sleep disturbances, disordered eating, dizziness, and irritability” (Nye et al., 2024). A personalized plan designed through Health and Wellness Coaching Services or Wellness Counseling Services in consultation with your doctor ensures fasting supports, instead of disrupts, your life.
Using 50g Protein is a Well Kept Secret to Breaking Your Fast
How you break your fasts is a big determinant to how your body responds. Start your first meal with about 50 grams of high-quality protein such as fish, eggs, tofu, legumes, or Greek yogurt. Protein will stabilize your blood sugar, support muscle repair, and keep you full longer. However, if you have renal disease or other complications affected by high dosages of protein you need to speak to your doctor (Ruscio, 2025). It also prevents post-meal fatigue and helps balance appetite hormones such as ghrelin and leptin though this thinking is not consistent (e.g (Alzoghaibi et al., 2014; Klok, 2007; Tacad et al., 2022) so that you are less prone to binge eating and sugar cravings after a fast.
You can think of leptin and ghrelin as your hunger hormones which have a quiet conversation daily about when, what, and how much you eat. Leptin is produced by your fat cells and tells your brain you have enough energy stored. It’s the “I’m full” signal and the hormone of satisfaction and stability. When leptin is working well, you stop eating naturally because your body feels safe and nourished. Ghrelin, made mainly in your stomach, is the “I’m hungry” signal. It rises before meals and falls after you eat, prompting you to seek food (Cleveland Clinic, 2022).
When you fast or eat erratically, ghrelin and leptin can fall out of sync. High-sugar, highly processed foods can also disrupt their balance, making you feel hungrier even when your body doesn’t truly need food. Balanced meals rich in protein, fiber, and healthy fat, especially after fasting, help these hormones stabilize, restoring a natural sense of calm between meals (Klok et al., 2007). This is why you must avoid breaking your fast with sugar-rich or highly processed foods because your body is especially sensitive after fasting. At that point, insulin rises quickly, and refined foods can trigger sharp spikes in blood sugar, leading to fatigue, mood swings, and rebound hunger that undo the benefits of your fast (Ludwig, 2002). Instead, choose whole, unprocessed foods, and even pair your 50g protein with fiber-rich vegetables and healthy fats, to slow digestion and maintain a stable, calm energy.
High-protein kefir can be an excellent way to break your fast gently. It delivers quality protein, probiotics, and calcium while being easy to digest. The live cultures in kefir help restore gut balance after fasting, and its natural fermentation slows glucose absorption, helping to keep blood sugar stable (Farnworth, 2005). Choose unsweetened or low-sugar versions, blend it with chia seeds, flax seeds, or a spoonful of nut butter for added healthy fat and fiber. This helps to prevent binge eating and sugar cravings after a fast.
Protein at this level stimulates muscle-protein synthesis, protecting lean mass after fasting and preventing the crash that can follow a carb-heavy first meal. The first food that touches your lips after fasting sets the tone for how your body feels for the rest of the day. Let it send the message that nourishment, not deprivation, is your rhythm now.
Remember, breaking your fast with the wrong foods is like emptying the trash into a living room you just vacuumed.
Bio-Individuality: Why One Fast Does Not Fit All
No fasting method fits every body. Age, metabolism, hormones, and activity levels all shape your ideal fasting rhythm. What feels optimal for a 25-year-old athlete may feel extreme for a 55-year-old in middle management. This is why an Online Wellness Coach, a Certified Wellness Coach Online, Health and Wellness Coaching Services, Wellness Counseling Services, and a Certified Wellness Counselor are so valuable they help you personalize your fasting journey.
If fasting destabilizes moods, energy, or focus, scale back. The goal is a pattern that supports your health, not a rigid rule that applies to other people and so you expect it should work for you too. Remember, you are special and bio-individual meaning that your body and your life needs its own special solutions - sure sometimes the same solution might work for another person too but this is no guarantee.
Fasting and Spiritual Growth
Because health is holistic and happiness is holistic, fasting is not just about calories it’s about how your body, mind, and spirit align.
Being hungry makes us aware of our body instead of going through the day forgetting the vehicle that is actually keeping us alive. It gives us the opportunity to be grateful which in turn is part of a growth mindset, and so expands abundance in our lives.
