In 2017, I wrote a blog post on why I didn’t practice Intermittent Fasting. After learning more of its health benefits, I decided to try it. I experienced encouraging improvements within weeks of starting fasting in late January.
In my post, I mentioned some of the health benefits which include increased ability to cope with stress, and how fasting triggers a process called autophagy. Back then I didn’t know about its role in reducing inflammation or that some experts on intestinal permeability (aka a leaky gut) recommend a 3 day bone broth fast to help reset the gut. I suffer from chronically inflamed joints (especially the knees) and a leaky gut, so discovering these possible health benefits prompted me to give it a go.
Possible improvements to my gut helped attract me to fasting because of my diagnosis last year of leaky gut. During April I hope to do my first 3 day bone broth fast. When I first heard of this benefit, I planned doing one the next week, but I decided to build up to that. I began fasting 18 hours and eating during a 6 hour period (a 18/6 fast) daily nearly 8 weeks ago, now do a one meal a day (OMAD) fast weekly, and next week I plan on having my first 36-40 hour fast. Then, next month, I intend to do the 3 day broth fast I mentioned earlier.
The other major benefit that attracted me to intermittent fasting is its role in reducing inflammation. As I mentioned earlier, my joints have plagued me since childhood. I reacted to eggs when I first tried reintroducing them, and every since I’ve lived with permanently swollen knee joints. And, not even the Paleo Autoimmune Protocol (AIP) helped them.
In the first month of 18/6 fasting, I noticed my knees started to improve. My knees complained less when I walked up stairs, and I discovered I could get off the floor without using my hands. This might seem a small difference, but my hands suffer from arthritis, and despite this, I’ve found it easier to use them than my knees. Scrubbing the kitchen floor on my hands and knees is the most amazing sign of their improved status. I moved to my current apartment 8 and a half years ago, and since living here I don’t remember cleaning the floor in this manner.
Two other major benefits keep me from stopping fasting: my energy levels and the effect on the menopause. Since beginning to fast on a regular basis, enjoying greater energy makes me continue fasting. While fasting, I’ve found I am more energetic than before I begun. Occasionally recently, I needed to do a few fasting tests. Apart from the ease of fasting for them, going out early happened without detriment. My waist has reduced, and I’ve lost a kilo or two, which given starting the menopause late in 2018, makes me feel good about myself. Having a smaller waist than at 18 is great! I want to reduce inflammation not lose weight while intermittent fasting, and I eat enough in my 6 hour eating window, but I relish avoiding menopausal related weight gain.
Paleo Sheila 
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