Fasting as a Spiritual and Physical Practice: What Women Over 35 Should Know
I’ve always been someone who prefers to eat immediately upon waking. I believe both my brother and I were like that all through our childhood.
My husband, on the other hand, can go almost the entire day without eating. Not only is he unbothered by it but either won't notice or actually prefers it that way. On occasion, he'll have breakfast about mid-morning, but it's rarely a priority.
As I've been rediscovering my Catholic faith, I realize that fasting has never been part of my lived faith. As a kid, I remember having donuts in the rectory after Mass. Then we’d go out to brunch with my grandfather. Food was part of fellowship, abstinence was not.
Now, fasting and intermittent fasting are buzzy terms for wellness brands, often marketed for weight loss or metabolic health. There’s rarely mention of spiritual roots.
This begs the question: what is the spirituality in fasting and are there health benefits for women?
The Spiritual Meaning of Fasting
In our world of constant consumption, we are almost always responding to body-first demands. Soul care is postponed at best, avoided at worst.
We live in a world of 24 hour availability. Food, artificial light, entertainment, and world news are available at our fingertips in a constant stream.
By abstaining and feeling hunger, we're met with uncomfortable revelation. We very quickly (how soon does your stomach growl?!) realize how our earthly needs are usually prioritized. In the words of Michael Kelly, we realize “how truly weak, fragile, and dependent we are.”
There’s humility in hunger.
Fasting shifts our attention. It creates space. It reminds us that we are not sustained solely by consumption.
Are There Physical Benefits to Fasting?
I heard someone say that they love when modern science catches up to what the Bible has said for thousands of years.
Christian Orthodox fasting:
This study specifically looked at post-menopausal women in Greece who practiced Christian Orthodox fasting for years, decades even.
The fasting women had higher hip circumference (see more on hip to waist ratio here). They consumed similar macronutrients, except fasters consumed overall less fat and less omega-6.
The fasting women had:
Lower diastolic blood pressure (bottom number)
Higher fat-free mass
Lower blood glucose
Lower cholesterol, including triglycerides
Lower rates of metabolic syndrome
Metabolic syndrome is a combination of:
elevated glucose
cholesterol
waist circumference
blood pressure
Some of their fasting periods are quite long, sometimes week-long or 40 day long fasts. In Christian Orthodox Church, fasting can mean avoiding meat, eggs, dairy and wine rather than not eating at all.
This wasn’t a protocol that lasted two weeks or a month. This is a deeply ingrained religious practice that happens to have health benefits, as shown in the results.
Intermittent & Alternate-Day Fasting:
These are two frequently-studied methods of fasting.
Intermittent = some form of time-restricted eating. Most commonly 16 hours of fasting + 8 hours of eating in a 24 hour span. This originates from a study in mice
Alternate Day = alternating regular eating days with restricted eating days
In this study of overweight or obese adults with pre-diabetes, both fasting groups had reduced:
Body weight
BMI (body mass index)
Waist circumference
Fasting blood glucose
These were more pronounced in the alternate day fasting group.
However, this was a three week study rather than a long-term ingrained practice.
What Happens in the Body During a Fast?
You will see oversimplified diagrams of bodily functions that change by the hour during a fast: insulin decreases, fasting glucose decreases, autophagy kicks in and fat loss starts. These may be true mechanisms, but oversimplifications doesn’t help most women.
Sometimes we generalize based on research but understand that each person is an individual. Sleep, stress, life stage and health history all shape the response.
Is There a “Right” Fasting Protocol?
We live in a time when protocols sell. Systems, frameworks, and methods promise clarity and fast results.
The truth is, women's bodies are just not that simple, particularly after age 35. We should revel in this fact.
I don't think there is one fasting protocol, number of hours, number of days per month that can be universally recommended. While this may be frustrating, it's also freeing.
Fasting in Catholic Tradition
For Catholics, fasting days are Ash Wednesday and Good Friday.
As a secondary method of fasting, abstaining from meat is a Catholic practice on Ash Wednesday and all Fridays during Lent. The common substitute is fish, hence the fish Fridays during Lent.
This practice orients us to placing the soul before the body.
Should Every Woman Fast?
Spiritually, fasting has a place for every Catholic or Christian woman, though this will look different for everyone. For some this will involve abstaining from food. As Michael Kelly reminds us, we can also abstain from T.V., social media, swearing, or other habits that keep us from holiness.
As for physical benefits, many women can benefit from a fasting practice.
Fasting may not be appropriate for women who:
Currently struggle with disordered eating
Are prone to or have a history of disordered eating
Are underweight
As a gentle, practical starting point: avoid consumption during dark hours. This will vary by season and location. The circadian rhythm of the body and its functions will be more aligned with fasting during dark hours.
I struggle with this when I'm on call. Night shift workers may struggle with this. Then again, night and swing shift workers have increased health risks that may be due to disrupting the body's natural rhythm.
Final Thought
Fasting can be an enriching spiritual and physical practice. It can shift our attention from earthly demands to soul-deep listening.
Resources:
Some of the information contained in this article is the result of my training, medical knowledge, and personal experience without a specific source to be cited.
The author can earn commissions through affiliate links.
Disclaimer: This is not medical advice. This is for educational purposes only. Discuss with your doctor.
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10255397/
https://www.bmj.com/content/355/bmj.i5210.long