Fast Like a Girl — By Dr Mindy Pelz – A Book Summary
Overview
Dr Mindy Pelz, a nutrition and fasting expert, explores how women’s hormones shape metabolism, energy, and overall health. In Fast Like a Girl, she argues that women need to fast differently to men — aligning fasting windows, food choices, and rest with hormonal rhythms. The book empowers women to work with their biology, not against it, to regain balance, energy, and control of their wellbeing.
Core Themes and Insights
1. Women’s bodies need their own fasting rhythm
Traditional fasting advice often overlooks the female hormonal cycle. Because oestrogen and progesterone fluctuate throughout the month, women benefit from adapting fasting intensity according to where they are in their cycle. The right approach can enhance focus, energy, and hormone stability — while the wrong one can increase stress, fatigue, or cravings.
2. Metabolic switching
The goal of fasting is to help the body “switch” from burning glucose for energy to burning fat and producing ketones. This process boosts energy, mental clarity, and cellular repair. For women, the right fasting window depends on hormonal balance, sleep, and stress levels — not willpower alone.
3. Syncing fasting with the menstrual or hormonal cycle
Mindy Pelz divides the cycle into three broad phases and recommends adjusting fasting accordingly:
-
Power Phase (after menstruation): Hormones are low; the body tolerates longer fasts and exercise well.
-
Ovulation Phase: Hormones rise; fasting should be shorter and more moderate, with nutrient-rich foods to support fertility and balance.
-
Luteal Phase (before menstruation): Progesterone increases; fasting should ease off, and nutrition should focus on comfort, healthy carbohydrates, and magnesium-rich foods.
4. Postmenopausal women
After menopause, hormone fluctuations lessen, but fasting remains beneficial when practised gently and consistently. Without cyclical hormones, women can follow a steady rhythm of fasting — for example, 13–16 hours most days, with one or two longer fasts weekly if tolerated. Mindy Pelz emphasises that postmenopausal women must focus more on:
-
Nutrient density (especially protein, minerals, and phytoestrogens)
-
Muscle maintenance through strength training
-
Stress reduction (as cortisol has a stronger influence when oestrogen is low)
-
Recovery and rest, since the body no longer benefits from monthly hormone “resets”
The postmenopausal fasting plan encourages gentle consistency rather than intensity — supporting stable energy, weight management, mental clarity, and bone health.
5. The 30-Day Reset
The book offers a 30-day plan that gradually introduces fasting while cycling between intermittent, moderate, and extended fasts. It focuses on listening to the body rather than rigid rules, helping women discover their ideal fasting window for sustainable results.
6. Food quality and nourishment
Fasting success depends as much on what you eat as when. Pelz promotes clean, whole foods and introduces two styles:
-
Ketobiotic eating: lower carb, healthy fats during fasting phases.
-
Hormone-feasting: higher carb, nutrient-rich meals during phases that need replenishment or when energy dips.
For postmenopausal women, combining both styles supports metabolism and long-term health.
7. Mindset, rest, and connection
Pelz insists that fasting should never feel like punishment. It’s about building trust with your body, nurturing your energy, and creating space for healing. Emotional wellbeing, social support, and sleep are as vital as any fasting protocol.
Why It’s Worth Reading
Fast Like a Girl empowers women to take charge of their health through hormonal awareness, structured fasting, and compassionate self-discipline. It fills a long-standing gap in fasting advice by addressing the female body’s unique needs — including those of perimenopausal and postmenopausal women. The approach helps reduce anxiety around food and re-establishes balance between body and mind.
Key Takeaways
-
Women’s hormones must guide fasting frequency and duration.
-
Fasting works best when combined with high-quality nutrition and self-care.
-
Different life stages — menstruating, perimenopausal, postmenopausal — require different rhythms.
-
For postmenopausal women, gentle, consistent fasting can improve energy, metabolism, and mood.
-
The goal is not restriction but metabolic flexibility and hormonal harmony.
-
Self-kindness, rest, and flexibility are the foundations of success.
👉 Read the full book for practical plans, fasting charts, and deeper guidance:
Fast Like a Girl by Dr Mindy Pelz