The Transformational Power of Food (and Fasting) for Mind, Body and Spirit

"Fasting is the greatest remedy — the physician within."

Paracelsus

Fasting, the voluntary renunciation and deliberate abstention from food for a specified period of time, has been practiced for centuries across various cultures and religions. Over the evolution millions of years our bodies have evolved to adapt and benefit from periods of lower food availability, tested during changing seasons, droughts, or other times of scarcity.

Periodic fasting can be part of your holistic wellness toolbox. It is a wonderful complement to an overall healthy lifestyle that embraces a balanced diet, regular exercise, low-toxins, and quality sleep.

In this blog, we'll explore the profound advantages of fasting for healers and self-healers and provide guidance on the best ways to start incorporating fasting into your life for greater energy and vitality.

"The less I needed, the better I felt."

“When the mouth is empty, the heart is full.”

Daoist proverb

Intuitive Eating

The idea that we should eat three meals a day—breakfast, lunch, and dinner—is largely a Western cultural and economic construct rather than a biological necessity. This pattern became popularized during the Industrial Revolution, when structured work hours required a predictable schedule for eating, and later reinforced by marketing from the food industry promoting breakfast cereals, lunch breaks, and family dinners as symbols of stability and health.

Over time, the “three meals a day” norm has became deeply ingrained in our lifestyle and culture, teaching us to eat by habit and social expectation rather than by the body’s actual needs or natural digestive cycles.

The downsides of eating three meals a day:

• Disrupts natural hunger cues: Eating on a schedule instead of by intuition can dull awareness of true hunger and fullness signals.

• Overtaxes digestion: Constant eating can prevent the digestive system from fully resting and repairing between meals.

• Blood sugar fluctuations: Frequent eating—especially carb-heavy meals—can lead to spikes and crashes in blood sugar, causing fatigue and cravings.

• Inhibits detoxification: The body’s natural cleansing and fat-burning processes work best during fasting periods, which are shortened by frequent meals.

• Promotes emotional eating: A rigid eating schedule can encourage eating out of habit, boredom, or social expectation rather than genuine nourishment.

• May contribute to inflammation and weight gain: When the body doesn’t have time to digest and reset, metabolism can slow and inflammatory markers can increas

Historically, however, humans ate more intuitively, guided by hunger, availability, and natural rhythms, rather than the clock. Intuitive eating is about becoming aware of what kind of meals we’re eating & how they affect our energy.  It's about tuning into the body and giving it space to rest, digest & regenerate~rather than constantly digesting heavy, dense foods that weigh us down.

Live, raw foods are light, so we may feel hunger return more often but it’s a clean, natural hunger~not a crash from heavy digestion or blood sugar imbalance.

On the other hand, dense, heavy foods require much more energy to digest & leave behind acidic waste that weighs down the system, clogs elimination & drains our Qi (life force). These foods are also acid-forming, which promotes inflammation & dis-ease.

Find a rhythm that works for you. That may look like two or three light, raw meals per day, one large meal a day, or fasting.

The Wisdom of Ancient Medicine

Fasting has long been practiced across cultures and traditions—not as a punishment or deprivation, but as a pathway to purification, clarity, and renewal.

Fasting has been practiced across many cultures and religions for millennia, often serving spiritual, health, or social purposes.

• Ramadan (Islamic Fast): Muslims fast from dawn until sunset for a month, abstaining from food, drink, smoking, and sexual activity to promote spiritual reflection, self-discipline, and empathy for the less fortunate.

• Yom Kippur (Jewish Fast): 25-hour fast from food and drink. , focusing on repentance and spiritual cleansing.

• Lent (Christian Fast): Abstaining from certain foods like meat, dairy, and sometimes fasting on specific days, symbolizing penance and preparation.

• Buddhist Fasting: Refraining from eating after noon each day, aimed at reducing attachment and promoting mindfulness.

• Greek and Roman Fasts: Philosophers like Pythagoras and Hippocrates advocated fasting to cleanse the body and improve mental clarity.

• Ayurvedic Fasting (India): Abstaining from certain foods or meals to balance bodily doshas and promote healing.

  
  

From the perspective of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), Daoist philosophy, and modern science, fasting can harmonize the body, quiet the mind, and elevate the spirit when approached with mindfulness and moderation.

In Traditional Chinese Medicine, the Spleen and Stomach govern digestion—the alchemical center that transforms food and drink into Qi (vital energy) and Blood. When these organs function smoothly, vitality and clarity flow through every part of the body.

