have you tried fasting & found it didn't work, felt too hard, or left you worried about doing it wrong?

Fasting is one of the most powerful tools available for women's health – but only when it's done in a way that works with the female body, not against it.

Most fasting advice is based on research done on men. Women's hormonal cycles, metabolic rhythms, and physiological needs are fundamentally different – and fasting protocols that don't account for this can disrupt hormones, worsen symptoms, and leave women feeling worse rather than better.

The right approach, personalised to where you are hormonally and metabolically, changes everything.

what fasting can support

When done well, and tailored appropriately, fasting has significant evidence for supporting

• Weight loss resistance – particularly where hormonal imbalances, insulin dysregulation, or metabolic inflexibility are involved

• Gut health – giving the digestive system regular periods of rest and repair

• Autoimmunity – fasting can modulate immune activity and reduce systemic inflammation

• Hormonal balance – improving insulin sensitivity, cortisol regulation, and sex hormone balance

• Cellular repair – activating autophagy, the body's cellular housekeeping process

• Longevity & deep healing – supporting the body's innate capacity to repair and regenerate

• Brain health & cognitive clarity

• Energy & metabolic resilience

why women need to fast differently

This is the piece that most fasting protocols miss entirely.

Women's hormonal cycles create a constantly shifting metabolic environment. Fasting that supports health in the follicular phase can be disruptive in the luteal phase. Fasting that works for a postmenopausal woman can worsen symptoms for someone who is perimenopausal. What works for a man rarely translates directly to a woman's physiology.

As a certified Fast Like A Girl (FLAG) coach – trained under Dr Mindy Pelz – fasting for women is approached through the lens of cyclical alignment. This means fasting protocols are adjusted in real time according to

• Menstrual cycle phase – for cycling women

• Perimenopause – where hormonal fluctuation requires particular care

• Post-menopause – where different fasting patterns become available and beneficial

• Individual health status – gut health, thyroid function, adrenal health, and more

This isn't generic fasting advice. It's fasting that's built around the individual woman.

what makes this approach different

Personal experience & clinical background

Fasting has been a personal practice since the late teens – every protocol, every approach, tried personally before recommending to anyone else. Combined with a clinical background in functional nutrition, this means fasting recommendations are grounded in both lived experience and clinical understanding of what drives the patterns underneath.

Variety in protocols

A single fasting routine eventually stops producing results as the body adapts. Effective fasting programs rotate between intermittent fasting, prolonged fasting, fasting-mimicking approaches, and adjusted macronutrient ratios – preventing metabolic adaptation and metabolic slowdown.

Nutrition within eating windows

What's eaten during eating windows is as important as the fasting itself. A functional nutrition background means dietary recommendations are personalised to individual health goals, gut status, hormonal needs, and any food sensitivities or specific conditions.

Addressing fasting roadblocks

Some women find fasting genuinely difficult — or find that it's not producing the expected results. Common roadblocks include an inability to metabolically switch to fat burning, detoxification reactions, inadvertently eating too little, or hormonal responses that need adjustment. These can all be identified and addressed with the right support.

Ongoing monitoring & adjustments

Regular check-ins throughout the program ensure progress is tracked, protocols are adjusted as the body responds, and any adverse effects are identified and addressed early. This ongoing support — accountability, encouragement, and practical real-time guidance — is often what makes the difference between a protocol that works and one that doesn't.

the programs

All programs begin with a thorough health assessment to understand individual goals, health history, hormonal status, and any contraindications. This forms the basis of a personalised fasting plan.

ad hoc consults

• Go at your own pace, booking consults as you’re ready.

3-month program Foundation fasting

• Establishing the right protocol, learning to fast safely and effectively, initial metabolic and hormonal calibration.

6-month program Deeper work

• Progressing protocols, addressing roadblocks, integrating nutrition strategy, monitoring longer-term hormonal and metabolic response.

All programs include regular 1:1 consultations, personalised protocol adjustments, and direct support between sessions.

who this is for

This program is suited to women who

• Have tried fasting and found it too difficult, ineffective, or disruptive

• Have weight that isn't responding to diet and exercise alone

• Want to use fasting for health outcomes beyond weight – gut healing, autoimmunity, longevity

• Are cycling, perimenopausal, or postmenopausal and want an approach that accounts for their hormonal reality

• Want professional support and personalisation rather than a generic protocol

• Are ready for a sustainable, evidence-informed approach to fasting that works with their body

a note on fasting in complex chronic illness

Fasting can be a valuable tool in complex chronic illness – but it requires careful introduction and monitoring, particularly where gut dysfunction, adrenal fatigue, thyroid issues, mould illness, or significant hormonal imbalances are present.

For women navigating complex health alongside weight or wellness goals, fasting is integrated thoughtfully alongside the broader functional nutrition work – never as an isolated protocol.

Certified Fast Like A Girl (FLAG) Coach – trained under Dr Mindy Pelz Functional Nutritionist & Psych-K Practitioner

Ready to explore whether fasting is right for you?

A free 20-minute call with me is the place to start — a real conversation about your health history, your goals, and whether this approach suits your situation. Book your free 20-minute call here

Some advantages of fasting over other approaches to health & weight loss

Metabolic Flexibility

Enhanced Fat Burning

Fasting can increase the body’s ability to burn fat for energy, which can be more effective for weight loss and metabolic health than specific diets or supplements.

Improved Insulin Sensitivity

Fasting can improve insulin sensitivity more directly and effectively than some dietary supplements or herbal remedies, helping to manage and potentially reverse insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes.

Autophagy & Cell Repair

Natural Cell Cleanup

Fasting triggers autophagy, a process where the body cleans out damaged cells and regenerates new ones. This process is more comprehensive and natural compared to some complementary approaches that might use targeted supplements to support cellular health.

Enhanced Recovery

The cellular repair mechanisms activated during fasting can aid in faster recovery from injuries and illnesses, potentially offering broader benefits than some specific herbal remedies or treatments.

Hormonal Regulation

Balanced Hormones

Fasting can help regulate hormones like insulin, leptin and ghrelin, which control hunger and energy balance. This can be more holistic compared to using specific supplements to target individual hormonal pathways.

Lower Cost

Fasting often requires no additional cost, unlike other complementary medicine approaches that may involve functional testing, purchasing lots of supplements, or undergoing specific support.

Simplicity

The simplicity of fasting (abstaining from food) makes it accessible and easy to implement. Fasting is empowering and gives people control over their body for the long term.

Broad Health Benefits

Systemic Benefits

Fasting can simultaneously address multiple health issues such as weight management, metabolic health, inflammation and cognitive function, offering a more comprehensive approach than some complementary therapies that might focus on one or two areas.

Research Support

Growing scientific research supports the benefits of fasting, providing a robust evidence base.

Behavioral & Lifestyle Integration

Promotes Healthy Habits

Fasting can encourage mindful eating and healthier food choices during eating periods, potentially fostering long-term healthy habits more effectively than some complementary therapies that do not directly address eating behaviours.

gut healing & balance

Fasting allows the gut to heal and promotes microbial balance. Longer fasting promotes stem cell creation, an otherwise costly therapy.