Discovering a Fasting Lifestyle: My Journey and Insights

Author: Deirdre McDermott

28/11/2024

Discovering a Fasting Lifestyle: My Journey and Insights

Sometimes, the best questions are the ones that make you pause and reflect. Recently, I was asked why I’ve been delving deeper into lifestyle changes, particularly fasting. While I had the answers within me, articulating them helped me connect the dots and create a logical story. So here it is—a glimpse into my journey and why I’ve embraced fasting as both a personal practice and a cornerstone of my evolving approach to health and homeopathy.

A Personal Wake-Up Call

Over the past couple of years, I noticed a subtle shift in how my body felt. Though I was happy with my weight, I sensed a difference around my stomach—it felt denser, less fluid, and harder to ignore. This wasn’t a dramatic change, but enough to make me reflect on what my body might be telling me.

At the same time, I observed a broader pattern among my clients and even myself: despite a shared love for homeopathy, our lifestyles were becoming less supportive of health. Nutrition quality, exercise habits, sleep patterns, and even moments of calm had started to decline. These factors, often called “obstacles to cure” in homeopathy, were becoming increasingly evident.

Reassessing the Toolkit

While homeopathy addresses the root causes of ailments, I realized that helping clients remove these obstacles was just as important for long-term health. I wanted to give my clients tools and strategies to keep them healthy—not just remedies, but habits they could rely on every day.

This reflection coincided with my own desire to update my personal toolkit for my age and focus on physical strength. Around that time, I discovered Dr. Mindy Pelz’s work. Her approach to fasting, especially tailored for women and their cycles, resonated deeply with me. I began experimenting with shorter eating windows during the week and quickly found that it suited me.

Why Fasting?

Fasting, or time-restricted eating, isn’t just about skipping meals. It’s about giving our bodies time to rest, cleanse, and heal. It’s also about what we eat during the eating window—prioritizing unprocessed, nourishing foods.

For me, fasting reflects the eating patterns of previous generations, where structured meal times and wholesome foods were the norm. It feels natural and intuitive, rooted in history yet supported by modern research.

What is an Eating Window?

An eating window is simply the time during the day when you eat. For example:

  • Eating Window: 8:00 AM to 7:00 PM (11 hours)
  • Fasting Window: 7:00 PM to 8:00 AM (13 hours)

There are several types of fasting, ranging from beginner-friendly to advanced:

  1. Intermittent fasting (13–15 hours): Great for overall health.
  2. Autophagy fasting (17 hours): Stimulates cellular repair.
  3. Gut-reset fast (24 hours): Focuses on digestive health.
  4. Fat-burner fast (36 hours): Aids in metabolic flexibility.
  5. Dopamine-reset fast (48 hours): Helps with mood and cravings.
  6. Immune-reset fast (72+ hours): Supports immunity and deep repair.

Special Considerations for Women

Fasting isn’t one-size-fits-all, especially for women. It’s crucial to adapt fasting practices to support hormonal health:

  • Avoid fasting longer than 12 hours the week before your period.
  • If you’re not cycling, have at least one week per month with shorter fasts.
  • If you’re under high stress or sleep-deprived, ease into fasting gradually.

For anyone with a history of eating disorders, focusing on good nutrition might be a better starting point.

Experimenting with My Own N=1

As someone who believes in personalized health solutions, I’ve been testing different fasting lengths and monitoring my results using tools like a continuous glucose monitor and a ketone meter. This process has been incredibly insightful, helping me understand what works best for my body right now and how to adjust as needed.

I firmly believe we should all aim to create our own “N of 1.” By researching, testing, and assessing what works for us as individuals, we can build sustainable habits that make us feel great—not because they work for someone else, but because they work for us.

Homeopathy has always been individualised – an N of 1 – its great to see other areas catching up

Looking Ahead: Combining Homeopathy and Lifestyle Coaching

This journey has inspired me to expand my practice. Starting in January 2025, I’ll be offering a combined homeopathy and lifestyle coaching program. This will include:

  • Group coaching: Focusing specifically on fasting lifestyles.
  • Individual programs: Tailored to combine homeopathy and fasting for a personalized approach.