Overeating, consuming heavy or processed foods, or eating at irregular times can weaken the Spleen, creating “dampness” or “phlegm”—energetic stagnation that clouds both body and mind.

Mindful fasting or light eating, especially during seasonal transitions, offers a gentle way to give the digestive system a rest. This allows Qi to circulate freely again, restoring harmony and resilience.

Yet, TCM emphasizes balance above all. Prolonged or extreme fasting can deplete Yin and Qi, leaving the body weak and ungrounded. The key is to fast in rhythm with your body’s natural cycles—never against them.

"The most powerful control we can ever attain is to be in control of ourselves."

Chris Page

A Practice in Simplicity

In ancient Daoist practice, fasting was known as 辟谷 (bì gǔ)—literally, “avoiding grains.” More than a dietary ritual, it was a sacred act of refining energy and consciousness. Grains were thought to tether the spirit to earthly needs, so abstaining from them lightened the body and elevated awareness, allowing practitioners to connect more deeply with the Dao—the natural, universal flow of life.

Through fasting, Daoists sought to quiet desires, simplify existence, and cultivate inner alchemy—the transformation of dense physical energy into subtle spiritual energy. It became a living expression of Wu Wei (无为), or effortless action, trusting the body’s intelligence to restore itself.

At its core, fasting is a return to simplicity and alignment with the body’s natural intelligence and the quiet wisdom of the spirit. Nourishment is found not only in food, but also in stillness, breath, and harmony with nature. When practiced intentionally, fasting becomes a sacred dialogue between body and soul—a way to restore balance and flow.

True fasting isn’t limited to food—it can involve conscious breaks from anything that clouds your energy:

• Technology or social media to restore mental peace

• Music or noise to reconnect with silence

• Toxic relationships or environments to reclaim your energy

Every fast—physical, digital, or emotional—can be spiritual when done to deepen connection with your true self and the Divine.

Hunger is the first element of self-discipline. If you can control what you eat and drink you can control everything else in your life.

“When the Stomach rests, the Spirit renews.”

 Traditional Chinese Saying

Living with the Seasons

TCM teaches that health depends on aligning with the rhythm of the seasons. Each season governs an organ system and elemental energy that can be supported through diet and fasting:

• Spring (Wood Element): A light fast supports the Liver, helping to release stagnation and usher in renewal.

• Late Summer (Earth Element): A simple diet or digestive rest nourishes the Spleen and stabilizes energy.

• Winter (Water Element): Fasting should be minimal—this is the season for conserving Yin and essence, not depleting it.

This cyclical awareness ensures fasting becomes an act of harmony, not force—a way to flow with nature rather than against it.

Your body follows an energetic clock, with each organ having a two-hour window of peak function. Eating in sync with this rhythm enhances digestion and energy flow:

• Morning (7–11 a.m.) — Stomach & Spleen: Light, warm foods like porridge or fruit awaken digestion.

• Afternoon (11 a.m.–3 p.m.) — Heart & Small Intestine: The best time for your main meal; metabolism is strongest.

• Evening (5–9 p.m.) — Kidneys & Liver: Choose light, cooked meals; avoid heavy, late-night eating.

When you eat in harmony with this rhythm, your body works with you—not against you.

"The best of all medicines is resting and fasting."

Benjamin Franklin

"Fasting is the first principle of medicine; fast and see the strength of the Spirit reveal itself."

Rumi

The Benefits of Fasting

Fasting offers holistic benefits by supporting physical detoxification, enhancing mental clarity, cultivating emotional resilience, and deepening spiritual awareness, creating a balanced alignment of body, mind, and spirit.

Spiritual & Emotional Benefits

At its core, fasting is a practice of simplification and reconnection. It quiets the noise of constant consumption and restores sensitivity to subtle energies, making it less about restriction and more about returning to your natural rhythm.

1. Mindfulness: Heightened Awareness of Mind-Body Connection

2. Spiritual Growth: Spiritual Clarity and Energetic Cleansing

3. Personal Mastery: Self-Regulation, Self-Discipline, Personal Resilience

4. Minimalism: Practicing Simplicity / Lifestyle Alignment

Fasting parallels the Stoic path of self-mastery, cultivating resilience, clarity, and simplicity in a world of excess. Approached with intention, fasting becomes an act of devotion—an embodied meditation that transforms hunger into wisdom.

