Why Intermittent Fasting May Be the Key to Better Health and Longevity
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In this episode of the Foundational Health Podcast, Dr. Kevin Schultz discusses the popular topic of intermittent fasting, exploring its numerous health benefits and how it can be effectively incorporated into daily routines. The discussion covers the potential of intermittent fasting to activate the body's anti-tumor immune system, improve muscle and bone health, reduce inflammation, enhance focus, energy, and sleep, and even aid in the prevention of Alzheimer's and diabetes.
Dr. Kevin provides a comprehensive guide on how to incorporate fasting into your life, with special insights for women at different life stages. If you’re curious about how intermittent fasting can help improve your health, or are just looking to learn more about the practice, this episode is a great place to start! Tune in to understand why fasting could be considered the greatest wonder drug ever discovered.
Get Started Intermittent Fasting Today!
Want to get started with healing your body through intermittent or extended fasting? Download Dr. Kevin’s Fasting Guide today!
Introduction: Fasting as the Body’s Wonder Drug
What if one of the most powerful healing tools was already built into your body — free, accessible, and available to everyone? That’s exactly what fasting offers. Far from being about starvation, fasting is about optimizing when you eat so your body can rest, repair, and thrive.
What Is Fasting in Simple Terms?
At its core, fasting just means taking a break from food so your body can catch up on other important jobs besides digestion. When you eat, your body spends hours breaking food down and storing energy. But when you pause eating for long enough, your body switches gears. Instead of running on quick sugar from meals, it starts burning stored fat for fuel. While this is happening, your cells go into repair mode called autophagy, cleaning up waste and recycling damaged parts.
In other words: eating gives your body fuel, but fasting gives your body time to restore, reset, and rebuild.
What Is Fasting Really About?
Fasting isn’t about depriving your body of food. It’s about giving your body time to heal. When you stop eating for a set period, your system shifts out of constant digestion and into restoration. This rest period allows your metabolism to reset, inflammation to calm down, and damaged cells to be cleared away.
There are two main approaches:
Intermittent Fasting (13–23 hours): Eating within a shorter daily window, such as the popular 16:8 method (16 hours fasting, 8 hours eating).
Extended Fasting (24–72 hours or more): Going beyond one day, often called “water fasting,” to trigger deeper levels of cellular repair and stem cell regeneration.
Both forms of fasting are safe for most people, and the benefits increase the longer you allow your body to rest .
The Timeline of Fasting Benefits
One of the most helpful ways to understand fasting is to look at what happens inside your body hour by hour. Dr. Schultz outlines a timeline that shows just how powerful fasting can be:
13–16 Hours: The Beginning of Transformation
Human Growth Hormone (HGH) increases, supporting muscle, bone, and brain health.
Inflammation decreases, reducing stress on tissues and joints.
Fat burning begins as glucose stores lower.
Ketones rise, providing clean brain fuel.
BDNF (Brain Derived Neurotrophic Factor) increases, sharpening focus, memory, and learning.
This stage is easily reached with a standard 16:8 intermittent fast, making it an accessible daily practice.
16–24 Hours: Deep Cellular Repair
Autophagy (cellular cleanup) activates, recycling damaged cells and toxins.
Immune system strengthens, improving defense against disease.
Blood pressure and cholesterol levels begin to normalize.
Insulin sensitivity improves, lowering risk of diabetes.
This stage is where fasting begins to extend beyond fat loss into true healing.
24–36 Hours: Gut and Brain Healing
Intestinal stem cells regenerate, repairing the gut lining.
GABA production rises, calming the nervous system and reducing anxiety.
Autoimmune healing begins, offering hope for those with chronic inflammation.
36–48 Hours: Detox and Anti-Aging
Glucose and insulin stores drop further, intensifying fat burning.
Detoxification increases, clearing cellular waste.
Antioxidant production rises, boosting anti-aging processes.
48–72 Hours: Peak Healing Mode
Dopamine receptors reset, aiding addiction recovery and mental resilience.
