Tip n°36 : Fasting and insulin (Part 1)

This week we are going to tackle a subject of which I am a fervent follower and which I am keen to make accessible to as many people as possible 😉. You may have already understood, we are going to talk about 💧 FASTING 💧 in order to uncover some secrets 😮. Even if this technique dates back to the dawn of humanity, an air of mystery, amazement 😳, or disbelief 🧐 still sometimes hovers when we broach the subject 😅... The objective of this article will therefore be to demystify this ancestral practice once and for all ❗

But before getting to the heart of the matter, it is important to address a fundamental mechanism that takes place when we eat: variations in INSULIN levels 📊. Insulin is a key hormone in overweight problems and other metabolic diseases. I explain to you : During a meal, sugar levels rise in the blood 📈, which immediately causes an increase in insulin levels 📈. The more the meal is rich in fast sugars (white sugar , white flour 🍞, dairy products 🥛, etc.), those called “high glycemic index”, the more significant and rapid this increase will be 😬.

Note that excess protein 🥓🥩🍖 also causes an increase in this hormone. Insulin has two main functions:

👉 it brings glucose into our cells which draw their energy from it... but... the quantity of energy provided by food in the form of calories is often greater than that which we need immediately 👉 under the action of insulin, this excess energy is stored in the form of fat, for later... except that later, it's the next meal at best or a snack between two at worst 😵‍💫. As a result, our body does not have time to use its reserves and... stores more ❗ And as a result, insulin levels remain high all the time 🙈. This inevitably leads to… overweight ☹️.

A quick note regarding people who feel “bloated” or retaining water: this can sometimes be linked to insulin because this hormone retains water and salts in our body. If insulin levels remain high for too long, our body will develop resistance, which will result in us secreting more, more, more and more❗ This is how an infernal vicious circle 🔴 is set up with consequences such as excess weight, type 2 diabetes and many other diseases that we today call “of civilization” 🙄 that says it all ! Low-calorie diets therefore serve no purpose, other than slowing down your metabolism 😟 and aggravating this process... the famous yoyo effect ❗ Being overweight is primarily linked to an insulin (hormonal) imbalance ❗

Hence the interest in this famous ketogenic diet (keto-diet)… ⚠️ but… because there is a big ⚠️ but here ❗

Already... diets 😩... well they shouldn't exist 😅! Not good at all for morale 👎.

In a short period this may possibly make sense but certainly not in a prolonged manner ❗ Did you know that their long-term effectiveness is less than 5% ❓❓❓ So, let’s quickly move on 🙃. Reducing your consumption of bread 🥖, sugar 🍭, pastries 🍰, pasta 🍝 is one thing, completely eliminating these foods is another and the best way to develop an intolerance ☹️. I can't say it enough: you can eat everything, it's just a question of balance ⚖️.

And when it comes to balance, that’s sometimes where the problem lies … We live today in a world of overabundance where everything is available all the time ⏱️ and right away 🏃🏃‍♀️🏃… we end up eating 3 meals a day, sometimes more… and what about snacking ❓ Where have the alternating periods of abundance and famine gone ❓❓❓ Well... no need to get there anyway 😉❗ However, it is completely unnatural to eat all the time and we sometimes end up losing the “real” feeling of hunger 😋 and satiety 🤢. What is much...much more effective ✌️ is to return to our true nature, that is to say, from time to time putting our digestive system and our entire body to rest 😴.

Around 30% of energy is used for digestion, it can even be much more when the meal is very rich 🙄. When our body recovers this energy, it can do things with it 💪: ✅ Detoxify ✅ Regenerate ✅ Repair yourself ✅ Eliminate diseased, old, abnormal cells… And above all ➡️ fasting is a shock method to improve insulin sensitivity and therefore reverse the process, but also and as surprising as it may seem, fasting can revitalize 💪 a somewhat slowed metabolism 😥, through diets in particular ❗ However, there is no need to fast for a week 😆, many variations exist:

❇️ Skipping a meal... yes, yes... skipping a meal is in most cases excellent for your health 🤩... without rushing to the next one of course 😉 ❇️ Or one day a week… or two… ❇️ Or a few days every few months...or...or...or... The goal is to leave time ⏳ between two meals... the longer this time, the more effective it will be 🙌. ⚠️ Warning ⚠️: there are certain contraindications to this practice 👉 talk to your doctor 👨‍⚕️👩‍⚕️ if you have health problems or if you take medication 💊. Paracelsus, a doctor from the 16th century, already said: 🌟 “Fasting is the greatest medicine, the inner doctor” 🌟. So, have I convinced you ❓

We are not yet finished with this fascinating subject 😃: we will continue in the next issue to further elucidate the mechanisms of this formidable ‘health tool’ 👍. Be well 😌, don't forget to take time for yourself 🤗 and receive all my affection 😘 while waiting to meet again ✨✨✨ MIAM la Vie ✨✨✨.

Docteur Sandra Stallaert 

Cabinet de Santé Holistique

Homéopathe - Nutritionniste

Consultation à distance