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How Fasting Can Boost Your Energy

Amy Shah
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How many times in the last week have you felt completed exhausted, at only 4pm?

 

For many of us, burnout has become a constant problem and we often feel tired all the time.

I am offering you a solution that can help you regain your lost energy and reclaim your life. I’ve developed this plan to transform my own life, and it’s helped thousands of my patients. I know it can do the same for you.

I’m sure you’re wondering: What was this plan that made me feel so good? The reset I developed — what I like to call the WTF plan, as in why the eff was I so tired? — is based on a few underlying factors. But here’s the short version: Our hormones, immune system, and gut are closely linked, and it’s very common for them to tip out of balance. The key to boosting your energy (and solving other health issues, to boot) is bringing these three systems back into balance.

One aspect of the WTF plan is to try my intermittent fasting technique. The following plan will give you the necessary tools to take control of your energy levels and change your health for the better.

The WTF plan combines my circadian fasting with healthy hormone-balancing and energy-pumping foods. This combination will align you with your internal clock and make your body work like a well-oiled machine — as nature intended. It will improve gut health, which will in turn balance out hormones and, more important, make your energy skyrocket. You will finally be able to take control of your personal health and wellness journey. The best part? I made all the mistakes and took all the wrong turns already, so you don’t have to experience all the challenges and pitfalls that I encountered!

While this program is not primarily used for weight loss, gut rest (if done correctly and regularly) will indeed change your body composition through loss of fat mass and weight as well as improve markers of disease that are associated with carrying excess weight, such as blood pressure and cholesterol levels. Another key reason intermittent

fasting works (in addition to the metabolic switching) is because it helps you reduce caloric intake. Your eating period is reduced to a smaller window, and you will be taking in less food and fewer calories as long as you stay on a healthy diet and do not overeat

during your eating window. It may take 1–3 months to start seeing weight loss, but you will definitely feel mentally and physically better even if you don’t see an immediate change on the scale.

TWO-WEEK CIRCADIAN FASTING

Ready to start your path to wellness? Over the next two weeks, you will do varying lengths of fasts, building up to the long fasts of 15–18 hours. The more you fast, the easier it gets… I promise. Please remember these are guidelines — if you need to shift the hours later or earlier to structure around your schedule, please do so, as long as you

are still following your circadian clock.

If you notice any negative hormonal imbalance symptoms, if you experience problems with your menstrual cycles, or if fasting triggers symptoms of an eating disorder, then stop immediately.

The Fast at a Glance

Week 1

Day 1 12 hours: 8 p.m. to 8 a.m.

Day 2 12 hours: 8 p.m. to 8 a.m.

Day 3 15 hours: 6 p.m. to 9 a.m.

Day 4 12 hours: 8 p.m. to 8 a.m.

Day 5 12 hours: 8 p.m. to 8 a.m.

Day 6 Free day!

Day 7 15 hours: 6 p.m. to 9 a.m.

 

Week 2

Day 8 12 hours: 8 p.m. to 8 a.m.

Day 9 12 hours: 8 p.m. to 8 a.m.

Day 10 15 hours: 6 p.m. to 9 a.m.

Day 11 12 hours: 8 p.m. to 8 a.m.

Day 12 12 hours: 8 p.m. to 8 a.m.

Day 13 Free day!

Day 14 16 hours: 6 p.m. to 10 a.m.

 

Snacks While Fasting

Just because you are lowering inflammation does not mean that you cannot have treats once in a while! If you get hungry during your fasting period, try to curb your hunger with water or non-caloric drinks like coffee or tea (in the morning, to avoid having caffeine too late in the day). If the hunger does not dissipate, then eat something that is 40 calories or less, such as:

  • ½ tablespoon of nut butter
  • Thin slice of avocado
  • Cup of herbal tea with a splash of almond milk
  • Glass of homemade lemonade with stevia (I liked to spice up mine with a pinch of cayenne pepper)

I try to stay away from any type of sugar, period, and in particular while fasting, but a little bit of stevia is okay as long as whatever you have is within the 40-calorie mark.

 

Snacks During the Eating Window

Of course, do not overindulge — one serving of snacks in a day should be plenty if you are eating enough at meals. Here are the snacks and treats to have when you are in your eating

window (not while fasting).

  • 10–15 dark chocolate chips
  • ½ cup of nuts
  • ½ cup hummus and carrots
  • Homemade smoothies (see recipes, pages 226, 230)
  • 2 tablespoons of peanut butter with celery
  • 2 cups air-popped popcorn, with some non-GMO olive oil
  • 2 cups fresh berries or watermelon
  • ¼–½ cup anti-inflammatory trail mix: blend equal amounts of coconut flakes, raw nuts, and dried goji berries
  • Chia seed pudding (see recipes, pages 224, 225)

I guarantee you will see change quickly when you follow the WTF plan: although there are 100 trillion bacteria in our gut, studies show that this crowded microbiome can change in as little as three days. However, real, long-lasting change takes more time, so while this is laid out in a two-week plan, this is not a quick fix — this is a lifetime plan. The longer you do it, the better you will feel. This is not about losing 10–20 pounds. This is about boosting your energy to live a better life. You want more energy for the rest of your life, right? This is your forever diet: a program that can keep you energized for 6 months, 3 years, 20 years, and more.