By Lilian Chudey Pride
The topic before us sounds interesting and very familiar. Interesting because we are about to deal with it using fasting which seems to be a topic not many people want to approach as fasting is seen as a religious practice alone. But, fasting as well as other forms of exercise have been used for decades knowingly or unknowingly to tackle over weight and its associated challenges. It is equally familiar because almost every menopausal woman is struggling with weight issues.
Growing up, I can remember seeing our parents waking up early to do their jobs which involved walking a very long distance or riding a bicycle. They seldom woke up to food or snacks, and hardly had in between meals as it is the practice nowadays. They stay at least a number of hours before they go for a meal, some of them begin with lunch as the first food of the day, while some even wait until evening before having a wholesome meal. This is fasting, whether it was planned or not, intentional or not, it was observed routinely and many of them lived up to one hundred years and more.
WHY WALKING AND FASTING MUST BE PRIORITISED IN OUR WEIGHT LOSS AND WELLNESS JOURNEY Walking in a forward direction for the purpose of burning fat will be very beneficial in opening the detox pathway. While you may choose to walk or run, it is important to keep in mind that intentionality is key. Both running and walking for at least two (2) hours every morning is just fine. Your Amygdala calms down, calming your brain as well; when this happens, Cortisol comes down helping you to lose weight faster. According to Healthline, one can calm down Amygdala by slowing down, taking deep breaths and refocusing on your thoughts. These steps allow your brain’s frontal lobes to take over for the irrational Amygdala. When this happens, you have control over your responses and you won’t be left feeling regret or embarrassed at your behaviour. As you know, our main focus is to deal with the many baggage of Menopause and Hormonal Imbalance, some of which are weight gain, stress, lack of focus and mood swings. We want to make sure we walk or run on a daily basis so we can sweat as many times as possible in a week to ensure our body is producing some key hormones like testosterone. When we walk or run, we sweat, and we burn fat easily and faster too. Weight gain comes as a result of stored glucose, stored hormones and stored toxins. So, as we imbibe the act of fasting and exercising, we will begin to eliminate the cravings for unhealthy food which we have developed over the years.
FASTING HELPS US TO DEVELOPE SELF-CONTROL, DISCIPLINE AND STRENGTH OF CHARACTER
At some point in my menopause journey, I was scheduled for Colonoscopy procedure at the hospital, and guess what? I was asked to fast for 72 hours.
WHAT THEN IS FASTING?
Fasting is first and foremost, a time to humble oneself before God, the healer. We can therefore, for the purpose of this subject, define it as abstaining from all or some kinds of food or drinks for a certain period of time. Fasting strengthens the power of self-control and prevents wrongful desires. It improves self- restraint which is basically the ability to control actions and emotions. When we fast, we are stopping ourselves from acting upon the natural human urges and when we fast to lose weight, we are actually stopping ourselves from eating (out) randomly. Refraining (restraining oneself) from what ordinarily he/she would have done with ease, builds self-control, discipline and strength of character.
WHY IS FASTING NECESSARY IN OUR WELLNESS JOURNEY?
Since fasting boosts willpower, self-control and discipline, it is no wonder why it should be considered and given priority. It is obvious that indiscipline and indulgence lead us into eating junks in the first place and lack of self-control propel us deep into craving toxic and overly processed foods.
There are many ways we can observe a fast. But who could have ever thought that at some point as now, fasting could be included in the treatment procedure in a hospital to work alongside science. Having said that, I will suggest that any time you look at that part of your body where fat is logged, be it on your arm, abdomen, or hip, just thank God that he did not allow that extra fat, extra hormone and extra sugar to be stored in your Liver which would have been very dangerous. Quit beating yourself up and try fasting, the body knows how to get rid of those fats. You should also bear in mind that you don’t fast for a day or a week and expect a lasting solution. You should be looking at a holistic approach to losing weight and staying trim while enjoying your senior life. So, changing food and diet is not the only way to lose weight or to manage menopause, hormonal imbalance and their many baggage.
I have tried as much as possible to limit my knowledge and love for fasting to the type and recommendations that are beneficial to this subject.
The internet is all heated up with contents from wellness content creators about the term Intermittent Fasting (IF). Simply put, Intermittent Fasting (IF) is cycling between periods of eating and abstaining from food, which ranges from a few hours to a few days at a time.
WHY FASTING PROMISES ARE LASTING SOLUTION TO OUR WEIGHT LOSS JOURNEY AND OTHER CHALLENGES OF MENOPAUSE AND HORMONAL INBALANCE
Fasting has proved to have many health benefits which include tremendous weight loss, better brain functioning and may as well prevent neurodegenerative disorders. Let’s take a look at many more benefits of fasting for weight loss and many other health challenges.
FASTING INCREASES GROWTH HORMONES SECRETION WHICH IS VITAL FOR GROWTH, METABOLISM, WEIGHT LOSS AND MUSCLE STRENGTH
Similarly, fasting promotes blood sugar control by reducing insulin resistance. Studies have shown this, and it is good news to those at risk of diabetes. There is a review in 2014 which found that both Intermittent Fasting (IF) and Alternate day fasting were as efficient in limiting calorie intake and at reducing insulin resistance.
FASTING CAN HELP REDUCE INFLAMMATION AND PROMOTE BETTER HEALTH
As we know, inflammation plays a big (bad) role in the development of chronic conditions such as heart diseases, cancer, rheumatoid arthritis and of cause menopausal and hormonal imbalance challenges of which weight gain is chief.
FASTING ENHANCES LONGEVITY
With the foregoing promise and prospects of fasting on our overall health, we are sure that a well-balanced health can prolong life. According to Better Health Channel, the role of growth hormones includes influencing our heights and helping to build our bones and muscles. Natural levels of growth hormones fluctuate during the day, seemingly influenced by physical activity.
As we master the art of fasting, we should bear in mind that at some point we will break the fast and eat something, so, what we eat should be given serious consideration. We will need to stay away from certain foods and drinks. Top on my list are:
STAY HYDRATED
Our body cannot function well if we are often in a dehydrated state. We need to stay hydrated regularly otherwise, it will raise cortisol. “Yes, drinking more water may help you lose weight. Science suggests that water can help with weight loss in a variety of ways. It may suppress your appetite, boost your metabolism and make exercise easier and more efficient, all of which could contribute to results on the scale”(JHU Hub).
Staying hydrated supports your kidney, healing your gut, good gut health is helpful for longevity. Staying hydrated will help regulate your body temperature, lubricate your joints, prevent infections, deliver nutrients to your cells, and keep organs functioning properly, aids improved brain performance. Being well hydrated also improves quality of sleep, cognition and mood.
TALK TO YOUR DOCTOR: Taking the first step to discuss your challenges with your doctor is the best way to begin. The information provided in this article should not replace what your doctor is doing and therefore, this article should not be used as prescription or treatment.
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