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Article: How to do intermittent fasting?

How to do intermittent fasting?

During holiday periods or overeating, our microbiota is put under severe strain. The digestion process, one of the most energy-intensive activities for our body, is overactivated and exhausts our body. Thus, the metabolic energy usually dedicated to the repair, regeneration or purification of our tissues decreases. To allow our body to rebalance quickly, fasting, an ancestral practice whose origins date back to Antiquity, offers us its multiple virtues.


In this article we enlighten you: how to better eliminate toxins through the practice of intermittent fasting? How to eat better to support our metabolism and stimulate our natural beauty?

Practice intermittent fasting

The practice of intermittent fasting

Between the intake of calories and the total absence of calories lies a cycle called intermittent fasting . During this break, we save around 40% of the energy usually dedicated to digestion. This cleansing of the body is automatic when it is not in the digestion phase. While on break, our body takes full advantage of this newfound energy to purify its organs and regenerate its cells. Our body is so well made!


In his work “Fasting”, Doctor Jacques Rouillier assures us that: “Rather than looking for the magic substance, the elixir of youth which will ensure us strength, dynamism and health (...) it turns out to be much more interesting to remove, to subtract, to reduce, to think “less” instead of “more”. To reduce our food intake. Completely. Temporarily. In a word: to fast.”


Moreover, fasting is an age-old practice and Hippocrates, father of medicine, already advised fasting in 370 BC. JC. This well-known phrase is attributed to him: “Let your food be your best medicine!” The practice of fasting is a completely natural and beneficial break for the body.

A food habit that stimulates detoxification of the body

Biologically, we are not programmed to eat at the usual frequency and quantity set by modern society. In a word: we eat too much all the time.


According to Doctor Christian Mottet, Chief Physician of the Gastroenterology Department at Sion Hospital and Sophie Sierrot, PhD in Medical Sciences at the University of Oxford: “ During evolution, the human species was subject to frequent fluctuations in food intake: spring, summer, autumn, winter. Man's ability to survive this lack of food was a definite advantage allowing the species to survive. The human body has therefore developed a physiological response to lack of food. It adapts by reducing and changing metabolism, thus allowing vital functions to be maintained for as long as possible from the body's own reserves. ”


All animals naturally practice periods of fasting, too. This food deprivation is illustrated by the fact that they only eat when they are hungry - and not out of greed, boredom, or stress.


For the digestive system, it is therefore much more “natural” to take breaks through the practice of intermittent fasting, for example. Meals (or food intake, even in small quantities) 3-4 (5!) times a day are part of a cultural and societal functioning, but in no case a physiological need.


Intermittent fasting therefore appears to be a detox gesture, which can be weekly or daily.

SOS buttons during your detox

3 immediate effects of detox fasting on the body

When you fast, several things happen in your body on a cellular and molecular level.

Cellular detoxification, to cultivate excellent health and longevity

Autophagy, literally “self-eating,” is the body’s process of cellular detoxification. During this, cells eliminate old proteins and dysfunctional cells that have accumulated. This is what makes it possible to reduce the risks of developing chronic diseases and increase longevity in better health.


According to Doctor Rouillier: “Therapeutic fasting, practiced and even prescribed by doctors in certain countries for more than a century, constantly re-evaluated by international scientific teams, makes it possible to treat diseases as different as high blood pressure, “asthma, diabetes, demyelinating conditions.”

More efficient fat burning

Your body readjusts its hormone levels and makes stored body fat more accessible after about twelve hours. Insulin levels drop significantly and sensitivity to this hormone improves, while glucagon (insulin antagonist hormone) is secreted to combat hypoglycemia.

Strengthening the microbiota and the immune system

When the diversity of bacteria in the intestine increases, the balance of the microbiota is consolidated. Fasting activates the gene that protects the intestinal barrier from harmful microbes, toxins, various pathologies as well as generalized inflammation. It is therefore an essential activator for strengthening the microbiota, and immune and hormonal health. Moreover, skin problems are often linked to intestinal inflammation. To complete this action, consider trying our alcohol-free propolis ampoules , with exceptional anti-inflammatory properties!

10 virtues of long-term intermittent fasting

  • Promotes better overall energy;
  • generates a drop in triglycerides;
  • soothes sweet compulsions and strong cravings for snacking by stabilizing blood sugar levels;
  • causes growth hormone levels to skyrocket (up to 5 times). The benefits: lose weight quickly and gain muscle mass, to name a few;
  • reduces the risk of chronic diseases and obesity;
  • promotes longevity by fighting free radicals;
  • improves cognitive health - provides greater concentration and clarity of mind;
  • slows down cellular aging: when your cells repair themselves and eliminate toxic materials, they function better and behave like younger cells. The quantity of accumulated toxins and the way in which the body manages to purify itself on a daily basis have a direct effect on our aging;
  • improves sleep;
  • makes our skin more even and luminous (in case of detox-related rash, see our article on pimples and detox ).

How to practice detox fasting – The 3 best-known methods

To find out which formula suits you best, what could be better than testing the different methods? In general, the easiest fast to implement is the 16-hour fast, because it fits easily into daily life, even with a busy schedule!

The 16/8 method

→ Try not to eat anything for at least 16 hours: you will benefit from a well-deserved physical (and mental) break! This leaves you with an 8-hour time slot during which you can eat during the day.


For example: eat between 10 a.m.-6 p.m. or 12 p.m.-8 p.m., or from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., skipping dinner and eating breakfast in the morning if that seems easier to you.


→ You can continue to hydrate yourself of course (pure water and herbal teas only). It's even recommended when you're starting out. For those with experience, this can also be practiced in the form of dry fasting, also called water fasting: no food or drinks.

The detox day

Also called the 24-hour method, the detox day involves fasting for 24 hours, once or twice a week. For example, you can take this digestive break on Sunday when you are quiet at home. This could be practiced like this: take a break between dinner one day until dinner the next day.

The 5:2 method

With this method, you only consume 500 to 600 calories on two non-consecutive days of the week. The other 5 days you eat normally.


For each method: start putting this into practice 1 to 3 times a week. This practice quickly becomes a necessity, because the benefits are so great that the body seems to demand it. Make sure to take at least a 12-hour break between dinner and breakfast. This is really the minimum to allow the body to launch its regeneration process.

How do you start a detox fast?

If you're used to eating often, you may find this overwhelming at first. However, if you initiate this detoxification process at your own pace, without pressure and with regularity, you will succeed without problem. Start slowly, work your way up and before you know it, it will feel natural!

Here is a typical day of the 16/8 method:

  • Step 1: At 8 p.m., stop eating.
  • Step 2: Fast for 12 hours, until 8 a.m. the next morning
  • Step 3: If you were comfortable with 12 hours, try 13 or 14 hours next time. Maintain this duration until you feel comfortable. Your goal will then be to fast for 16 hours.
  • Step 4: Then consider breaking the fast with a nourishing meal (dense in micronutrients and low in “empty” calories. Choose fresh and natural, with as many vegetables as possible).

Tips for an enjoyable practice of intermittent fasting

  • Stay hydrated throughout your fast. Herbal teas and teas are acceptable – without adding milk or sugar of course – but we focus above all on pure water, which will support the body in this body cleansing process.
  • After all this repair work, you need to nourish your cells: focus on “living” foods full of essential nutrients (vegetables, fruits, vegetable juices, natural seeds and oilseeds, light and quality proteins). Why not try one of our fresh pollens, so rich in vitamins, minerals, proteins and probiotics? It is the ideal food to break the fast without a doubt!

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