French biochemist explains when you should avoid fasting; shares 3 golden rules if you do

A leading French biochemist reveals when fasting may do more harm than good—and shares three essential rules to follow for safe and effective fasting.(Image: Canva)

French biochemist Jesse Inchauspé, popularly known as the Glucose Goddess, often shares informative health videos on Instagram. In her latest reel, she offered her take on fasting and how it impacts the body when it’s already stressed. While fasting is common in India, especially during the festive season, it is important to learn when you should avoid it and what to keep in mind. This is particularly crucial for women of reproductive age.

Sharing her insights, Jesse said, “When it comes to females of reproductive age, it's important to remember that fasting is a stressor on the body.” She advised against fasting if you: “drink coffee, have a stressful job, have kids to take care of at home, do cardio and high-intensity interval training, go to saunas, do cold plunges, or maybe something is going on in your life that is stressing you out for x or y reason.”

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The French biochemist added that fasting is an extra stressor that may become overwhelming for the body. However, she said that if you do go ahead with fasting, there are three simple golden rules to follow and check in with:

• Break your fast with something savoury (nothing sweet except whole fruit) to make sure your glucose stays steady.

• Eat enough protein to maintain your muscle mass.

• Check in with your body every day to see how it feels. It should feel easy and make you feel better than you already do. If not, it might not be right for you at that time.

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A post shared by Jessie Inchauspé (@glucosegoddess)

There were conflicting responses to the post, especially regarding Jesse’s mention that she fasts when she is on vacation, a time when she is least stressed. A user wrote, “I would never fast on vacation… that’s for me to eat and drink whatever and whenever I want.”

Also read: Festive food guide: 7 smart eating hacks for a healthy festive season

Others agreed with her, with one sharing, “I stopped fasting when I realised it was doing more harm than good.” Many netizens said they felt better with fasting even when stressed. One wrote, “I love fasting. Between your hacks and Dr Mindy Pelz’s fasting book, I have lost 20 pounds. I feel great. Fasting takes stress away for me because I don’t have to worry about what I’m going to eat and counting calories.”