My perspective on fasting
Fasting has become a popular topic in health and nutrition, often presented through strict rules and protocols. My perspective is a little different. I don’t believe fasting should become another rigid practice that disconnects us from our bodies.
Instead, I see fasting as a rhythm — something that shifts depending on where we are in our life, our stress levels, and the state of our nervous system.
A 21-year-old body functions very differently from someone moving through perimenopause or approaching their fifties. Our hormones change, our energy shifts, and our nervous system responds differently to stress and recovery.
For this reason, I encourage people not to become overly fixed on fasting rules, but to listen to their body and honour the cycles they are moving through.
Fasting as rhythm rather than restriction
Rather than following rigid fasting protocols, I tend to approach fasting as something flexible that moves with the body.
Sometimes the body benefits from longer spaces between meals. At other times it needs more nourishment and stability. The key question becomes:
What rhythm feels supportive for your nervous system right now?
When the nervous system feels safe and regulated, the body is able to move into repair and restoration. When the body is under chronic stress, however, longer fasting windows can increase cortisol and place additional strain on the system.
This is why fasting should always be adapted to your physiology and current life phase.
Fasting rhythms I personally work with
• Gentle overnight fasting (12–14 hours)
This is the rhythm I most often practice and recommend to clients. For example finishing dinner around 8pm and eating breakfast between 9–10am. This supports digestion, circadian rhythms and blood sugar balance while remaining gentle on the nervous system.
• Occasional longer fasting windows
Sometimes I will extend fasting to around 16 hours. This can support cellular repair processes such as autophagy. However, I do not practice this daily and often find that women benefit from using longer fasting windows more occasionally rather than consistently.
• 24-hour fast
At times, depending on how the body feels, I may practice a 24-hour fast. When I do this I usually include mineral-rich broth to support hydration and adrenal function.
• New moon fasting
Fasting has also become a reflective or spiritual practice for me around the new moon. During this time I may do a 24-hour fast as a moment to pause, reflect, and set intentions. When digestion rests, the mind often becomes quieter and it can be easier to reconnect with inner rhythms.
Fasting and the nervous system
One of the most important aspects that is often overlooked is the relationship between fasting and the nervous system.
If the body is already under stress, longer fasting windows can increase cortisol levels and place additional strain on adrenal function. In these situations, fasting may feel depleting rather than supportive.
This is why I encourage people to approach fasting with curiosity rather than discipline.
Your body is always communicating with you.
If you give your body a rest from digesting:
Human growth hormone levels may increase
Insulin sensitivity can improve
Cellular repair processes such as autophagy can begin
Gene expression associated with longevity may be supported
But these benefits arise when the body feels safe — not when fasting becomes another stressor.
TIP 1
Be mindful not to push fasting beyond what your nervous system can tolerate. Going beyond 16 hours regularly can sometimes create unnecessary stress on the body and affect adrenal function and stomach acid production.
Fasting should support the body’s natural rhythms rather than override them.
TIP 2
Start slowly.
Reduce grazing throughout the day and aim for three balanced meals.
You might experiment with:
• a 12-hour overnight fast
• gradually extending to 14 hours
• occasionally exploring a longer fast if it feels supportive
Always check in with how your body responds and adjust accordingly.
Returning to rhythm
Ultimately, the goal is not to master fasting protocols or follow rigid nutritional rules. It is about learning to listen to the body again.
When we begin paying attention to our hunger signals, nervous system cues, and life cycles, our relationship with food naturally starts to change. What the body needs at 25 may be very different from what it needs in perimenopause or later in life. Honouring these shifts allows us to move with the body rather than against it.
In many ways, fasting becomes less about discipline and more about rhythm.
Inner Rewilding and metabolic reset
This philosophy is one of the foundations of the Inner Rewilding programme. Rather than focusing only on diet rules, we work with the body’s physiology, nervous system, and natural cycles to gently reset metabolism and restore balance.
It’s a process of reconnecting with the body’s intelligence — supporting digestion, regulating stress, and finding the rhythms that feel most supportive for where you are in your life right now.
If this resonates with you
If you feel your body might need a reset — whether with digestion, hormones, stress, or energy, you can explore this work further through the Inner Rewilding programme or begin with an initial naturopathic consultation.
Both are designed to help you reconnect with your body and begin restoring balance from the inside out.