Since Christ instituted the Catholic Church, Catholics have proudly advocated for understanding the complementary differences between men and women. Pope St. John Paul II’s exploration of the theology of the body is just one example from the modern era.
However, as more science comes forward to deepen our knowledge of our biological differences, questions arise regarding how men and women can or should live out the Faith. One example that recently came to mind is fasting. While men and women have generally approached fasting in the same way — excepting pregnant and nursing women — is there evidence to show that fasting affects a woman’s health in different ways, which should be considered?
Why I’m interested in fasting
At the beginning of February, my husband and I attended a local Theology on Tap talk for young adults in our diocese. The topic was fasting and feasting, and I expected it to be like any other approach to fasting that I’ve heard as a born-and-raised Catholic.
Instead, I left convicted that a fasting lifestyle can be of great benefit in our modern culture — a way to tap into the eating patterns of our forebearers while reaping the faith benefits that our Catholic faith teaches. The speaker, a local priest, explained that for most of human history, people were metabolically flexible based on forced and chosen seasons of fasting: food scarcity and Christian observance of fasts. Contrary to that history, we largely live in a world of food abundance and a Catholic culture that has grown soft regarding what fasting looks like: only two days of mandatory fasting every year. Additionally, Lenten Fridays have become a luxury with fish fries available at local parishes. Not exactly penitential.
But one question — a question voiced at the end of the talk by another woman — latched onto my heart: Is fasting different for women? As a woman with my own history of health and hormonal issues — weight gain, polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS), a short struggle to conceive (which was helped through modern medicine), and low progesterone supply before and during pregnancy — I wanted an answer. Are our hormones so messed up due to our standard American diet and toxic overload that fasting would only put our bodies under further stress, thus exacerbating our many issues? Or — could this be a solution to countless problems so many women face?
I set out to find an answer.
Are our hormones so messed up due to our standard American diet and toxic overload that fasting would only put our bodies under further stress, thus exacerbating our many issues? Or — could this be a solution to countless problems so many women face?
The health benefits of fasting
As Catholics, we are supposed to fast. When Jesus spoke to his followers, he told them, “When you fast …,” not “if” (Matthew 6:16). Yet, we’ve mostly lost this command, choosing comfort instead.
Throughout his talk, the priest referenced one book repeatedly: “Eat, Fast, Feast: Heal Your Body While Feeding Your Soul — A Christian Guide to Fasting” by Jay W. Richards, a research assistant professor in the Busch School of Business at the Catholic University of America. In his book, Richards challenges the misguided notion that fasting should only be for spiritual reasons and not physical. “This makes no sense,” he argues. “If we are unities of body and soul, of the dust of the earth and the breath of God, then we should assume that if fasting is good for us, then it’s good for us overall — body, mind, and soul.”
So, what’s the basic science behind fasting? In short, our body runs off of two sources of fuel: glucose and fat. When you eat more glucose — think of our high-carb diet — your body turns it into fat, which it can burn at a later date when food and glucose become scarce. However, in our modern age, food rarely becomes scarce, so we build up too much fat, spiraling into countless other problems. On the other hand, by depriving yourself of food for a longer period of time, your body is able to start burning fat in the form of ketones. Thus the magic begins, allowing your body to heal itself from the inside out.
Richards’ book was very convincing, weaving the spiritual aspects into the physical ways to make fasting easier. While he does map out a fasting plan that can be used over a six-week cycle — think of Lent — and shares how eating a ketogenic diet is important to retrain your body to not rely on carbs as the main source of your energy, Richards makes one thing clear: he argues for a fasting lifestyle, which is flexible, and not a diet, which is rigid.
And the physical benefits of fasting are much more than just losing weight. Richards shares how fasting has been proven to help Alzheimer’s, epilepsy and Parkinson’s Disease, even cancer!
Now, that sounds great, you might think. But is it different for women? With the exception of one anecdote shared by Richards about a woman healing her PCOS, there was no mention of how fasting can affect a woman’s fertility and if a different approach should be considered.
Fasting as a Catholic woman
These questions led me to a second book: “Fast Like A Girl: A Woman's Guide to Using the Healing Power of Fasting to Burn Fat, Boost Energy, and Balance Hormones” by Dr. Mindy Pelez. Very quickly, Pelez hits on the answer to my main question: “While the scientific evidence is clear that fasting heals, there still exists one huge blind spot: A one-size-fits-all approach to fasting doesn’t work, especially for women.”
