Fasting doesn't just have positive effects on our body, but on our mind too. After all, whatever we do begins and ends in our head, with our thoughts and decisions. So a lot goes on in our heads while we fast. We explain what you can expect for your mood and mental wellbeing during your fast, and which positive mental effects you can keep benefiting from after fasting.
Discover our juice cleanse now!
What happens in the brain when you fast?
Fasting affects not only your body but also your brain in many ways. During this time your body releases messengers such as endorphins, dopamine and serotonin. These chemicals, often called happiness hormones, play a major part in how you feel. That means you may notice a clear improvement in your mood while fasting.
Is fasting stress for the body?
Basically, going without food is a form of stress for the body, as it reacts to the changed energy supply. The stress hormones cortisol, noradrenaline and adrenaline are released. However, it's important to stress that this stress is usually not negative and can be seen as an adaptive response of the body. While fasting, the body adapts to the reduced nutrient intake by switching its metabolic processes and using the energy reserves it already has. Your body first uses the glycogen stored in the muscles and liver, then proteins, and after that body fat as your long-term store. Help your body get into ketosis, that is, fat metabolism, faster by staying active during your fast, which also helps prevent muscle loss.
How happiness hormones help you while fasting
The increased release of serotonin in particular can make you experience sensory impressions more intensely and make your thoughts clearer, which ultimately also improves your concentration and helps you to deal with fasting side effects. Overall you feel fitter and happier and have more energy. The increased release of dopamine also means you respond better to reward mechanisms - so it's easier to stay motivated and push through unloved tasks like housework or exercise.
Discover intermittent fasting now!
A calmer everyday life through fasting
In our previous blog post "What does fasting actually do?" you already learned that your blood pressure and heart rate drop while fasting. This helps you find more calm. You approach everyday life in a more relaxed, quieter way. You also no longer have to worry about food: When do I eat? What do I eat? Do I still need to go shopping? This also means more time you can invest in yourself, and you can devote yourself to things you normally don't have time for and treat yourself to a bit of me-time (find out here how to make the best use of your me-time).
Discover our soup cleanse now!
Fasting also changes how you perceive your surroundings. By consciously choosing to go without food, you sharpen your senses and develop a more intense connection with your body. Reducing outside distractions, especially around eating, lets you focus more on your inner sensations and needs. This can lead to a heightened awareness of your physical and emotional states, which in turn leads to deeper self-reflection and mindfulness. Thanks to this increased sensitivity to yourself, you may also develop a better ability to let go of stress and find your inner calm while fasting. So you see, fasting can help not only your body get back on track, but also your inner self.
More taste through fasting
During your juice cleanse you don't eat any solid food. Some people choose to drink only water and tea, others turn to vegetable broth and soups. Juices, tea and soups all have a natural, mild taste that doesn't change during the fasting phase. On top of that, you skip refined sugar, flavour enhancers and excess fat, which your taste buds get used to over time. By giving your body a break from constant eating, your brain gets the chance to recover from constant overstimulation.
After fasting you respond much more intensely to sweetness, sourness and the like. That applies to the taste, the texture and the smell of food. You also eat more mindfully and can concentrate better on your meal. You eat more slowly and have a better feeling for when fullness sets in. It's also easier to recognise food cravings for what they are and ignore them, and you eat only when you're really hungry.
A sense of achievement after your fast
The mental benefits of fasting last after the cleanse too. You can be incredibly proud of yourself and your perseverance. You reached your fasting goal. Even if it wasn't always easy, you stayed strong and focused on the positive things. With this feeling and this knowledge your self-esteem grows too, because you achieved something, and without outside help.
You may notice that your attitude towards food and health has changed. By consciously going without food, you've developed a new awareness of your body's signals. You've become more mindful of what you eat and how it affects your body. This heightened awareness can help you live more healthily in the long term and motivate you to make even more positive changes in your life. By taking control of your diet, you strengthen not only your body but also your mind and your self-determination.
Discover our juice cleanse now!
Conclusion - the effects of fasting on the mind
To sum up, fasting offers numerous mental benefits as well as physical ones. Thanks to the release of happiness hormones like serotonin, you experience a better mood and emotional wellbeing while fasting. A fast also leads to a calmer everyday life and more mindfulness. On top of that, you can perceive flavours much more intensely after your fast. And last but not least, successfully seeing a fast through gives you a feeling of pride and success that will stay with you after your fasting time is over..
