We are all exposed to hundreds of toxins daily. A lot of external products gives our system a hard time eliminate the moleculs. Hopefully, intermittent fasting is here to give an other bonus to help us keep our wellbeing.
Startling fact! Women are twice as likely as men to be exposed to toxins.(1)
Women are exposed to over 200 chemicals before 8 am. Think about your morning routine and the soaps, shampoos, lotions, deodorant, makeup, perfume, feminine hygiene products, detergents, foods, prescription medicines, car fumes – all containing harmful toxins – you encounter in a typical day.
Unless you live on a secluded island, toxic exposure is unavoidable. Toxins are absorbed through the food we eat, the air we breathe, and directly through our skin.
Toxins impair the body’s natural process of detoxification. They are tough to expel, so they end up being stored in us for years, mostly in our fat cells. Overexposure to chemicals and the toxic buildup that results in our body can play a role in cancer, Alzheimer’s Disease, and diabetes. As well as in issues such as obesity, sleep disturbances, hormonal problems, and aged skin.
The word detoxification refers to our body’s natural process of eliminating toxins. If one is healthy, this should take place effortlessly, fueled by proper nutrition, good hydration, and proper sleep. Due to years of encountering different chemicals, the body sometimes needs a helping hand to detoxify and function at its best. If your body cannot efficiently remove harmful toxins, it becomes challenging to achieve your desired weight loss.
It is hard to fast for 16, 18, or 20 hours when you can’t stop thinking about that big slice of cheesecake sitting in the refrigerator. When you are consistent with intermittent fasting, you will find those cravings don’t appear or stay as frequently. Cravings for high-fat and high-sugar foods increase with the more toxins you have running through your body.(2)
One way to start detoxifying your body is to proactively eliminate toxins wherever you can – in your house, workplace, car, everywhere. Go through your cabinets and under sinks and get rid of the cleaners and detergents with harmful ingredients.
Open your refrigerator and pantry and throw out the processed foods and the sugar/carb-filled junk foods. Become a label reader and learn what is in the products you use. Look up the words you don’t recognize. Toss anything that isn’t safe into the garbage. Replace those products with known safe alternatives.
In addition, choose organic foods for your eating window whenever you can. Wash all produce thoroughly. Start eating the “colors of the rainbow” daily: tomatoes, zucchini, carrots, blackberries, etc. These foods contain antioxidants which combat your daily toxic exposure.
Reduce stress in your life. Stress interferes with the breakdown of fats.(3) When the mind and body are at peace, the body will release.
If you clean up the products you use, choose detoxifying foods, release your stress, and begin an intermittent fasting routine, you begin to naturally cleanse your body.
In addition, the body has another way of detoxifying itself called autophagy. Some refer to this process as the cell’s recycling system. Intermittent fasting is one way autophagy can be triggered.
Depending on one’s metabolism, autophagy can sometimes start when you haven’t eaten for as little as 12 hours but may not kick in until fasted for 24 hours, peaking around 48 up to 72 hours. It is your body’s way of cleaning out its cells. When you fast, you starve the cells that are dependent on nutrition for survival. In response, the body begins to “eat” itself. (Despite how it sounds, this is a good thing!)
The damaged parts of the cell are sectioned off and broken down into proteins, recycled, and reused by the body for energy and to build new proteins. As a result, the aging process is slowed, energy increases, the immune system is boosted, insulin sensitivity is enhanced, and disease may even be prevented.(4)
You get clearer skin, a more focused mind, a good night’s sleep, and, yes, you lose weight. Doesn’t that sound like something worth skipping breakfast for?
You can boost this process by eating foods during your feasting time that are known to induce autophagy, such as blueberries, cinnamon, black or green tea, and 70%+ dark chocolate.(5)
Fasting may also promote the health of your liver, one of the main organs involved in detoxification, by giving it a break from the never-ending sugar/carb cycle, which can leave the liver clogged and sluggish. When the liver is clean, it can turn fat into energy much faster, so you can lose weight and feel more energized!(6)
When you reduce your toxic load and fast long enough to trigger autophagy, your thoughts because clearer and more focused.
Triggering autophagy to naturally detoxify the body is one of the many bonuses of committing to an intermittent fasting lifestyle.
