Discovering How Fasting Could Benefit My Life: A Genetic Story

How a simple test revealed why my body needed rest—and launched my mission to help others support healing

For years, my body felt like it was working against me. The weight that crept on and stubbornly stayed. Digestion that felt slow and uncomfortable. Skin issues that came and went without explanation. Sleep that left me feeling unrested, even after 7-8 hours.

I tried everything the wellness world suggested. Elimination diets. Exercise programs. Supplements. Some things helped a little. But nothing felt like the answer.

Until I discovered intermittent fasting. When I started fasting, something shifted. The weight finally started moving. My digestion improved. I slept deeper. My body felt...lighter. Not just in weight, but in the way it moved through the day.

It Started with a Question to My Doctor

I sat across from Dr. Courtney Hunt, MD, describing everything. The stubborn weight, the sluggish digestion, the skin flare-ups, the exhausting nights that never quite refreshed me. I braced myself for the usual responses: "You're probably just stressed." "It’s idiopathic, but this prescription might help with your symptoms." “Have you considered it might be in your head (insinuating anxiety)?”

Instead, she leaned forward with recognition in her eyes.

"I'm seeing this with more and more women in my practice."

She didn't dismiss what I was experiencing. She recognized it. And she had an idea about where to look for answers.

"Genetic testing," she suggested. That simple suggestion opened a door I didn't even know existed.

The Perfect Storm: What My Genes Revealed

A few weeks later, my results came back. Pages and pages of genetic variants. Most were marked green—normal function. But scattered throughout were variants marked yellow and red.

This wasn't just one thing. It was a perfect storm.

Energy Production: Variants in my mitochondrial genes meant my cellular "power plants" weren't running at full efficiency. Everything works, just... slower, harder.

Detoxification: My body's ability to neutralize harmful free radicals and process toxins was compromised. The cellular "cleanup crew" was understaffed.

Inflammation Response: Multiple genes showed my body was prone to chronic, low-grade inflammation—the kind that affects everything from your gut to your skin to your sleep.

Metabolism & Fat Storage: Variants that made my body more efficient at storing fat and less efficient at burning it. My hunger signals weren't working properly either.

Gut Health: Genes affecting my gut bacteria balance and intestinal function, explaining the sluggish digestion.

Suddenly, my symptoms weren't random puzzle pieces. They were all connected. My body had been trying to tell me something all along. I just didn't have the translation guide.

Why Nothing Had Worked Before

Looking at this genetic picture, everything made sense. Calorie-restricted diets failed because my metabolism genes meant my body held onto fat more stubbornly. My digestion stayed sluggish because my gut health genes needed specific microbiome support. My skin kept flaring due to chronic inflammation and detoxification challenges. I felt tired despite sleeping because poor energy production at the cellular level meant rest didn't fully restore me.

I'd been trying surface solutions for deep, genetic patterns.

The Fasting Connection: Addressing Multiple Systems at Once

Here's why fasting finally worked when nothing else did: Fasting doesn't just address one problem. It addresses systems.

Activates Autophagy—Your Body's Deep Cleaning Mode: When you fast for 12-16 hours, your cells start breaking down and recycling damaged components. Constant eating is like throwing a never-ending party—your house gets messy, but you don't have time to clean. Fasting is when everyone leaves, and you finally get to deep clean. For my compromised detoxification genes, this was crucial.

Optimizes Mitochondrial Function: Fasting gives your mitochondria a break to repair and become more efficient. Better-functioning mitochondria = more energy with less burden on all your systems.

Reduces System-Wide Inflammation: Fasting dramatically lowers inflammatory markers throughout your body. Less inflammation meant my gut could heal, my skin could calm down, my sleep could deepen, and my whole system could shift out of stress mode.

Resets Metabolic Signaling: Fasting helps reset insulin sensitivity and leptin signaling, recalibrating those glitchy hunger signals. It's like rebooting a computer that's been running too many programs.

Supports Gut Healing: Giving my digestive system regular breaks allowed my gut lining to repair and my microbiome to rebalance.

The Practical Reality: Living With My Genes

Understanding my genetic blueprint didn't just explain my past, it gave me a roadmap for my future. My genetics aren't a life sentence. They're an instruction manual.

Daily Foundation: Intermittent fasting (12-16 hour windows), antioxidant-rich foods like berries and leafy greens, anti-inflammatory whole foods providing healthy fat and protein sources.

Strategic Support: Targeted supplements recommended by my genetic report, probiotics and gut-healing foods, mitochondrial support nutrients.

Lifestyle Shifts: Stress management, quality sleep practices, joyful movement that supports rather than depletes my energy.

But here's what matters most: I'm not fighting my body anymore. I'm working with it.

It's not perfect. I'm human. I do get off track. Sometimes life gets chaotic, sometimes I make choices that my body doesn't love, sometimes stress or circumstances pull me away from what I know works. And when I start feeling bad again—when the sluggishness returns, when my skin flares up, when my energy dips—it's not a failure. It's a signal. A gentle reminder from my body that it's time to get back on track. Back to the practices that help it thrive. Not because I found a magic pill, but because I finally understand what my body needs, and more importantly, what it doesn't need.

Where the Body Remembers How to Heal

This journey became one of the foundations of my business. Because here's what I discovered: when you give your body the conditions it needs to heal, it remembers how.

Your cells know what to do. Even if these systems have genetic challenges, they can still function beautifully when you reduce the burden on them, give them the specific support they need, remove what's blocking them, and trust the ancient wisdom already built into your biology.

Fasting isn't a diet. It's a return to what our bodies have always known.

Your Body Has Answers Too

I'm not suggesting everyone has the same genetic variants I do. Your story might be completely different. But I am suggesting this: your body is trying to tell you something.

That stubborn weight? That digestive discomfort? Those skin issues? That exhaustion that sleep doesn't fix? Those aren't character flaws. They're not signs you're "not trying hard enough."

They're your body's way of saying it needs different support. The symptoms you're experiencing aren't random. They're connected.

Is Fasting Right for You?

Fasting can be profoundly beneficial for most people because it addresses fundamental cellular processes that affect everyone. It's not about fixing one specific gene; it's about giving your whole system space to repair, restore, and recalibrate.

However, fasting isn't for everyone. Pregnant or breastfeeding women, children and adolescents, people with a history of eating disorders, and those with certain medical conditions need individualized guidance. Working with knowledgeable practitioners who understand both your genetic blueprint and your current health status is essential.

The Invitation

This is why I created Fasting in Paradise. Not to sell you another diet plan or quick fix, but to create a space where healing happens naturally when we remove what's blocking it.

Where you can learn to work with your body's wisdom instead of against it. Where you can discover your own story—your own genetic patterns, your own path to healing.

Because your body knows. It's been waiting for you to listen.

This post is not medical advice but rather a personal story of discovery and transformation. Always consult with qualified healthcare providers for your individual health needs. For me, shifting the focus to nutrigenetics and personalized medicine has been foundational. Special thanks to Dr. Courtney Hunt, MD for her insight and guidance.