We often think about dieting and nutrition from the perspective of weight loss. But taking a specific approach to your nutrition also has a major impact on your overall health, so every functional medicine expert makes sure to use it as a way to improve your quality of life. That also means that certain dieting systems can help you when you’re dealing with chronic illness.

Fasting, for example, is a brilliant, effective way to help your body manage some of the most common underlying causes of chronic illness, as well as the symptoms. Although you might have read about it only recently, it’s a healthy practice that’s been in use by many cultures for hundreds of years. Here’s how fasting can help you when you’re dealing with a chronic illness!

Reducing chronic inflammation

One of the most powerful ways fasting helps prevent and manage chronic illnesses is by reducing chronic inflammation – one of the most frequent chronic disease culprits. Inflammation has been linked to chronic health problems such as high blood pressure, diabetes, as well as rheumatoid arthritis.

With the right fasting plan, you can restrict the intake of unneeded calories, reduce your body weight if necessary, and help your body slowly reduce chronic inflammation. That will also kickstart a number of positive changes in your body, such as balanced hormone production, speeding up your metabolism, and elevating your energy.

Keeping your blood sugar levels in check

Different diets can be hard on your energy levels, especially if you’re prone to cravings and energy slumps. Fasting allows you to eat in a specific, limited timeframe, and thus ensure that you have plenty of energy throughout the day by choosing nutrient-dense foods over sugar-loaded treats.

Intermittent and alternate day fasting help your body manage your insulin levels and blood sugar levels, which means that you reduce chronic issues such as insulin resistance. It can also be very helpful in preventing or managing diabetes, with the right guidance from your doctor, of course.

Helping you with weight management

Many people struggle to keep their weight in check, so they turn to harsh diets that only end up making them feel exhausted and their cravings extremely high. And we all know that being overweight leads to increased risk of so many different chronic illnesses, from diabetes to heart disease.

If you find fasting to be taxing on your energy levels and you can’t keep up with your training program, you can use the Electrolyte Energy formula to sustain yourself without breaking your fast. It will help you stay energized during your fasting hours, and help you keep your caloric intake in check for the sake of your weight as well as overall wellness.

Improving heart health

Chronic health and cardiovascular health problems such as blood pressure, high cholesterol levels, and many others are some of the most common causes of death among people today. Fasting has excellent potential to help you restrict your caloric intake, which means that you can also use it to focus on consuming heart-friendly foods.

When you fast consistently and use your non-fasting hours to consume healthy foods, you can significantly reduce your blood pressure, triglycerides, and LDL cholesterol. By keeping diabetes at bay and managing blood sugar, you also contribute to keeping your heart healthy!

Aiding cancer treatment and prevention

Everything listed above can be helpful if you’re battling cancer, so naturally, fasting does play a potentially supportive role to your chemotherapy and treatment. In some animal and cell-based studies, fasting has shown to slow down cancerous cell growth, but it has also improved the effect of therapy.

When cancer can be controlled with the help of therapy and specific treatment, it is perceived as a chronic illness. However, many chronic illnesses can lead to the development of cancer if left untreated. More research is needed in this department, but if you want to reduce the risk of cancer, fasting is a good preventative measure that contributes to your overall wellbeing.

The perks of fasting go beyond what we’ve covered here, but it’s still not a cure-all that can work miracles if you’re not consistent with your lifestyle habits, such as exercise, mental health self-care, and quality sleep. Get in touch with us for an appointment and a functional medicine expert can help you make the most of fasting combined with all other essential steps for a healthy life.