Here is a picture that explains some of the ways that fasting can benefit our body. Studies done with mice have shown amazing results, as far as increasing their mental abilities, and longevity.
Bobby and I had our battery of blood tests again this last week, and we have been busy comparing the results with what we showed last spring. So far, everything seems to have either stayed the same or is getting better. This test is not the complete one that they do once a year, so some of the results we were not able to compare. However, I was really pleased to see that my kidney failure is still improving (is that even a proper way to describe this ?) , and the kidney function is now up another 3 points, from 47 to 50. Once I get back up to 59, I will be completely out of the chronic kidney failure; but even if that never happens, at least it is improving and not getting worse, which is what the doctors told me would happen, and that if kidney failure is chronic, it gets progressively worse. I am still having episodes of tachycardia, but they are reversing back to regular sinus rhythm, without any special treatment, so I think that I am still doing okay for my age and health issues. Tomorrow, is my appointment with my cardiologist, so I am interested in seeing what he has to say , and hopefully, it will all be good news.
For the most part, my weight is held at a level higher than I'd like it to be but it doesn't increase. Every six months or so, I will start to feel bloated, so I'll fast for a couple of days and follow that up with a soup diet for a couple of weeks, after which I lose 10-15 pounds and feel much better. Then I'm good for another half a year. I am on a soup diet right now. I keep thinking that I might stick to it longer, and get my weight down even further but that never happens.
For several months now, I have been using a fasting app called LIFE (L-IF-E) , and somedays I remember to use it and somedays I totally forget to either start it or stop it when I am done. (Then, I have to adjust the time back to where it should have been, or just delete the whole fast). Some days I do better than others, but I figured that every day that I do it for at least part of the time, it is going to help me to live longer and be healthier. The company just came out with another app called LIFE EXTENSION, and it does a more complete monitoring of your lifestyle and health. I just started using it today, but it seems pretty interesting, and it was free, which is nice , too. You can add in what exercise you do, foods you eat, plus the usual information of height/weight/BP/HR, etc. Then , you can ask the app to do a checkup, and it shows your biological age, as well as how long your life expectancy is. They suggest that you run the checkup every month or so, and see how you are doing and how your health efforts have helped reduce your biological age. It is a pretty interesting app, and easy to use. I am pretty sure that it is available for both Apple and Android. Here is my first checkup results so you can see what the app looks like a little better. I do think that I will enjoy having it.
At 8 am yesterday I ate half of a pumpernickel bread and turkey sammich - because I knew it might be later before I would be able to eat again. Well I can tell you 8-9 hours later was more fasting than fatso here could handle. It was after 4:30 before we all pulled into Soul Mans BBQ and ate! Did not over eat, but ate it all. No likey fasting much
I had to deny myself some favorites for health reasons, but at 63, I have no intention of making myself miserable by fasting or using any of the detox procedures. It's fine for other people, but I'm just not going to do it.
For anyone who is interested in reading more about intermittent fasting and autophagy, this set of books are free on Amazon for Kindle right now. I don’t know how long they will be free, but right now they are being promoted, so you can get the set of both books free. Just go to Amazon, Kindle Store, and search for Elizabeth Moore, and look for this set. She has other books , but these are the only free ones .
Suppose to get my results back today on my blood work. Unusal for me I am very concerned- as something is amiss with me and hoping these tests are a clue at least.
Thank you Beth. According to the nurse everything was in range - except sugar was midly elevated and potassium a bit low. All of that is great but still does not explain the all over body pain..not achey... But pain .
On the fasting, since retired and have to be nowhere for no one, I feel my fasting is from about 7PM when I've eaten my last foods of the day until somewhere about 10AM when I eat my break fast. I don't eat during my sleep and so figure my deep sleep is over 12 hrs daily. Good deep sleep is when our own growth hormone is working too. The more growth hormone we have, the less weight we have. On the pain issue, and I've lived with aches and pains for decades, I've resigned myself to living with some pains. When I am out of pain, I'll be gone. I live well with my own pain mgmt.
I guess I do some intermittent fasting at the present time, but in truth, I did more intentional fasting when I was heavily involved in the Rescue Mission ministry. In a Christian’s life, denying one’s self of food isn’t just a point of sacrifice although some do explicitly fast for that reason. I’m not writing that sacrificing a meal or some food that is highly desired isn’t a good thing because it is and it has it’s own purpose which most “religious” people are in tune with. For me, it’s more than giving up food because if that’s all I’m doing then it’s called going on a diet. One first for me is when I had more questions than answers and things seemed to be all jumbled up or scattered in such a way that any and all wisdom and direction was non-existent. I was dealing with people who had ultra real problems and they needed from me what I could not give but I tried anyway and pretty soon it seemed to me that I was in a big lake with that proverbial millstone around my neck and I was drowning. Long story short, I followed the scriptures and went on a fast. The time I would have spent eating or worrying about my next meal, I spent in devotion and concentrated solely on God and my relationship with Him. After 4 or 5 days, I noticed that I wasn’t getting tired or worn out but quite the opposite. When I was in counseling with a student / client, words seemed to come out of my mouth and phrased in such a manner that I would not have previously thought of or done. When I taught a class, no matter how I had it outlined, it went differently , more completely and things came together as though a large puzzle was being solved. Consequently, the students listened more intently and followed through on their assignments much more than ever before. A whole lot occurred in the following days that, in most instances, left me awe struck and I was enjoying life again and felt stronger as a Christian than I had ever felt before. That fast lasted for 31 days and it wasn’t a matter of suffering by any means because quite frankly, I think that I was enjoying the results so much I just didn’t want it to stop! The bottom line here though is that there is a connection between food and the world. Giving up food helps to sever that connection and that which is referred to as the flesh and makes way for a better line of communication with God. I haven’t had a fast last as long as that one and really do not recommend it for most people but a simple 1 or 2 day fast, with prayer sets a pathway for answers and what some folks commonly refer to be miracles like nothing else can.
I am now reading the book by Brad Pilon , called “Eat, Stop, Eat”, about intermittent fasting. One of. The things that he emphasized in the book was how fasting can increase important hormones, such as HGH, and testosterone for men. Here is just a short excerpt from that book, where he talks about the fasting benefit for increasing our natural growth hormone, and helping with anti-aging.