Tag: Fitness

Fasting and Fueling

Fasting is a highly controversial and frequently debated topic in the health and wellness world. There are several types of fasting that are frequently utilized by athletes and others in order to achieve several different results. These results vary from type to type, as well as the difficulty, however the process of fasting remains the same, no matter what method you are using.

The physical process of fasting is very complex and requires large chunks of time in order to work. The process begins after 10 – 12 hours of no food or liquid (when referring to liquid, I am referring to all non – water liquids). Glycogen – a type of glucose (sugar) that works as an energy storing mechanism within the body – is depleted from the system after this time period. The glycogen was the energy source for the body, and after this source has been cleared, the body starts to use energy from other sources. The body immediately turns to fat reserves stored throughout the body. The body begins to break down these fat storage pockets and convert the fat to ketones. This process is done in the liver. Ketones – an acidic byproduct from the breakdown of fat deposits – are then used for fuel in place of glycogen. Ketones are responsible for several things within the body. When in a fasted state (also called Ketosis), the increased volume of ketones changes the structure of the synapses that effect learning, memory and brain health.

There are several types of fasting, the first type being complete fasting. During the fasted time period, there is absolutely zero intake of any food or liquid besides water. Your body enters Ketosis after 10 – 12 hours without food intake. After entering this state, it is typical for beginners to fast an additional 12 hours, for 24 total hours. More experienced individuals will fast from 48-120 hours.

Intermittent fasting is the concept of only eating during a specific eating window. For beginners, this is frequently an eight-hour eating period, like 12:00 pm – 8:00 pm. There is no instruction on what to eat during this eating period, however intermittent fasting is frequently coupled with an alternate dieting plan, such as Keto or Paleo. Intermittent fasting is effective because it allows for a fourteen-hour to eighteen-hour window in which the body is able to dispose of the glycogen. This process cannot happen if food is being consumed for extended periods of time during the day.

There are several proven benefits of fasting that are not usually discussed during the conversation about whether or not fasting is a safe and healthy way to reset your systems and burn fat. Most of the fear surrounding fasting is due to several possible unwanted or unexpected effects of Ketones on the body. Typical criticism follows the lines of using starvation as a method to lose weight. You are essentially starving the body, which can lead to long term issues with reproduction, weight control, eating disorder risk and an unhealthy self-image. However, if done properly there are positive mental effects that far outweigh the possible negative effects. Long term, fasting has been proven to help ward off diseases that are considered neurodegenerative (Alzheimer’s / Parkinson’s) as well as improving memory retention by forming stronger neural connections within the hippocampus.

Influence, Motivation & Benefits of Exercise

I have noticed – in just the first few days of this research project — how prevalent it is that sources, articles and social media are geared towards men. Most of the women in the fitness and health industry strive to achieve an unattainable and unrealistic level of beauty. Instagram fitness culture creates a point of comparison for an outside audience, in which the audience struggles to meet the unrealistic standards set by full time influencers.


Unfortunately, this creates an improper source of motivation, and individuals are inspired to work out for aesthetics purpose only, rather than understanding the plentiful benefits exercise provides beyond visual appearance. With a barrage of negative images and rapidly decreasing self-esteem levels, many people desperately join a gym and google diet plans to help them reach their goals. There are tons of diet fads constantly circulating the internet and boasting the newest, quickest and most effective way to lose weight. Many people jump into these diets with no prior nutrition experience, and thus they become victim of what is commonly called a yo-yo diet. People start a diet, lose weight, go off the diet and gain weight, causing a yo-yo like fluctuation. This often causes frustration, and the stigma that dieting doesn’t work. Exercise, in conjunction with a balanced healthier diet leads to a myriad of benefits, including the desired fat loss.


The concept of healthy versus healthier relies solely on the individual’s previous diet. People should be striving for a healthier diet, rather than a healthy one. The knowledge that a salad is healthier than a burger and fries is fairly common, yet when we analyze that information further, oil and lemon juice as a dressing is a lot healthier than ranch. Daily decisions such as these can lead to a healthier lifestyle. By starting with baby steps such as a salad over fries, there is a conscious consideration of what is being put into the body on a daily basis, and there is no jumping into a yo-yo diet that is not only going to shock the body’s system but also lead to potential under-fueling and an improper source of nutrients, calories and food in general.


Under-fueling is a crippling situation that frequently leads to medical conditions such as various eating disorders and Overtraining Symptom. Overtraining symptom is exactly what it sounds like, an overuse and strain of your body and muscles in order to compensate a rigorous training cycle. Exercise works in a dose-response method, administering additional benefits to the body per training session. This is a critical point to understand, because it equates to the ideology that more is better. The more exercise you do, the better you will feel, and the better you get. You’ve heard the saying “practice makes perfect”? It’s similar to that – with increased exercise comes increased daily benefits. Exercise requires a steady and consistent commitment in order to be most effective – 5-10 crunches once a month is not going to get any benefits, however consistent exercise 3-5 times a week helps stray from a sedentary lifestyle and the benefits will begin to become evident.

Additional benefits in addition to visual appearance include:

  • Improved function of the respiratory system –
    • The respiratory system is responsible for the transportation of oxygen to our muscles and carbon-dioxide from our muscles. The respiratory system works in conjunction with the cardiovascular system, assisting with the flow of blood (and thus oxygen/carbon-dioxide) via your heartbeat. During exercise, the rate of this transportation increases by upwards of 30%, due to an increased heart rate. In addition, your respiratory rate (breathing rate) is also increasing — typically by doubling — the amount of breaths you take per minute. The increased intake of oxygen and expulsion of carbon-dioxide allows for more oxygen to be delivered to the muscles. With the expansion and retraction of your lungs, you are working training your lungs and increasing your lung capacity, strength and efficiency. This is crucial to remaining healthy and your ability to function as you age.
  • Increased sleep quality –
    • Sleep quality is increased with exercise, and it takes less time to fall asleep. Exercise has an effect on your slow-wave sleep, which is also known as deep sleep. Slow wave sleep is the most ideal level of sleep in which to recover and rejuvenate. This particular effect of exercise is one of the quickest to notice, as 30 minutes of exercise a day will have an immediate effect on that night’s sleep quality. There have been studies shown that point to evidence of possible decreased sleep quality based on the time of day that the exercise is completed. The release of endorphins or heightened body temperature could have a minor impact on your ability to sleep through the night if exercise is completed later at night.
  • Improved memory and cognitive function –
    • Exercise has a hugely beneficial effect on memory and cognitive function. As humans age, they begin to lose brain tissue. Aerobic exercise is a known antidote to this aging process, as it stimulates and increases blood flow to the brain, particularly in the pre-frontal cortex and the hippocampus regions. Research shows that by participating in aerobic exercise, you are able to increase your cognitive information processing rate, as well as provide a non-evasive way to stimulate blood flow in and around the brain.


These benefits are crucial to the understanding of the effects of exercise on the body. The body will begin to change immediately by improving sleep and increasing heart rate, which creates long term change in memory and health, such as a more efficient respiratory system and improved cognitive function.