Fasting shifts the body into "rest and repair" mode, restoring balance from the inside out.

Physical Benefits

Modern science has confirmed what ancient healers intuited: fasting activates profound regenerative mechanisms in the body. After 12–24 hours of fasting, cells begin a process called autophagy—literally “self-eating”—in which they recycle damaged components, remove toxins, and renew themselves.

This “cellular spring cleaning” supports:

• Weight loss & metabolic health: stabilizing insulin, burning fat, and building lean muscle.

• Longevity: slowing cellular aging and reducing risk of chronic disease.

• Brain health: enhancing clarity and protecting against Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s.

• Immunity: regenerating white blood cells and supporting stem cell production.

Fasting isn’t just about weight loss—it’s about longevity, cellular repair, and disease prevention. Intermittent fasting actives ayour bodies natural clean up crew which removes damaged or aging cells and replaces them with healtheir ones.

Fasting Safely & Mindfully

Fasting should always honor the body’s limits. The goal is not perfection—it’s presence.

• Consult a healthcare professional before beginning, especially if you have medical conditions or take medication.

• Stay hydrated with water, herbal teas, or mineral-rich broths.

• Break your fast gently—start with soups, fruits, or steamed vegetables.

• Listen to your body. Fatigue, dizziness, or anxiety are signals to rest or reintroduce food.

• Honor feminine rhythms and cycles: Aligning fasting with the menstrual cycle can support hormonal balance and energy flow. By respecting your body’s natural rhythms, fasting becomes a practice of self-honoring rather than depletion.

  • Days 1–10 (Menstruation): 16–24-hour fasts; nourish with leafy greens, nuts, and berries.

  • Days 10–15 (Ovulation): 15-hour fasts; include liver-supportive foods like turmeric and lemon.

  • Days 16–19 (Early Luteal): 24–36-hour fasts; focus on clean, low-glycemic meals.

  • Days 20–28 (Late Luteal): 8–12-hour fasts; enjoy grounding foods like sweet potatoes, grains, and citrus.

Fasting is the forgotten cure, Nature's secret to longevity.

The Frequency of Food

A healthy human body typically vibrates between 62–78 Hz, influenced by food, lifestyle choices, thoughts, emotions, and the environment. We can raise our frequency by nourishing our body, mind, and spirit through proper nutrition, exercise, meditation, positive thinking, kindness, and time in nature. A clean body creates a clearer mind, stronger connection to Spirit, and a more magnetic presence in the world.

High/Mid-Frequency Foods: clean, fresh, whole, unprocessed, pure, organic

Fresh, whole, minimally processed foods help you feel vibrant, radiant, and aligned. Even small steps—choosing seasonal fruits, visiting a farmers market, or preparing homemade meals—support your health and energy.

• Sun-ripened fruits, freshly squeezed juices

• Raw vegetables, sprouts

• Nuts, seeds, olives

• Legumes

• Herbs and spices

• Fermented foods (kimchi, sauerkraut, kefir, tempeh)

• Root vegetables (sweet potato, ginger, turmeric, ginseng)

• Lightly cooked vegetables

• Raw honey, raw cacao

• Sugar cane, wine

Low-Frequency Foods: processed, packaged, modified

• Coffee, tea, alcohol

• Candy, chocolate, refined sugar

• Deep-fried foods

• Refined carbohydrates: white bread, pizza, bleached flour, pastry

• Dairy: Cheese, margarine, lard, meats

• Canned or preserved foods, ready-made meals, fast food

Hexagram 27 in I Ching reminds us to nourish both body and spirit. Be mindful of what you consume physically, mentally, and emotionally. Moderation, awareness, and care allow your vessel to function at its highest potential.

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"The body is your temple. Keep it pure and clean for the soul to reside in."

B.K.S. Iyengar

Final Thought

Fasting, when done correctly and for the right reasons, is a transformational process. You become aware of how habitual the act of eating has become - that you may have been eating for pleasure or habit, not hunger. Intentional deprivation exposes you to the pain or wounds you may be masking by staying busy. This is where true healing starts -physically, emotionally, mentally and spiritually.

Fasting is not about deprivation—it’s about devotion. It’s an opportunity to rest, reset, and remember who you truly are beneath the noise of constant consumption.

When approached with reverence, fasting unites science, spirit, and self-awareness into one timeless practice of renewal.

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Erin is a certified feng shui consultant, energy healer, wellness coach and holistic growth strategist.

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