I love fasting and it has done me a ton of good in the past, then after having a baby at the start of covid I wanted to wait til I finished breastfeeding before starting again. Weaned her around May this year.
I’ve been stalling for a while now at returning to it, willpower really, and sleep deprivation which weakens my will. Managed about a month in late summer then not sure what happened.
I’ve been psyching myself out a bit over cortisol. I have a history of adrenal fatigue. Due to stressful life circumstances but also just being an over-thinker.
Have heard a major criticism of fasting being that it increases cortisol which is really not what I need.
Basically what I’m wanting to hear is that either that’s not true, or that it is but that the benefits of fasting somehow counter it or more than counter it. But obviously the truth prevails so please hit me with facts.
Fasting is honestly the best way I know how to be healthy and moderate myself (with regards to food and all other areas of my life) so I’d really like to get this niggle out of my head and have one less rubbish excuse to sort it out!
I don’t know how to proceed either. I did ADF and my cortisol was off the charts. So much so I was doing damage to my body.
- High HS-CRP
- Super high cholesterol
So I have been doing ADF with about 300 calories on the fast day. But I am not losing.
I have struggled with higher cortisol since going into perimenopause. I haven’t noticed it being worse with fasting, but I’ve had no tests to back that up. I have great results using an OTC cortisol manager though. I use the Integrative Theraputics one from Amazon. Hope you find something that works for you.