HGH surges up to 500%, unmatched by any therapy.
Autophagy peaks, maximizing cellular repair.
Stem cell regeneration expands to bone and muscle.
Accelerated healing of chronic conditions becomes possible, including cancer-supportive benefits.
This stage is not for daily life, but occasional extended fasts can provide extraordinary health breakthroughs.
Fasting for Women: A Hormone-Smart Approach
Fasting is just as powerful for women as it is for men, but hormone cycles change how the body responds. Dr. Schultz emphasizes aligning fasting with your unique biology .
Menstrual Cycle (28-day rhythm):
Days 1–10 (Estrogen building): Best window for any fasting — intermittent or extended.
Days 11–15 (Estrogen peak, progesterone begins): Shorter fasts (13–15 hrs) are ideal.
Days 16–19 (Progesterone dip): Any fasting style works well again.
Days 21–28 (Progesterone peak): Avoid fasting. Instead, nourish with complex carbs and healthy fats to support progesterone.
Perimenopause:
Cycles become irregular → listen to your body.
Signs of dryness = body needs estrogen → fasting helps.
Waking hungry = body needs progesterone → eat nutrient-dense carbs and fats.
Postmenopause:
Intermittent fasting can be practiced consistently.
Extended fasts (24–72 hrs) should be limited to once per quarter for best results.
For a more detailed female-specific fasting strategy, Dr. Schultz recommends Fast Like a Girl by Dr. Mindy Pelz.
Fasting for Kids: Is It Safe?
A common question is whether kids should fast. Dr. Schultz makes it clear: fasting is not dangerous for kids, but it should never be forced .
Ages 2–12: Follow their natural hunger cues. Don’t force meals, and don’t force fasting. If they’re not hungry in the morning, they don’t need breakfast just because it’s said that ‘breakfast is the most important meal of the day’.
Teens (13+): Teach them about the health benefits, but don’t frame fasting around body image or weight loss. Lead by example, and let them decide when to try it.
The key: educate, don’t enforce.
Actionable Takeaways About Fasting for Health
Dr. Schultz closed the episode with three simple but powerful steps:
Download the fasting guide and benefits timeline from blank link
Start with a 16:8 fasting window. Skip late-night snacks and push your first meal later in the morning.
Ladies — track your cycle. Align fasting with your hormones for the best results.
Build your foundation. Use NutriDyn’s Foundational Four supplements (multivitamin, spore-based probiotic, Omega-3, Vitamin D3/K2) to support health while fasting.
Lead by example. Show others the benefits of fasting through your own consistency and health gains.
Conclusion: Healing Through Simplicity
Fasting is not a fad — it’s a return to the body’s natural rhythm. By simply adjusting when you eat, you can unlock sharper focus, stronger metabolism, reduced inflammation, and deeper healing.
As Dr. Schultz reminds us:
“Success equals simple habits performed daily over time.”
Start small. Stay consistent. Let fasting become one of the simplest, most powerful tools on your journey to look better, feel better, and heal better.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Q: What is the best fasting method to start with?
A: The 16:8 intermittent fast is the easiest entry point and delivers noticeable benefits in energy, focus, and fat loss.
Q: How long should I fast for maximum benefits?
A: Benefits build over time: 13–16 hours for fat burning, 24–36 hours for gut healing, and 48–72 hours for peak autophagy and stem cell regeneration.
Q: Should women fast differently than men?
A: Yes. Women should align fasting with their menstrual cycle, avoid fasting during the progesterone peak (days 21–28), and adjust during perimenopause and postmenopause.
Q: Is fasting safe for kids?
A: Yes, when approached wisely. Don’t force fasting — follow kids’ natural hunger cues. For teens, focus on the health benefits, not body image.
Q: Do I need supplements while fasting?
A: Not required, but safe. Foundational support like a multivitamin, probiotic, omega-3, and vitamin D3/K2 can strengthen results.
