As your go-to Wellness Consultant, it is my deep passion to share not just exploring the world but truly experiencing it through a lens of wellness that enriches every aspect of our lives. Today, I want to enlighten you with a practice close to my heart and crucial to my daily SUPERwell routine: a 12-hour overnight fast. This isn’t just a habit; it’s a cornerstone of my health philosophy, integrating the wisdom I’ve gathered as a graduate of the Institute of Integrative Nutrition (IIN) and 3 years of continuing education at IIN, for this topic specifically the year long Gut-Brain course.
Why a 12-Hour Fast?
At first glance, fasting for 12 hours overnight might seem like a simple time management trick, but it’s so much more. This practice is about giving your body, especially your gut, the time it needs to reset, heal, and digest fully without the constant work of processing new food. Let’s dive into why this is crucial, not just for me, but for anyone looking to enhance their wellness.
The Science Behind the Fast
Our bodies are designed to thrive on cycles – including cycles of eating and not eating. During the fasting state, our gut gets a much-needed break, allowing the mucosal lining of the gut barrier time to repair and strengthen. This is essential for maintaining a healthy immune system, as much of our immune response is directly related to the health of our gut.
Research has shown that a 12-hour fasting window can help to improve gut health by reducing inflammation, enhancing digestion, and even promoting a more diverse microbiome. This isn’t just about giving our bodies a break; it’s about optimizing our internal environment for wellness and longevity.
Personal Rituals and Benefits
For me, this practice is not only about health but also about creating a moment of intention at the start and end of each day. I typically finish dinner by 5:30-6 PM, aligning with when my social calendar allows. This early dinner is not just about nutrition; it’s about setting the stage for a night of restorative sleep and giving my body the full 12 hours it needs to rejuvenate.
Breaking the fast around 6:30 AM, I begin my day with a morning ritual that includes lemon water with apple cider vinegar and SUPERgreens, a powerhouse morning gut elixir. Accompanying this elixir with my favorite probiotic, other supplements and fish oil maximizes the absorption, ensuring my body gets the full spectrum of benefits.
The Benefits of a 12-Hour Fast for Gut Health
Improved Digestion: By allowing your digestive system to rest, you’re reducing bloating and improving overall digestion. It’s like hitting the reset button for your gut every night. Remember, let’s always tap into that parasympathetic nervous system “rest and digest”!
Enhanced Gut Barrier: The fasting period helps to strengthen the gut barrier, protecting against harmful bacteria and potential inflammation.
Boosted Immune System: A healthy gut means a healthy immune system. With much of our immune system residing in our gut, a 12-hour fast can lead to fewer illnesses and a more robust immune response.
Weight Management: While not the primary focus, intermittent fasting can aid in weight management by regulating hunger hormones and potentially increasing metabolic rate in the short term. It is interesting to see the feedback loop with my WHOOP HRV numbers and Levels Health App when not staying consistent with the 12 hour fast. This is how I have reached this level of optimization…no pun intended😉
Mental Clarity: Many people report a boost in mental clarity and energy levels due to fasting. This is possibly due to reduced inflammation and a more efficient energy metabolism.
Enhanced Longevity: There’s growing evidence to suggest that intermittent fasting can contribute to longer, healthier lives by reducing risk factors for diseases such as diabetes, heart disease, and cancer.
Lightening the Wellness Journey
This fasting journey doesn’t have to be a solemn vow of dietary deprivation. Think of it as the daily reboot button for your body – except, unlike your computer, there’s no frustrating waiting time filled with spinning wheels or loading bars. Instead, you wake up refreshed, ready to absorb the goodness of your morning elixir, and perhaps most importantly, equipped with the patience not to throw your computer out the window when it takes its sweet time to start.
Incorporating this 12-hour fast into your life isn’t just about following a trend; it’s about tuning in to your body’s natural rhythms and giving yourself the space to heal, rejuvenate, and thrive. So, here’s to closing the kitchen early, to those lemon ice cube hacks that make morning elixirs a breeze, and to the endless pursuit of wellness that guides us all at Well Inspired Travels.
Remember, wellness is a journey, not a destination, and it’s the small, consistent SUPERwell practices that pave the way to a fulfilling and healthy life. Let’s embrace this journey together, with open hearts, curious minds, and a spirit of adventure to live our best SUPERwell lives!
With warmth and wellness,
Lauren
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