Have you ever felt stuck in your health journey, trying to follow all the rules perfectly but still not seeing the results you want? After teaching fasting for over 15 years, writing books that have reached millions, and answering countless questions, I’ve come to a powerful realization: some of the old rules need a second look. My own opinions have evolved, not because the science was wrong, but because I’ve seen how real people—people just like you—interact with fasting in the real world. The nuances matter, and sometimes, being less rigid is the key to unlocking even better results.
I’ve watched the world embrace fasting, and in that time, I’ve learned so much about what works, what doesn’t, and where people get tripped up. In this article, I want to share the five biggest shifts in my thinking about fasting. These aren’t just minor tweaks; they are fundamental changes that could transform your fasting lifestyle, help you break through plateaus, and make the entire process feel more intuitive and less like a chore. Let’s dive into the things I’m re-examining, which will hopefully help you find your perfect rhythm. (Based on the insights of Dr. Mindy Pelz)
Key Takeaways
- Breakfast isn’t the enemy: You don’t always have to skip breakfast. Eating earlier in the day and skipping dinner can be more beneficial for some due to morning glucose sensitivity.
- Longer fasts aren’t for everyone: Women in perimenopause, especially under high stress, may benefit more from shorter fasts (under 24 hours) to avoid cortisol spikes.
- Fasting isn’t a magic bullet for all: If you’re metabolically challenged or chronically stressed, you should focus on improving your diet and managing stress before diving into fasting.
- Water isn’t your only option: Certain additions like MCT oil, minerals, and bone broth can be used strategically during your fasting window to manage hunger and improve your experience.
- Exogenous ketones have their place: Once something I advised against, I now see the value of exogenous ketones for beginners, individuals with cognitive decline, and those looking to extend their fasts.
1. You Don’t Always Have to Skip Breakfast
For years, the simplest way to teach fasting was to tell people to just push their breakfast back later and later. It was an easy entry point, and honestly, many people, myself included, weren’t even hungry in the morning. It felt intuitive. However, I’ve changed my tune on this. The idea that you must skip breakfast to fast effectively is outdated.
The choice of when to place your eating window within your 24-hour day is entirely yours. Recent research, including a 2019 randomized crossover trial, has shown that our bodies are actually more glucose-sensitive in the morning. This means your insulin works more effectively earlier in the day. As soon as the sun rises, your body is primed to handle glucose. When it gets dark, melatonin rises, and you become more insulin-resistant. So, from a purely metabolic standpoint, eating breakfast and skipping dinner might be the smarter move for many.
I’ve also worked with extreme athletes who need fuel for their morning workouts and can’t perform in a fasted state. Dr. Stacy Sims, a specialist in female athletes, has long been an advocate for women, especially post-menopausal women, eating breakfast. If you’re an endurance athlete, I agree—you likely need that morning meal. I now practice this flexibility myself. A few days a week, I eat breakfast. On those days, I simply close my eating window earlier in the evening to ensure I still get a solid 15- to 17-hour fast. On other days, I’m not hungry or I go surfing and don’t eat until 11 a.m. The key is to listen to your body, not a rigid rule.
2. Longer Fasts Aren’t for Every Woman
I used to believe that longer fasts, like a three-day water fast, were something all women should consider. I’ve modified this stance significantly, especially for women in perimenopause. This phase, now sometimes called the “zone of chaos,” is a time of massive hormonal fluctuation. Your hormones are up one day and down the next, which can leave your nervous system feeling highly agitated.
During this chaotic time, your body is prone to high cortisol spikes. When cortisol, your stress hormone, is chronically elevated, it creates a cascade of negative effects. It increases ghrelin, the hormone that makes you hungry, and decreases leptin, the hormone that tells your body to burn fat and feel full. If you’re already in this stressed, hormonally depleted state and you decide to throw a three-day water fast into the mix, it can be too much for your system to handle. For some, it might work, but I’m seeing that for many women, it’s simply too difficult and counterproductive.
So, if you’re in perimenopause and struggling with fasting, my new advice is this: keep your fasts under 24 hours. Focus on consistency with shorter fasts. If you want to attempt a three-day water fast, perhaps do it once a year and make sure you choose a time when your overall life stress is at an absolute low. We can’t pair a powerful tool like fasting with a chronically stressed lifestyle and expect a good outcome, especially when hormones are already in flux.
3. Fasting Isn’t a One-Size-Fits-All Solution
I’ve been known to say, “Fasting works for everyone,” and I’ve received a lot of pushback on that. I’ve had to step back and differentiate between people who can’t fast for legitimate reasons and those who are arguing for their limiting beliefs. There are two main groups of people who genuinely struggle and need to adjust their approach.