Final Thoughts

Fasting, when approached mindfully, is a powerful tool for restoring health and balance. It’s not just about when you eat, but how you nourish your body and support it with healthy habits.

If you’re curious about fasting or how it can complement homeopathy, feel free to reach out. Let’s explore how these practices can help you feel your best—not just now, but for years to come.

Are there any questions I can answer for you? Drop them in the comments—I’d love to hear your thoughts!perimenopause symptoms happen to young women

 

  • #MindyPelz
  • #FastLikeAGirl
  • #WomensHealth
  • #FunctionalMedicine
  • #HormonalHealth
  • #HormonalBalance
  • #GutHealth
  • #MenopauseSupport
  • #IntermittentFastingForWomen
  • #FastingForWomen
  • #Homeopathy
  • #NaturalHealing
  • #HomeopathicRemedies
  • #HolisticHealth
  • #AlternativeMedicine
  • #NaturalWellness
  • #HealingNaturally
  • #HomeopathicHealing
  • #HomeopathyForHealth
  • #WellnessThroughHomeopathy

 

 

 

 

 

 

Comments:

0 Comments

Submit a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recent Posts:

Sleep, Evolution, and You

Sleep, Evolution, and You

Sleep, Evolution, and You We are the only species in the world that deprive ourselves of sleep. Since the 1960’s we have lost, on average, 1.5 hours of sleep per day. Most interesting to me is the fact that - as this is such a new phenomenon in terms of evolution our...

Homeopathy 101 – The who, what, and why!

Homeopathy 101 – The who, what, and why!

Homeopathy 101 - The who, what and why! Fado Fado (Gaelic many years ago ) when someone recommended homeopathy to me they told me to find a classical homeopath I had never heard the word “homeopath” never mind understanding what or who a classical homeopath was. I did...

What would better Sleep mean to you?

What would better Sleep mean to you?

What would better Sleep mean to you? Better Sleep and a Better You Sleep is one of the cornerstones of our health and became a real interest of mine in the last few years. I started to notice that a lot of the clients I was working with, could not sleep or were having...

Work together to stay at home

Work together to stay at home

Work together to stay at home My favourite is the quote “your grandparents were asked to go to war, all you are being asked to do is stay at home” (now I know in Ireland we technically didn’t have a war) as it helps me keep perspective on our current situation. It’s...

Your Period should be pain-free

Your Period should be pain-free

Your Period should be pain-free Yes your period should be pain free, unfortunately I was 32 by the time I learned this! At that stage of my life I had a science degree and two children so perhaps I should have known better. What age were you when you learnt this?...

Sleep – The Bare Essential

Sleep – The Bare Essential

Sleep - The Bare Essential This beautiful testimonial arrived by post and was handwritten which makes it all the more special - Sleep is an essential part of our health Contact me if you would like to start your journey towards amazing sleep I am a 68 year old woman....

Recovering from Surgery

Recovering from Surgery

Recovering from Surgery Recovery from surgery can be painful and sometimes slow. The most common surgery in women is childbirth by Cesarean delivery (C-section), the second most common being a hysterectomy (I’m still searching for a better medical term as this is so...

Holistic Hormonal Health for Endometriosis

Holistic Hormonal Health for Endometriosis

Holistic Hormonal Health for Endometriosis Health - Always in the last place you look for it I, like most people became interested in complimentary medicine out of necessity. Let’s be honest if you have a medical concern that is fixed after going to your doctor –...

Options, options, and more options

Options, options, and more options

Options, options, and more options What homeopathy means to me – the short version 🙂 If Option A is not working for me there is always an Option B Both my children had mild medical conditions when they were younger. One suffered with reoccurring chest infections and...

Pin It on Pinterest

Share This