Happy Wednesday! My planned 48 hour fast went well, thankfully I was able to get out of my work dinner so that meant I could fast without awkwardness or feel guilted into having dinner. 😂 I will break my fast today at my work lunch and then fly home this evening. It really does make trips so much simpler when I use that for my fasting time.
I asked AI about the benefits of fasting and I think it's a pretty great list so I thought I would share. Have you experienced any of these benefits? What does your fasting routine look like? Of you haven't tried it yet, why not?
Benefits of Fasting:
Weight Loss:
Caloric Restriction: By not eating for a period, you naturally reduce your caloric intake, which can lead to weight loss.
Metabolic Shift: Fasting can shift your body from using glucose for energy to burning fat, including visceral fat, which is linked to various health issues.
Improved Insulin Sensitivity:
Fasting can lower blood sugar levels and reduce insulin resistance, which might decrease the risk of type 2 diabetes.
Cellular Repair and Autophagy:
During fasting, your cells initiate autophagy, a process where they remove dysfunctional proteins and regenerate new ones, essentially cleaning out damaged cells to make way for new ones.
Heart Health:
Fasting can lead to reductions in blood pressure, cholesterol levels, triglycerides, and inflammatory markers like C-reactive protein, all of which are beneficial for heart health.
Brain Health:
There's some evidence suggesting fasting might promote brain health by increasing levels of BDNF (Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor), which supports neuron health and may reduce the risk of neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's.
Cancer Prevention and Treatment:
Some studies indicate that fasting might make cancer cells more vulnerable to chemotherapy while protecting normal cells, potentially reducing side effects of cancer treatments. However, this is still under research.
Longevity:
Animal studies have shown that caloric restriction, including through fasting, can extend lifespan. While direct human studies are limited, the health benefits observed might contribute to a longer, healthier life.
Reduction in Inflammation:
Fasting can reduce markers of inflammation, potentially lowering the risk for various chronic conditions linked to inflammation.
Mental Clarity and Focus:
Some people report improved mental clarity and focus during fasting periods, possibly due to the body's increased production of ketones, which are an alternative energy source for the brain.
Digestive Rest:
Giving your digestive system a break can lead to less strain on the stomach and intestines, potentially improving symptoms for those with digestive issues.
Important Considerations:
Hydration: It's crucial to drink plenty of water (and electrolytes) during fasting periods to avoid dehydration.
Not One-Size-Fits-All: The benefits can vary greatly depending on individual health, the type of fasting (intermittent, water fasting, etc.), and how it's implemented.
Yesterday we surprised the kids and brought home a puppy!! They have been begging for one for years and we felt like the time was right to bring one home.
Meet Angus 🐕 He's a Golden Retriever/King Charles Cavalier Spaniel mix. He's 11 weeks old and currently weighs about 8 pounds, he should be around 35 pounds fully grown. I know it will be an adjustment for a while as he gets potty trained etc but we are so excited. 😂 Wish us luck! 🤪
Cheese is good! I ate a block of chipotle oven baked cheese with lunch yesterday and it was divine. I love it, but know that it halts any progress I'm making, and will even trigger eating in excess to where I'll gain weight. It's sad but I have accepted it. If I eat it in small quantities with a meal, it's ok, but I really have to work to keep it in check.
What's your favorite cheese? How do you incorporate it? Do you see negative results when eating it?
Happy Sunday! Sharing a video today from our week, one of the highlights. This was Wednesday evening church, normally they have a more casual prayer meeting where someone plays the guitar, but they were doing some construction in the fellowship hall so they had their prayer meeting in the sanctuary. No one was there to play the piano so my my Grandma did it, she's been playing the piano in church for probably 80 years.
For context, she's 88, she had a really bad fall 5 years ago now and hit her head and ended up with a lot setbacks, similar to having a stroke. She has a lot of dementia like symptoms also (I am sure related to her Type 2 diabetes), she really can't read music anymore, and she has trouble seeing well, and she needs to wear hearing aids to hear but hates wearing them, so on this night she didn't want to wear them. My 93 (almost 94) year old grandpa takes care of both of them on their farm. Anyway, on this night she sat down on the piano and led worship as people called ...
Happy Monday! We made it to Big Sky, Montana yesterday, WOW it's so beautiful!! It just feels like you are in a movie all the time. We grilled steaks and just spent lots of time outside enjoying the beautiful weather.
The house we are staying in is owned by LMNT, so it has all kinds of electrolytes and wellness goodies everywhere. Plus all kinds of natural soaps and laundry soaps etc. They host a lot of meetings here so one of the walls upstairs is a huge dry erase board so the kids are having fun drawing on it.
We sat in the sauna 🥵 and took turns doing the cold plunge. 🥶 Today we are going hiking and white water rafting.
How was your weekend? What is your non-negotiable for this week?
Happy Sunday! We made it to Idaho Falls last night, it was just a stop over place for us and we had no idea that it would be so beautiful. We got here early in the evening after the hot springs and had a really lovely walk along the river. The weather has been so nice!! We are only 3 hours from Big Sky so headed over there this morning, we are staying in a house there for 5 days. I am excited to stay in one place for a few days. 😂 We are super excited because the house we are staying in has a cold plunge, a sauna, and a gym.
What are your plans today? You doing any prep for the week ahead?
Yesterday we had a PACKED day and some really amazing experiences!! We started the morning in Page Arizona looking at the Glen Canyon Dam, which opens up to the beginning of the Grand Canyon. It looks like you're on a totally different planet!
We then headed up to Redmond, and stopped along the way to take a hike up to some Salt Caves. The drive alone was just amazing as well!
In the afternoon we took a tour of the Redmond Salt mine, WOW what a cool experience!! We went down 700 feet and were completely surrounded by salt! They have 29 miles of tunnels through the mine! I will tell you all about it on a future Livestream! But we all licked the walls and the kids got to mine for their own salt rocks!
We ended the day just south of Salt Lake City. It was a super packed day but thankfully everything went very smoothly.
Today is going to be much more relaxing, and the kids planned the perfect "Mom" day. A slow morning followed by a soak in some Lava Hot Springs this afternoon. ...
