The Healing Power of a Longer Fast: My 48-hour Experience
- Sep 23
- 4 min read
Updated: Oct 7
I recently completed a 48-hour fast because I wanted to experience the healing benefits of giving my body a true break and share the experience in real time with my clients in our 3-Month Hunger Hormone Reset Program. What I discovered wasn’t just physical lightness — it was hormonal balance, clarity, and an incredible sense of freedom.
Here's what happens in the body during a longer fast, why it matters for your hormones, and how you can start experiencing the benefits yourself.
Understanding the Benefits of Fasting
Fasting is more than just abstaining from food. It’s a powerful tool for healing and rejuvenation. Many people overlook its potential benefits. Here, we will explore why fasting can be a game-changer for your health.
The Healing Power of Fasting
When you fast, your body undergoes significant changes. These changes can lead to improved health outcomes. Fasting allows your body to focus on repair and regeneration. This process can enhance your overall well-being.
The Importance of Hormonal Balance
Hormones play a crucial role in our health. They regulate everything from metabolism to mood. When hormones are out of balance, it can lead to various health issues. Fasting can help restore this balance, making it an essential practice for many.
Fuel Sources: Glucose vs. Fat
Our bodies run on two main fuels: glucose (from carbohydrates in food) and fat (stored energy). When we eat constantly throughout the day, especially without spacing meals 3–4 hours apart, our body is flooded with glucose. The excess is first stored in the liver as glycogen, and when those stores are full, it’s converted into body fat.
Over time, this leads to weight gain, fatty liver, and metabolic issues. Hormones like insulin — the body’s fat-storage hormone — are pushed into overdrive. The result? Exhaustion, bloating, sluggish digestion, high cholesterol, and even insulin resistance.
But fasting changes the story. By pausing food intake, you give your body the chance to rest, repair, and restore — instead of constantly digesting and storing.
What Happens During a 48-Hour Fast
The body adapts intuitively when food isn’t available. Here’s what happens in three stages:
Last Meal (0–6 hours)
Insulin rises to handle incoming food.
Glucose is used for energy, and excess is stored as glycogen in the liver.
6–24 Hours
Insulin levels fall.
The liver releases glycogen to keep the body fueled.
This is often the toughest part of a fast because glycogen is running low.
24–48 Hours
The liver begins gluconeogenesis, creating glucose from amino acids.
The body shifts into fat-burning mode, tapping into its freezer storage (body fat) for fuel.
Autophagy (cellular self-repair) kicks in, but only if you’re fasting clean (no amino acids from broth or supplements, like creatine).
During my 48-hour fast, I tracked my glucose with a Continuous Glucose Monitor (CGM). My levels stayed steady and within a healthy range, confirming my body was making the switch to fat-burning efficiently. That stability gave me the confidence to continue — and it felt incredible.
Hormones at Work: Why Fasting Heals
Here’s the real magic: fasting naturally balances hormones.
Insulin: Extended breaks from food allow insulin levels to fall, reversing insulin resistance and making your body more sensitive again.
Growth Hormone: Increases during fasting, supporting muscle preservation and fat burning.
Ghrelin (the hunger hormone): Over time, fasting helps regulate ghrelin so cravings subside.
Sex hormones: For women in perimenopause, improved insulin balance reduces hot flashes, night sweats, and hormonal fluctuations. (source)
Studies back this up:
Alternate-day fasting reduced insulin levels by nearly 57% in one trial. (source)
Long-term evidence shows fasting improves insulin sensitivity — knowledge we’ve had for decades. (source)
Newer research reveals that women with higher fasting insulin during perimenopause had more severe hot flashes, longer duration of symptoms, and higher testosterone levels. (source)
And in a 2023 study of 1,690 perimenopausal women, researchers found that prediabetes significantly increased the risk of fractures. Since fasting has been shown to lower prediabetes risk by improving insulin sensitivity, it may also help protect women’s bone health during this life stage. Personally, I’d rather take a proactive step now to manage my glucose and protect my bones, rather than wait for a fracture to happen later. (source)
In other words, when you balance insulin, other hormones fall back into line too.
My Personal Takeaways
Fasting gave me:
Steady, calm energy (no dips, no spikes).
A peaceful, clear mind.
A lighter and stronger body.
Appetite suppression even days after the fast.
The feeling of metabolic freedom — not needing food every few hours to keep going. I even worked out during my 48-hour fast because I felt good.
When I broke my fast gently with veggie broth, tofu, and greens (which I had prepared ahead of time), my glucose stayed steady, and I kept that light, balanced, and nourished feeling for days.
How to Get Started with Fasting
If 48 hours sounds intimidating, don’t worry. Start simple:
Try a 12-hour overnight fast by finishing dinner at 8 PM and waiting until 8 AM for breakfast.
Once comfortable, experiment with 14–16 hours.
Build from there if it feels good and aligns with your health goals.
Your body is intuitively designed to handle periods without food — and it will thank you with renewed energy, improved hormone balance, and a stronger metabolism.
Ready to Reset Your Hunger Hormones?
If this sparked curiosity, imagine the transformation with 3 months of guided support. That’s exactly what my Hunger Hormone Reset program is designed for — helping women balance hormones, quiet food noise, improve metabolic health, all in alignment with their intuitive nourishment and their preferred fasting window.
Inside, you’ll also get exclusive access to a masterclass on Intuitive Intermittent Fasting (included at no extra cost), plus resources, coaching, and support so you don’t have to figure it out alone.
Join me and other women inside the 3-Month Hunger Hormone Reset Program and give your body the reset it’s craving.
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