Everything You Need To Know About Fasting: Dr. Dana Cooper and N. Harmony Funcitonal Medicine

Ready to press pause on snacking and hit play on healing? Welcome to Everything You Need to Know About Fasting with yours truly, Dr. Dana Cooper, D.C., CFMP, and the wellness team at N. Harmony Functional Medicine. Whether you're fasting-curious or a seasoned sipper of bone broth between windows, this guide is your all-in-one resource for unlocking the science, strategy, and surprising benefits of giving your digestive system a break. We’ll serve it up straight—minus the fluff, but with a side of wit—so you can decide if fasting is the secret weapon your body’s been waiting for. Let’s get into it (or out of it, if you're already skipping breakfast).

So, what is fasting?

Fasting is voluntarily abstaining from food and or water for a period of time, for the purpose of this discussion I am referencing food Fasting exclusively

But first consider this

“These fasts are powerful but not for everyone.

Especially if you are taking insulin, have hypoglycemia, are adolescent, pregnant or breastfeeding, have a history of eating disorder, have adrenal fatigue or type 1 diabetes

Always consult a professional—especially if you have underlying health conditions.”

Fasting is built into human evolution for most of human history, food wasn’t always available.

Our hunter-gatherer ancestors didn’t have three meals a day, they didn’t eat snacks, they definitely didn’t have Uber eats

They ate when food was available sometimes once a day, sometimes not for a day or two.

Our metabolism evolved to function optimally during periods of fasting, this helps us use stored fat for energy, sharpening mental focus, and conserving resources.

In fact, fasting is Found in Every Major Spiritual Tradition Long before scientists got involved: this includes:

Christianity

Islam

Judaism

And Buddhism

Fasting was sacred—a tool for renewal of mind, body, and spirit.

Greek physicians like Hippocrates prescribed fasting for various ailments, believing the body healed better in a fasted state.

In Ayurvedic and Traditional Chinese Medicine, fasting was seen as a way to restore internal balance and remove toxins.

Here’s a structured video script that breaks down the phases, time periods, and benefits of short-term fasting, intermittent fasting, and extended fasting. This can be used for an educational, engaging video for your functional medicine or chiropractic audience:

Phase1

Short-term fasting:

This may be up to 12 hours

Or overnight fast

“This is the most basic form of fasting—this what most of us already do between dinner and breakfast.”

This will help your:

Blood sugar levels begin to stabilize

Insulin starts to drop

Body begins shifting away from a period of constant digestion

Prepares the body to tap into fat stores

Gives the gut a much-needed break

You can think of this as a nightly reset

This brings us to

PHASE 2: INTERMITTENT FASTING or time restricted eating

Now we’re entering the realm of intermittent fasting. This includes patterns like 16:8—where you fast for 16 hours and eat during an 8-hour window or and 18: 6 where you fast for 18 hours and eat during a 6-hour window

Some people do an OMAD; one meal a day.

What are the benefits?

Increased fat-burning via lipolysis

Improved insulin sensitivity

Boosts human growth hormone (HGH)

Mild autophagy begins (this is when your body is eliminated though damaged cells that are causing your diseases, cancers, and infections) i cannot emphasize how miraculous this may be for your health

Reduces inflammation markers

This is where many people start seeing changes in energy, mood, and even waistline—all mind you without counting calories.

PHASE 3: EXTENDED FASTING (24–72+ hours)

Extended fasting takes things to the next level. We’re talking 24 to 72 hours —done safely and with intention.

Let me walk you through this Benefits

At 24 Hours:

Liver glycogen fully depleted (which is the glucose sugar that your liver has been holding onto)

Fat becomes primary fuel source

Deepened insulin sensitivity

At 48 Hours:

Cellular repair as autophagy intensifies

Inflammation drops significantly

Mental clarity peaks

At 72 Hours+:

Stem cell regeneration begins and that’s right your bodies unlocked potential for regenerating organs and vital tissue

Immune system resets many autoimmune conditions remit during this stage

Deep detoxification and mitochondrial cleanup

These fasts are powerful but not for everyone. Always consult a professional—especially if you have underlying health conditions.

You might say hey Doc what's the harmony way:

• Start slow, listen to your body
• You may only be used to at 12 hour overnight fast start by adding and extra 30 minutes to your morning fast ever morning until you get to 16 or 18 hours
• Remember it’s not about eating less, it’s about eating windows
• If is not binge eating, do not scratch one huge troth of bad foods per day and expect to be healthy, slow down savor your food and avoid over eating....a condition called refeeding syndrome will shut you down...eat easily digested food to break your fast like cooked veggies soft meats and fruits
• Don't watch the clock if you stay busy this may be easier that you thought, but if you’re in foods proximity or you thinking about it all days, you will trade in mental clarity for frustration
• Please Continue consuming electrolytes in powder or pill form watch out for sugar
• Please continue to drink water unless you have trained for dry fast
• Supplements like your multivitamin, vitamin bs vitamin ds with lipids, probiotics are important while fasting to help vitamin mineral deficiency that are sometimes exacerbated by fasting
• If you’re going to exercises fasted consider exercising near the end of your fasting period so that you can replenish

What are somethings that can help curb that appetite:

• Gum without sugar
• Herbal teas
• Black coffee
• Diluted apple cider vinegar
• And of course, water

If your benefit of Fasting has plateaued, here are some things to try!

🔁 1. Change Your Fasting Window

Your body adapts over time. If you’ve been doing 16:8, consider switching to:

• 18:6 or 20:4 for a few days a week
• One meal a day (OMAD) once or twice a week
• Alternate day fasting (ADF) if you’re advanced and medically cleared

🍽️ 2. Evaluate What You're Eating

Fasting alone doesn’t cancel out poor food choices. During your eating window:

• Eliminate processed carbs and sugars
• Prioritize protein, fiber, and healthy fats
• Avoid constant grazing—even in your window
• Watch out for hidden calories in creamers, dressings, and snacks

🏋️‍♂️ 3. Add Resistance Training

Building lean muscle boosts metabolic rate. Combine fasting with:

• Strength training 3–4x/week
• Fasted workouts (especially cardio or HIIT) to enhance fat burn

😴 4. Optimize Sleep & Stress

Lack of sleep and high cortisol can stall fat loss.

• Aim for 7–9 hours of quality sleep
• Use mindfulness, deep breathing, or adaptogens like ashwagandha

🔥 5. Try a Fasting “Reset”

A 24- to 48-hour extended fast (with medical supervision) can break through adaptation and stimulate autophagy and fat loss.

🧠 6. Cycle Your Calories or Macros

Your body can stall if it thinks you’re “starving”:

• Try calorie cycling (higher intake every few days)
• Or carb cycling—low-carb most days, moderate on workout days

🧪 7. Check Underlying Factors

If progress stalls despite all effort, investigate:

• Thyroid dysfunction, insulin resistance, or hormonal imbalances
• Work with a functional medicine provider for lab work and targeted interventions

Links Below

Home Page

http://nharmonywellness.com/

Youtube Video

https://youtu.be/91TK9ykSuks?si=CRbMFF8kPZQ_Y1HQ

Youtube Channel

www.youtube.com/@nharmonyfunctionalmedicine

Google

https://g.co/kgs/2Pzeba8

Instagram

https://www.instagram.com/nharmonyfunctionalmedicine/

Facebook

https://www.facebook.com/nharmonyfunctionalmedicine/

Linked In

https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-dana-cooper-dc-cfmp-b1b81b122/