Fasting & Women’s Health
If you are reading this you have most likely heard the hype around fasting.. Fasting has been shown to support weight loss, fat burning, cognitive health, heart health, insulin resistance, inflammation, and more.
BUT..
Fasting and intermittent fasting for women is complicated.
It has a time and place and it also has a time and place when its NOT going to be beneficial. If you have been led to believe that skipping breakfast or restricting your intake of food is the best way to loose weight or balance your hormones.. then I strongly recommend you keep reading!
In this article, I am going to give you some insight into HOW fasting can impact your hormones and WHEN it may or may not be beneficial.
Before we get into the details, I want to remind you that it's impossible for me to know exactly whether or not fasting will be beneficial to YOUR body/ symptoms/ goals without doing a proper consultation. I am simply providing you with knowledge and education so you can make an educated choice for your OWN body.
Fasting for women
Here's the thing..
Women rotate on clocks that are significantly different from men. . A women's hormones rotate on a 28 DAY cycle. A man's hormones rotate on a 24 HOUR cycle.. I know it’s crazy right?!
But out of the many studies done around fasting, very few of them actually account for this.
There are some studies that actually show fasting to cause further hormonal damage and imbalances in menstruating women.
Now I am not saying fasting is never a good idea for any women.. Like I said above, there are definitely appropriate situations and circumstances. But I DO want to make you aware of when fasting might not be the end all answer for YOUR body.
When fasting MAY NOT support your body
In my professional and experiential opinion, there are some specific circumstances when fasting should be avoided as it can cause some potential risks (and even do the OPPOSITE of what you are hoping to achieve).
These specific situations apply to women who:
are under high amounts of stress
are pregnant, breast feeding, or recovering postpartum
have missing periods, irregular ovulation, or struggle with fertility
are experiencing burnout or running on stress fumes
experience irregular periods or other hormonal imbalances
Are diabetic or experience low blood sugar symptoms
Have nutrient deficiencies or electrolyte imbalances
Have trouble gaining / maintaining weight
Now this doesn’t mean if you fall into any of the above categories that fasting will never be an option for you. It simply means you will want to be sure you have the support and guidance to make sure it’s safe for YOUR body.
In general if you are a menstruating woman, fasting most likely is not going to be very beneficial for your body- especially when it comes to hormones, weight loss, blood sugar, or stress.
This is because the number one step in improving your hormones , moods, weight, AND energy is to balance blood sugar and support insulin regulation. The number one way to regulate insulin is to EAT A BALANCED BREAKFAST. (BEFORE coffee ;) )
ALSO.. if you are running a fast -paced, high- stress life fasting is most likely only going to add MORE stress to your already stressed-out body. The female reproductive system is VERY stress sensitive. When you are under stress your hypothalamus will begin to turn down sex hormone production.
When you pair this with high-intensity exercise, digestive imbalances, nutrient imbalances, lack of proper sleep, and extra stimulants used to make it through the day.. your hormones are going to be on ONE WILD RIDE!
When fasting MAY support your body
I also do believe that there are some situations when fasting can be beneficial to women’s health when done correctly and safely.
Menopause
This still needs to be very individualized but in general there will most likely be less of an impact on the sex hormones of menopause and post menopausal women when fasting. Fasting may be beneficial in these circumstances because of the benefits associated with fasting and blood sugar, weight loss, and lipid markers. Even women who are menopausal / post menopausal may see negative impacts from fasting if they are a hot-stress-mess! Stress + fasting DO NOT mix well.
Insulin driven PCOS
This one is tricky and needs to be VERY carefully considered. Fasting has been shown to improve insulin resistance (the number one root cause of PCOS), but there are many other factors that can also be at play here.
Elevated Blood glucose markers
In these situations it may be beneficial to take part in a gentle form of fasting. Again, this depends on other factors taking place and needs to be considered appropriately.
Digestive imbalances
SOME digestive imbalances may be greatly relieved by a gentle fast. This is because it gives your GI system time to process and rest. Once again, it depends on your unique situation.
I also want to note that there are specific times of your menstrual cycle when fasting will be more beneficial to your body (ex. Follicular phase vs the luteal phase).
As a professional in women’s health, hormones, + nutrition, I recommend women consider 12 hour intermittent fasting ONLY (especially in the beginning) IF this is right for YOUR body.
This simply means leaving 12 hours from the last meal of your day to the first meal of the next day. For example: Eating supper at 6:00 pm and breakfast after 6:00am the next day.
(NOTE** This doesn’t mean skipping breakfast and drinking coffee- it simply means eating LESS late into the night or before bed.)
To Sum it Up:
Fasting for women really does require an individualized approach with proper guidance and support.
There are positives to fasting but there are also many negatives when fasting isn’t done appropriately for your unique situation.
If you are going to make an educated decision and experience how fasting affects your body, I strongly recommend speaking with your healthcare professional or ensuring you have appropriate guidance and support.
Although fasting may come off as the “next best thing”, its always important to LISTEN TO YOUR OWN BODY FIRST.
And remember, as women we are ever-changing. Each season of your life will require different nutrition / lifestyle practices. Find what works for your body right now but always be open to change.
My Nourished Hormones Protocol and my Kickstarter Packages are both 1:1 personalized approaches where I help you discover how and what your body truly needs.
You deserve the support you need to FINALLY understand your body and FEEL like yourself again.
You can check out my 1:1 programs here.
XO,
Have questions?