I have been meaning to write this article for a few months now but kept putting it off. Then last week I met up with acquaintances and chatted about food, healthy eating, weight loss, and more, this topic came up and I was told to write this article. I think my passion for the topic was visible.

Eating is a very personal ritual. And the ritual differs from person to person. Some can’t start their day without a proper breakfast and others skip it, settling for a coffee instead, and so on.

For most of my adult life, I enjoyed 3 meals a day. That was my ritual. I was not much of a snacker but wanted/looked forward to my 3 meals. I was not fond of skipping meals and found myself not coping well if I did skip a meal! I got angry when I got really hungry. I used to wonder how people skipped meals or even fasted.

But fast forward to today, not only do I fast daily – intermittent fasting – I also do 24-hour water fasts once a month.

So, what changed?

I learned about the science behind fasting. It changed my view on eating and health!

In this article, I want to focus on the myths I held tight to:

1.       I can’t/shouldn’t skip a meal

I can and do. Been there and done that and can skip more than a meal in a day. Would have to in a 24-hour fast.

2.       I get angry if I am too hungry.

This has been the most amazing outcome for me. These days when I am hungry, I do not get angry! My limbic system which would get triggered by hunger NO LONGER gets triggered. My system has UPGRADED!

3.       It’s bad for my stomach to be empty.

No, it’s not. When I first started intermittent fasting, my functional medicine doctor told me to gradually up the hours and to push past my initial ‘hunger calls’. I learned to do this and got to 16 hours and more of fasting daily. My stomach coped well, and gastritis was never an issue for me.

4.       We need to eat at regular intervals for good health

No! (unless it is part of a treatment). This is the greatest lesson I learned for myself. And this lesson informs the title of this article. I realised only after fasting that the body recalibrated well and performed just as well or BETTER with less food. Amazing!

 We generally tend to overeat. There is so much food at our disposal that we eat too much. It is more desire than survival.

And just like any behaviour change, eating is a behaviour we can change too. But for it to ‘stick’ we need to be clear about our ‘why’.

Why eat less or fast?

For me, it started with an experiment to increase my endurance fitness. But what started as a fitness experiment became a journey in future-proofing my health.

The results over the last seven years have been amazing. I have my yearly blood results that show my progress. Eating healthily has become a lifestyle. I no longer have to think about what I should/shouldn’t eat! And if ever I am in doubt, my body ‘tells’ me what to eat. It is as simple as that. My body now knows! And this applies for drinks too.

I read extensively about the latest in functional medicine and healthy eating. There are several people I read. Dr. Mark Hyman, Dr. Mindy Pelz, Dr. Eric Berg, and Dr. Alan Mandell to name a few.

The two short YouTube video links below have highlights about fasting (that I viewed this week). It should give you further information should you wish to know more.

1.        Dr. Mindy Pelz on Diary of a CEO with Steven Bartlett: We’ve all been eating wrong! Fasting expert explains how to fix your body: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0EBB4Xc-eiE

2.       Dr. Eric Berg: This one thing can replace our entire medical system: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gKviXbX8xGM

I love and believe in fasting and functional medicine. But what works for me may not work for you. Each of us is unique. Please consult with a functional medicine doctor before you embark on future-proofing your health. And always track your progress via blood tests.

As always, you can reach me at yoga@yoganesadurai.com