Fasting is also an inward practice. Many traditions view fasting as a way to quiet the mind and heighten spiritual awareness (Iqbal, 2022). When the body is still, the heart becomes more receptive. Reflection, prayer, or meditation during a fast can deepen the experience.
Use a fasting journal. Set an intention or ask a question before you fast. Write it in your journal. Just before you break your fast, spend 15 minutes journaling about this intention or question. Alternatively you can donate or give up the discomfort of your fast as a sacrifice or proxy to alleviate someone else's suffering such as a loved one or perhaps even as a prayer to end world hunger, war, or suffering.
Health and happiness are holistic because your body, mind, and spirit work as one rhythm - you can find out more about this holism of wellness here https://www.hefft.co/optin-5--63368
Fasting can be powerful when used thoughtfully.
● Start with short fasts, build gradually.
● Always consult your doctor.
● Anchor your breaking fast in 50g of protein.
● Respect your individuality.
● If you include OMAD, do so carefully.
● Use fasting not as punishment but as alignment to the work of your Soul.
If you’d like a personalized plan that respects your body and your rhythm, connect with an Online Wellness Coach through Health and Wellness Coaching Services or Wellness Counseling Services. A Certified Wellness Counselor can coordinate with your physician so your fasting plan is safe, sustainable, and supportive of your whole life.
Alzoghaibi, M. A., Pandi-Perumal, S. R., Sharif, M. M., & BaHammam, A. S. (2014). Diurnal intermittent fasting during Ramadan: The effects on leptin and ghrelin levels. PLOS ONE, 9(3), e92214. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0092214
Anton, S. D., Moehl, K., Donahoo, W. T., Marosi, K., Lee, S., Mainous, A. G. III, Leeuwenburgh, C., & Mattson, M. P. (2018). Flipping the metabolic switch: Understanding and applying health benefits of fasting. Obesity (Silver Spring), 26(2), 254–268. https://doi.org/10.1002/oby.22065
Cleveland Clinic. (2022). Ghrelin. Cleveland Clinic. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/body/22804-ghrelin
Cleveland Clinic. (2023). Autophagy: What it is, benefits, myths, and more. Cleveland Clinic. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/24058-autophagy
Farnworth, E. R. (2005). Kefir—A complex probiotic. Food Science and Technology Bulletin: Functional Foods, 2(1), 1–17.
Iqbal, M. (2022). Fasting: A spiritual and physical cleansing for strengthening the human immune system. In Complementary and alternative medicinal approaches for enhancing immunity (pp. [page range if known]). CRC Press (Taylor & Francis). https://doi.org/10.1201/9781003261520-4
Klok, M. D., Jakobsdottir, S., & Drent, M. L. (2007). The role of leptin and ghrelin in the regulation of food intake and body weight in humans: A review. Obesity Reviews, 8(1), 21–34. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-789X.2006.00270.x
Ludwig, D. S. (2002). The glycemic index: Physiological mechanisms relating to obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease. JAMA, 287(18), 2414–2423. https://doi.org/10.1001/jama.287.18.2414
Nakrani, M. N., Wineland, R. H., & Anjum, F. (2023). Physiology, glucose metabolism. In StatPearls [Internet]. StatPearls Publishing. National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI Bookshelf). https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK560599/
Nye, K., Cherrin, C., & Meires, J. (2024). Intermittent fasting: Exploring approaches, benefits, and implications for health and weight management. The Journal for Nurse Practitioners, 20(3), 104893. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nurpra.2023.104893
Patterson, R. E., & Sears, D. D. (2017). Metabolic effects of intermittent fasting. Annual Review of Nutrition, 37, 371–393. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-nutr-071816-064634
Ruscio, M. (2025, June 18). How to eat a 30g protein breakfast every day (with recipes!). Dr. Ruscio, DC. https://drruscio.com/30g-protein-breakfast/
Tacad, D. K. M., Tovar, A. P., Richardson, C. E., Horn, W. F., Krishnan, G. P., Keim, N. L., & Krishnan, S. (2022). Satiety associated with calorie restriction and time-restricted feeding: Peripheral hormones. Advances in Nutrition, 13(3), 792–820. https://doi.org/10.1093/advances/nmac014
Visioli, F., Mucignat-Caretta, C., Anile, F., & Panaite, S.-A. (2022). Traditional and medical applications of fasting. Nutrients, 14(3), 433. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu14030433
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