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Harness Your Body’s Intelligence: The Miracle Of Fasting, Hormones & Women’s Cycles | Dr. Mindy Pelz

Podcast: Know Thyself Podcast

Guest: Dr. Mindy Pelz

Key Concepts:

• Fasting as Healing: Fasting activates a healing system in the body that isn’t accessible when constantly eating. This process includes autophagy, where cells repair and detoxify themselves.

• Modern Health Challenges:

  1. Toxic Environment: We’re living in the most toxic period historically due to bad food systems and a healthcare system that profits from ongoing medication use.
  2. Evolutionary Mismatch: Our genetic design isn’t aligned with modern continuous eating habits, leading to chronic diseases.

Benefits of Fasting:

• Cellular Repair: Autophagy allows cells to heal, discard damaged parts, and even kill off harmful cells, enhancing overall health.
• Hormonal and Metabolic Effects: Fasting reduces inflammation, boosts growth hormone, and resets the gut microbiome and dopamine system.
• Mental Clarity: Fasting can lead to a clearer, sharper mind due to ketone production, which influences neurotransmitters like GABA.

Fasting Protocols:

• Daily Fasting: A 15-hour fast with an 8-hour eating window is suggested for everyday practice, promoting metabolic health without extreme measures.
• Extended Fasting:
  • Three-day fasts twice a year for systemic stem cell release.
  • Five-day fasts for deeper healing, particularly beneficial for chronic conditions or injuries.

Health Optimization Through Fasting:

• Food Choices During Eating Windows: Avoid processed foods, toxic oils, and focus on natural carbs, fiber, and good fats to support fasting benefits.
• Post-Fast Refeeding: Start with broth, then fermented foods, raw vegetables, and finally proteins to ease the body back into digestion.

Psychological and Emotional Aspects:

• Emotional Eating: Fasting can help break the cycle of using food for emotional regulation by forcing individuals to find alternative dopamine sources.
• Spiritual and Mental Purification: Similar to silent retreats, fasting can lead to profound self-discovery and mental clarity.

Fasting for Specific Groups:

• Women: Tailor fasting around menstrual cycles; avoid fasting the week before the period to manage cortisol and progesterone levels effectively.
• Chronic Disease: Longer fasts can be therapeutic but require monitoring, like blood sugar levels, to ensure safety.

Understanding Hormones:

• Hormonal Personalities: Estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone each influence behavior differently, impacting mood, motivation, and social interaction.
• Menopause: A transformation into a phase of wisdom and leadership, not decline, if approached with understanding of its biological purpose.

Practical Tips:

• Minerals and Electrolytes: Essential during fasting to prevent depletion, which can cause symptoms like heart palpitations.
• Community Support: Fasting with others can provide motivation and shared experience.

Lifestyle Integration:

• Service and Health: Emphasizes the importance of health as a foundation for serving others, suggesting that true happiness and fulfillment come from service rather than self-focus.

Conclusion:

• Health as a Verb: Health is an ongoing process, not a destination, emphasizing adaptability and service for a fulfilling life.

This summary serves as a reminder for the profound health benefits of fasting, the importance of understanding our body’s natural processes, and how to integrate these practices into daily life for overall wellness.

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