Fasting: The New Freeganism?

On a recent trip to Argentina, I got into a good conversation with a traveler from France who for the last 4 years eats only organic vegan and does intermittent fasting. That means he eats only organic vegan food within a roughly 6-hour window for the entire day, usually dinnertime, and then fasts for 18 hours.

He occasionally does a multi-day fast, lasting anywhere from 2 to 7 days. My interest was piqued; especially when he said he was an ultrarunner and daily runs at least a half marathon. He had just finished a half marathon run through the hills and up and down a mountain in 1 hour and 43 minutes (that’s really fast!). Given his credibility, I had to learn more about his lifestyle, and specifically fasting.

I picked his brain for a half-hour asking him about the benefits of fasting, why he does it, and all the little details. I followed that up with my own research and found that it has been shown to have several benefits:

• Linked to longer lifespan
• Improved mental functioning and clarity
• Enhanced immune system response (in fact, animals naturally fast when they get sick or injured to recover quicker)
• Triggers your body to burn stored ketones (fat) for energy
• Helps to “reset” your bodies metabolic functions
• Gain the confidence and freedom to do somethingdifficult and break any habit (like eating 3 meals a day)

My 3-day fast

I decided to start a 3-day fast the next day. I wanted to start right away, but I couldn’t waste the leftovers I had in the fridge.

How was it? Shockingly easy.

The first day I didn’t even think about food because I knew I was fasting so I was being mentally tough. The second day was easy in the morning and though I did get some cravings at night, it still wasn’t difficult. I was surviving and operating normally. The third day, I definitely felt a little bit more tired.  Maybe it was easy mentally knowing that I could get food whenever I wanted and I wasn’t stranded in the wild. Regardless, I think I could have gone several more days.

The feeling of hunger was always there but I wasn’t experiencing sharp hunger pangs. It was a steady, quiet hum. Food was on my mind a lot, and I noticed my sense of smell was greatly enhanced. Half the time, I wasn’t even thinking about food. Life carried on like normal, except that I wasn’t eating.

Interestingly, I had vivid dreams and no bowel movements. I didn’t notice myself getting significantly skinnier, although it’s hard to tell when you see yourself every day. Fasting saved me time and thought that I would normally put in to eating. And in the day since I’ve started eating again, I’ve noticed some hunger, but it feels less pronounced then it was before. I even thought, “I could easily get away with not eating dinner.” But then I thought, “Uncle Tommy made some vegan apple pie that I don’t want going to waste.”

Pump the brakes

My French friend explained that when fasting, it’s important not to exercise too strenuously or your body will convert protein to glucose for fuel. Staying closer to resting state will help your body burn ketones (fat). I kept it pretty easy overall, but still got a solid amount of walking in. I did run between connecting flights and biked to and from work on Day 3, where I noticed the hunger the most.

Personal Growth

What I liked most was the feeling of personal growth. By doing something outside of my comfort zone and feeling great, it raised my self-confidence. It was fun and I felt proud of myself for doing something new and “challenging.”

Dr. John McDougall, who I referenced in “Eating 20/20”, said that he frequently prescribes fasting as a safe and natural method for healing patients, sometimes up to 40 days, to cure chronic illness. Humans have actually been shown to be able to fast for up to 70 days. It’s a helpful survival mechanism.

Why don’t you hear about other doctors recommending this? There is no money in fasting. It requires nothing but water. No company is going to make money off of somebody fasting.

Why not try it?

The conversation with my new French friend was a reminder of the feelings I had when I first became vegan and stumbled my way into freeganism. Why don’t I try more things? If we are lucky, we have a long time on earth. What’s a couple of days, weeks, or months to try something new?

The same goes for veganism or freeganism. What would be the harm in eating vegan for a few weeks, dumpster diving a few times? Sure it might be hard at first, but at a minimum, you will learn something new, and at best you might adopt a positive lifestyle change. It’s exciting to try something new.

As for multi-day fasting, I don’t think I’ll keep it as apart of my regular routine. It felt good but not incredible enough for me to want to do it consistently. Eating a whole food, plant-based diet is a healthy lifestyle choice and I think it’s more important than fasting. However, I would consider fasting 2 or 3 times of year given its long-term benefits. Soon, I want to try a week or two of intermittent fasting, eating only within a 6 to 8-hour window. Why not?

Amusingly, it occurred to me that fasting is a form of freeganism. I loved this realization. Not eating yields an environmental and financial impact of zero. Maybe if I am unsuccessful in finding food, I can rely on fasting as an option to get me through to my next find. 

-Freddy