I'm currently fasting... I'm at 41 hours. 🥳
And I feel really good!
When I first started fasting to my cycle, this length of fast would have been extremely difficult for me - the nausea, headache, irritability, stomach aches, sometimes dizziness...
I experienced it all!
But now that I have been consciously Fasting Like A Mama for the past 6 months, it has gotten so much easier to do these longer fasts!!
I am currently in the Power Phase II of my cycle - that means I'm at the end of ovulation, before progesterone begins increasing, while I need to be focusing on detoxing estrogen + testosterone, so I don't have those uncomfortable PMS pains in 2 weeks. 😣
From day 16-19, it is appropriate for a Mama to fast again - it's too much stress on the body during peak ovulation (day 10-15) and too much stress during the luteal phase (day 20-bleed), so we have this little sweet spot in between where we can get our bodies ready to bleed by detoxing through fasting!
And I have to say, I really look forward to these days when my energy is HIGH and I feel empowered to be in control of my body! 💪🏻
Especially after enjoying Thanksgiving last week, and our family being on a weeklong mountain vacation, I know that my system needs extra assistance with detoxing in order to not have painful cramps, sore boobs, and blood clots during my next menstruation phase.
So, cue the 36+ hour fast.
My primary goals of incorporating a fasting lifestyle into my self-care is for gut healing + hormone balancing.
Because of that, I have added Bone Broth into my {near} daily routine.
Bone broth has so many amazing benefits + I kinda love starting my day with a warm cup of soup.
Especially when I am fasting!
I find that this yummy bevy is easy to digest, filled with protein, vitamins, + minerals my body needs, helps to heal my microbiome by securing the lining with collagen, and contains glycine that helps the liver with detoxing.
Liquid. Gold. I tell ya!
Most grocery stores sell some sort of "Sipping Broth" - make sure to find one that indicates that it's for sipping, rather than for cooking. These broths have boiled bones for over 24 hours, which allows all of the magic to be extracted.
You can also make it from scratch, which this CrunchyMama is all about, but I have found it pretty difficult to source enough bones locally for how much broth we drink in our family.
Since I am in my Costco Era (having 2 growing boys and all...), I buy the Kirkland Organic Chicken Sipping Bone Broth. It comes in a box of 6 cartons + can usually last us about a month (both my hubby and I drink it daily).
However, compared to some bone broths I've purchased at other stores + farmer's markets, the flavor is pretty horrible! Bland, I guess.
It's not really seasoned enough to my liking. I love a salty + savory bone broth!
So... I kitchen witch that shit a little bit!
You can download my recipe here 👇🏼
Bone broth is such an amazing way to break a fast, to ease your system into accepting food, after withholding for so long!
And - a little secret bonus - bone broth doesn't "fully" break a fast!!!
Whaaaa?! 🤯
The way I measure 'breaking a fast' is when we eat sometime that causes our blood sugar to rise - our blood sugar levels should be pretty consistent when we are fasting (outside of when your body burns fat to release glucose - the #1 goal of fasting).
Because bone broth doesn't have sugars, and the protein isn't very high, most people's blood sugar will not increase after drinking it! (Obviously, every body is different so make sure to test how it reacts for you.)
Bone broth is a great way to extend your fast by a couple of hours!!
In fact, at hour 38 today, I exercised in a pretty intense dancing class, so I chose to drink about 8 ounces of bone broth beforehand so my body had some fuel to pull from.
But, I still count that I am fasting right now, because my body hasn't switched over to the sugar burner system yet!
(I am using a Continuous Glucose Monitor right now, and it's super fascinating to see which foods impact my blood sugar! Last week I learned that alcohol makes my blood sugar drop - fast. 😳 I'm gonna have to do some experimenting with foods I can eat before enjoying a cider, that will help to balance it all out.)
There are also a few other "fasted snacks" you can eat to help you get through those tough moments of a long fast... but I'm gonna save that for another post. ✌🏻
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