Fasting for a Healthier Me: A Personal Journey with “Fast Like a Girl” by Dr. Mindy Pelz*
Fasting for a Healthier Me: A Personal Journey with “Fast Like a Girl” by Dr. Mindy Pelz*
As someone who is now over 50 years old, I’ve been experiencing a lot of changes with my overall health. Things I’ve never faced before, much of which is hormone driven and all of which is unpleasant. I’m very familiar with intermittent fasting. This has been part of my routine for about 5 years now. Clean eating has also been a priority for me since my mid-20s. For the most part, my health has been pretty good over the years. So, to be faced with so many quick changes all of a sudden is disheartening and a little scary. I know I’m not alone in this either. So many women experience hormonal issues, and it seems like the problems are appearing in younger and younger women as well. Infertility, endometriosis, thyroid problems, painful cramps, early onset of menopause are all issues that women are facing like never before it seems.
Why This Book?
I’m an avid consumer of content, much which I find on YouTube. I follow a lot of “biohackers” that have all written amazing books and all of whom have wonderful advice. I’m sure Dr. Mindy popped up on my YouTube home feed at some point and that’s how I was first introduced to her book.
Her approach to fasting stood out to me because she understands that women’s bodies are different from men’s and they have different needs. Unfortunately, much of the research out there is designed around men’s bodies. When women fast without keeping their unique and delicate hormones in balance, they can risk doing more damage than good from what I understand. So, her approach is designed to not only fast in a way that supports a woman’s body, but to fast in a way that can HEAL a woman’s body, which includes repairing hormonal imbalances that may be causing serious health problems.
She also has a secondary book for women who are going through the change, “The Menopause Reset”. So, at any age, we can benefit from working fasting into our routines.
But her book goes beyond just fasting schedules. She outlines what types of foods support our hormones during specific times of the month to help support estrogen and progesterone at the appropriate times. She also explains how the amount of net carbs, protein, and fat that we need, will change throughout the month. By adjusting these ratios along with what foods we consume, we can give our bodies what they need at the appropriate time to build the proper amount of hormone for strong healthy cycles. And she also outlines what our strengths and weaknesses will be throughout our cycle so that we can power up on our strong days and plan for self-care when it is so needed by the body.
My Personal Experience:
The first thing I noticed almost immediately was a better mood! I didn’t even really know I had been in a bad mood until I was in a good one! Next was the improved focus and alertness. Finally, the amazing decrease in inflammation!! This is all within the first 3 days! When I say decrease in inflammation, what I really mean is bloating around the mid-section. It was incredible! Again, I didn’t realize how bad I felt previously until all that unpleasantness lifted and went away!
I’m currently on day 10. I’ve continued to feel more and more alert, calm, focused, no bloating, happier, etc.! But my biggest change and the one I’m most grateful for is that I no longer feel exhausted. I have had major increases in energy! Major!!! I haven’t been so excited for a dietary adjustment in my life! Many times, making changes in our diet can be really tough. I’ve even mourned over cutting out foods in the past, almost like a grieving process. Lol! But the benefits I have experienced have made me so excited and motivated to continue this “experiment”!
Some tips to help you hop on this journey with me:
While her book is packed with this amazing information, it is spread out in different sections of the book. Literally the only thing the book lacked, was a chart or spreadsheet with all this information put on one page so that you could quickly see it all! So that’s why I’ve put off giving her system a try for as long as I have. I needed to have some time to sit down and do a chart for myself. So, I did it this month, exactly 10 days ago, which is when I began her program!
If anyone would like a copy of this chart, just reach out. I’ll be happy to email it over to you! It took me a long time to put it together, so it might save you some time!
You’ll also need a way to track your net carbs, protein, and fat. Dr. Mindy recommended the app Carb Manager, which is what I’m using. It is free! The have paid upgrades if you want them as well, but it’s not needed.
Final thoughts:
If I’ve experienced this much improvement in 10 days, I am very excited to see how this helps improve my insulin resistance, hormone health, and energy levels over the next few months. I really do feel like every female should read this book and consider the information in it*. You may decide its not for you, and that’s fine, but it should be investigated by any female struggling with hormone health*. The program is designed to battle against insulin resistance and balance hormones, which can benefit all women, especially those struggling with thyroid issues, infertility, painful periods, and menopause.
Where You Can Find Dr. Mindy:
Dr. Mindy has a YouTube channel and has been on many podcasts. I’ll list those below, along with links to her books. And if you’d like a copy of my chart, let me know!
I also invite you to share your own experiences with me in the comments below!
Once I get through a few months of her program, I’ll revisit this topic with another update on how it’s going long term!!
YouTube:
Diary of a CEO with Dr. Mindy Pelz E256
Books:
Carb Counting App Recommended by Dr. Mindy:
Carb Manager - Low Carb & Keto Diet Tracker
*Disclaimer: As a reminder, the information provided in this blog post is based on my personal experiences and insights from the book, Fast Like a Girl by Dr. Mindy Pelz. It is not intended to replace professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult with a qualified healthcare provider before making any changes to your diet, exercise routine, or health regimen. Individual results may vary.