Easy Detox Rules: How Fasting Benefits Your Skin And Body

As spring approaches, it’s an excellent time to reassess your habits and implement any lifestyle changes you want to make. If you’ve ever considered intermittent fasting, we think now is a good time to start.

We know that most people make their resolutions in January – but by springtime, the pressure’s off and you’re more likely to be in a better headspace to try something new. Plus, the festive period is long gone and there’s less chocolate around to distract you.

Intermittent fasting has a multitude of benefits for your body. And as we’ve discovered, also for your skin. But if you’ve always been on the fence about it, we’ve come across a new way to do it that’s far less intimidating.

What’s the best way to fast?

Always thought fasting was too restrictive for you? We understand that. But functional medicine expert and author Dr. Will Cole’s recently published Intuitive Fasting made us think again.

In the book, Dr. Cole discusses a more gentle and flexible approach to fasting. “Before drive-throughs and packaged foods, humans naturally went longer periods without eating and focused on longer, sit-down meals where they ate until they were fully satisfied. Intuitive Fasting is about reconnecting with those days,” he writes in a blog post.

Instead of following a predetermined meal plan of three meals a day (plus a snack or two), the book recommends listening to your body and eating only when you’re hungry. In addition, it discusses the concept of metabolic flexibility – the body’s ability to function at optimal capacity, no matter when you’ve last eaten. To help with this, the book includes a four-week flexible fasting plan, a maintenance plan as well as 65 healthy recipes.

The benefits of fasting

“Fasting is about way more than weight loss,” Dr. Cole writes on his blog. “If you think about fasting the way I do, weight loss isn’t even centre stage when it comes to fasting’s benefits. It doesn’t have to be on stage at all.”

Dr. Cole explains that some of the benefits of fasting include improved digestion, better brain health, blood sugar control, mood control and a healthier heart. It can also help restore gut health by giving your gut some much-needed rest and regulating your microbiome.

Beauty Daily recommends: Want to give your digestive system a break? Another way to do it is through a juice cleanse. We love the Plenish juices – they offer three different levels of cleanses to choose from, delivered straight to your door.

How food and fasting affect your skin

Your skin is the largest organ of your body – and everything you eat impacts it. So along with its various benefits for your body’s health, fasting will also affect the appearance of your skin.

Although all fasting does not have to always be about calorie restriction, a 2019 study suggests that “caloric restriction without deficiency of essential nutrients has been linked to enhancement of lifespan and decreased ageing.”

There is also evidence that backs the benefits of fasting in anxiety and stress management. That’s always great news for your skin. Stress can be detrimental to your skin’s health on various levels. Studies have shown that it can impair barrier function, increase inflammation and slow down wound healing.

Similarly, there is also evidence that suggests a strong link between gut health and skin health. And as fasting is known to help regulate your gut microbiome, this may, in turn, help your skin too.

Lastly, fasting also helps regulate sugar cravings (no more snacking on chocolate!) – and excess sugar can lead to everything from loss of collagen and weakened elastin to fine lines and acne.

Read: Here’s what eating too much sugar does to your skin

In general, it’s important to ensure that your diet is rich in antioxidants, vitamins and minerals. Vitamins A, B2, B3, B6, C, D, E, zinc and selenium are known for their uses in maintaining skin health.

Also, remember that fasting isn’t for everyone. Consult your doctor before trying a new diet, especially if you suffer from a chronic medical condition or have a history of disordered eating.

Next read: The Health & Wellness Trends To Look Out For This Year