The LIVNLIF Approach to Fasting

There’s a common message floating around that feeling terrible during a fast is normal and that headaches and dizziness mean you’re “detoxing.” I have never found that to be true in my practice or in my own journey. When fasting is appropriate for someone, the goal is cellular repair and metabolic rest , not misery.

Before I ever considered extending a fast, I worked on stabilizing the foundations first. I spent weeks improving blood sugar regulation, reducing inflammatory foods, hydrating well, and prioritizing protein so I was consistently eating enough micronutrients. When the body feels nourished going in, fasting feels steady, calm, & clear.

I began with simple overnight fasting, giving my digestive system a little more space. Twelve hours… then fourteen… eventually closer to sixteen. Not every day, but just when I could do it without feeling drained. And during the hours I did eat, I made sure I was fueling with real food, plenty of quality protein, colorful plants, good fats, fermented foods for the microbiome if tolerated , and nothing processed. For my own body, I utilized 160g of clean protien a day, good fats, and moderate intake of quality carbs. My body had a clean source of fuel in order to get ready for longer fasting.

Only once my metabolism felt stable did I experiment with longer stretches. But I learned one rule very quickly:

If the body says “stop” we stop.

If I ever felt sharp hunger that didn’t settle, dizziness, strong irritability, heart racing, or a headache that wasn’t improving, that was my signal a longer fast wasn’t right for that moment. There’s no prize for pushing through suffering. The nervous system remembers that stress.

Things you can take while in a strict fast that help and don't break autophagy: Nonflavored electrolytes, tudca, magnesium glycinate (with NO fillers), LIVNLIF brand creatine monohydrate. These can be the key to feeling good as water alone isn’t enough once you go deeper into fat metabolism. You can drink 2-3 cups of plain green tea or peppermint tea to support the process and help with hunger. Be sure that the tea is organic and loose. No tea bags. These strategies will depend on the person, their genetics, and their medical complexity. (Another reason I love checking your genetics before we ever get started on a health plan).

And if you are a woman, your cycle matters. Most women tolerate fasting best in the first half of their cycle, right before a period, when progesterone is shifting and blood sugar naturally becomes a little more sensitive. Do not fast for longer than 10 hours during these times. At the Start… eat sweet potatoes/ healthy carbs to feed progesterone, and the week of you need more higher quality fats and don’t need as many carbs as the week before. You want high protein at all times. Do not fast the two weeks right after you get off your period. Use this time for the 16/8 fasting hours and doing the longer 24 plus long ones. Pushing long fasts can feel like hitting a wall. That’s a time to nourish, not restrict. When hormones feel balanced, fasting feels easier.

This is why “listen to your body” isn’t soft advice but it’s advanced metabolic intelligence.

Fasting has become a popular strategy for gut and immune support, inflammation reduction, and cellular repair, and in the right context, there can be benefits. But fasting alone does not heal a gut that is constantly being inflamed by what’s eaten afterward. If someone fasts and then goes right back to foods their body struggles with, they often end up feeling worse.

The most important thing I’ve learned?

Fasting should feel supportive not punitive. It should reflect a healthy relationship with nourishment, not deprivation. And it should never replace real medical care when someone is dealing with complex symptoms.

At LIVNLIF Health, I personalize fasting only when it aligns with your hormones, immune function, genetics, and metabolic status. We build tolerance slowly, we fuel well on eating days, and we treat fasting as a tool.

You don’t need to force your body into healing. You can support it into healing.

And if you’re curious whether fasting could help you, or whether a different strategy would suit you better, that’s something we can explore together, safely.

Rebecca

Green Tea can help with fasting