The first group is those who are incredibly metabolically challenged. If you are hungry all day long and have a hemoglobin A1C in the pre-diabetic or diabetic range, jumping into a 17-hour fast is going to feel impossible. For you, the first step isn’t fasting; it’s cleaning up your food. Get off the processed foods, sugars, and bad oils. Focus on eating clean protein, healthy fats, and natural carbohydrates. Once you stabilize your blood sugar and improve your relationship with food, fasting will become dramatically easier.
The second group that surprised me is the chronically stressed, Type-A person. These are the model students who do everything right—they eat well, exercise, don’t drink, avoid caffeine—but they still aren’t getting better. Why? Because their rigidity is causing cortisol to spike. You cannot “white-knuckle” your way to a healthy body. I used to be this person, thinking I had to throw every healing modality at my body to get well. I’ve since learned to find a rhythm, much like the rhythm of nature. Some days are for pushing, and some are for relaxing. You can’t add fasting to a massive to-do list of health chores and expect your body to respond well. The female body, in particular, does not thrive in chaos. You have to find a natural, flowing rhythm with fasting, not force it.
4. Your Fasting Window Isn’t Just for Water
“Only drink water in your fasting window.” This was one of my old hard-and-fast rules. But I’ve seen too many people suffer unnecessarily. Some get heart palpitations from mineral deficiencies, while others are tormented by hunger. So, I’ve adapted my approach to include some helpful “fasting crutches.”
First, MCT oil is a game-changer for hunger. A 2017 study found that it significantly increases fullness and reduces subsequent food intake. Adding a spoonful of MCT oil to your morning coffee or tea can help you produce more ketones, sharpen your brain, and dramatically curb hunger, making your fast much more manageable. I even have my coffee with MCT oil during three-day water fasts now.
Second, minerals are crucial. If you experience brain fog or heart palpitations while fasting, you are likely low on minerals. I’m a big fan of adding a high-quality electrolyte powder, like LMNT, to my water. It contains sodium, potassium, and magnesium, which can make you feel immensely better. I’ll often have one mid-day and a warm one at night during a longer fast. It feels like a comforting ritual and replenishes what your body needs.
Finally, let’s talk about bone broth. I used to see it as a lesser form of fasting, but I’ve leaned into it more as I’ve aged. Bone broth contains glycine, which helps produce calming GABA and is excellent for repairing the gut. It also kills hunger. You can use it strategically to extend a fast. For example, you might fast for 15 hours with just water and minerals, then have a cup of bone broth, and see if you can comfortably push your fast to 20 hours before eating a full meal.
5. Exogenous Ketones Can Be a Powerful Tool
This is the big one. If the me of five years ago heard me say this, she’d be mortified. I used to be firmly against relying on exogenous ketones (ketones that come from an outside source, like a drink). My thinking was that you should be making your own. But I’m older and wiser now, and I see their value.
For a beginner faster struggling to get over the initial hump, an exogenous ketone drink can be a bridge. It can kill hunger, sharpen your brain, and give you a taste of the mental clarity that comes with being in ketosis, motivating you to continue. I’ve also seen their incredible power in specific populations. For an aging parent with Alzheimer’s or cognitive decline whose diet you can’t change, exogenous ketones can provide a vital alternative fuel source for the brain. Research has shown they can help meet brain energy needs in conditions where glucose metabolism is impaired, including mild cognitive decline and even neurotrauma like concussions.
For the experienced faster, they can be a tool to go longer. If you’re attempting a three-day fast, having one exogenous ketone drink per day might make the experience much easier. This allows you to still reap the other incredible benefits of a long fast, like autophagy (cellular repair) and gut healing, without being miserable. It’s about using every tool at your disposal to get the best result for your body.
Find Your Unique Rhythm
After all these years, thousands of videos, and millions of books sold, I am more of a fan of fasting than ever before. But my perspective has softened. Fasting is a practice, not a punishment. It’s a dance, not a rigid march. The goal is to find the rhythm that works for your body, your hormones, and your lifestyle.
These changes in my own philosophy are an invitation for you to give yourself grace. Experiment with eating breakfast. Consider shorter fasts if you’re stressed. Use tools like bone broth or MCT oil to make it easier. Don’t be afraid to find what works for you. Please, don’t give up on yourself. Fasting is one of the greatest health tools available to us; we just need to refine it to meet our individual needs.
Source: Dr. Mindy Pelz