So, can fasting work for women? Yes! Pelez explains: “For a woman to realize the full health benefits of fasting, she needs to know when and how to flip her metabolic switch in accordance with her hormonal cycles.”
What does this look like? Women should not fast the same throughout the month. Instead, they need to learn and follow the fluctuations of their sex hormones — estrogen, testosterone, and progesterone. The last is greatly affected by our cortisol levels, so fasting while our progesterone levels should be rising is counterproductive. “Estrogen and progesterone, although both sex hormones, really require different behaviors from us,” Pelez explains. “Estrogen doesn’t seem as influenced by cortisol but really suffers when glucose and insulin are high. Progesterone suffers when cortisol is high but actually requires more glucose in your bloodstream to fully develop to the levels that are necessary for your period to start. If you fast during this time or restrict carbohydrates, you may not give progesterone the fuel it needs.” In short, estrogen likes fasting; progesterone does not.
In short, estrogen likes fasting; progesterone does not.
In her book, Pelez also offers two food plans, one to help estrogen production, another to boost progesterone: what she calls ketobiotic and hormonal feasting. “The switch between these two styles of eating lets you mimic the feast/famine cycling your primal ancestors thrived on, all timed perfectly to your hormonal needs.” Additionally, the book offers helpful tools, such as a 30-day Fasting Reset, tips on how to best break a fast, hacks to make fasting easier, recipes, and specific fasting regimens to help women struggling with infertility, autoimmune conditions (like Hashimoto’s and PCOS), thyroid conditions, diabetes, adrenal fatigue, and needing an immune system reset.
Pelez does offer some warnings as to who should not fast. Unsurprisingly, pregnant and nursing women are top of the list; Pelez explains that fasting for 17 hours releases toxins from the body that could be absorbed by the baby in utero or through nursing, and she recommends these women should not fast for more than about 13 hours. She also cautions women with a history of disordered eating to only fast under the supervision of a medical professional.
While other experts seem skeptical of the benefit of fasting for women, I believe they do so under the assumption that fasting is a one-size-fits-all approach instead of fasting around a woman’s cycle. The authors of “Real Food for Fertility,” argue against fasting because it can be easy to not consume enough calories, and “Undereating is a well-known cause of ovulatory dysfunction and hormonal disruption”; however, even they shared a study that shows the potential benefit of fasting for women with PCOS.
So, what does this mean for women?
Okay, so that was a lot of information. But what does this actually mean for Catholic women who want to take the call to fasting seriously? Here are my takeaways:
First and overwhelmingly: Yes, women can fast in a way that benefits both their health and their soul! In fact, if done correctly by following the pattern of a woman’s cycle, fasting can be a solution to fertility and other health issues, not a hindrance.
Second, the Latin Rite’s current requirements of fasting (one meal and two snacks on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday) are unlikely to affect a woman’s hormones, though our food choices on fasting days can make the experience better or harder.
Yes, women can fast in a way that benefits both their health and their soul! In fact, if done correctly by following the pattern of a woman’s cycle, fasting can be a solution to fertility and other health issues, not a hindrance.
Third, as Catholics, we should consider taking on more stringent fasts — for our health and for the spiritual benefits we receive, which in turn can help the universal Church. When appearing to the faithful throughout history, Mother Mary has repeatedly called for prayer and penance. Fasting is a concrete way we can answer this call.
Fourth, not all fasting is equal. For most of the Church’s history, Catholics fasted much more often, for longer periods of time, and with stricter rules regarding abstinence. Many Eastern Rite Catholics still follow the historical rules of fasting: eating only one meal per day (at noon) and a small snack throughout all of Lent (excluding Sundays), and abstaining from dairy products (including butter and cheese) and animal products (including eggs and meat). Some Catholics may be drawn to this more intense approach to fasting, hoping to reclaim what has been lost. This is certainly admirable! However, if you are struggling with fertility issues, I would caution against undergoing this type of fast, which could exacerbate these issues.
However, sometimes we put the physical above the spiritual. So, lastly, do not idolize health at the expense of your spiritual life. We are body and soul, so only you can determine if you are in a season to undertake a more strict fast.
Also, while I hope this goes without saying, none of this is medical advice; please consult your doctor if you are interested in a fasting reset for health reasons.
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