5 Most Asked Questions About intermittent Fasting for Women Over 50 (Answered with Chinese Medicine Wisdom)

5 Most Asked Questions About Intermittent Fasting for Women Over 50 (Answered with Chinese Medicine Wisdom)

1. Will Intermittent Fasting Help Me Lose Weight in Menopause?

Yes, but only when done gently and in rhythm with your body.
After 50, metabolism and hormone production slow, and harsh fasting or extreme diets can backfire.

In Chi Flow with Jo, intermittent fasting is a digestive rest, not deprivation.

No food after 8 pm, breakfast after 8 am, allowing the Liver to detoxify and the Spleen to rebuild strength.

This rhythm stabilises blood sugar, improves sleep, clears brain fog and naturally releases weight, without shocking the system.

We have to avoid draining Kidney Energy which harsh fasts can do.

👉 Join the January 2026 Chi Flow Intermittent Fasting Programme

2. Is Intermittent Fasting Safe for Women Over 50 or with Thyroid Issues?

For mature women, skipping breakfast or drinking coffee on an empty stomach can raise cortisol and weaken digestion.
In TCM, this drains Spleen Qi and Kidney Essence, leading to fatigue, anxiety, and insomnia.

That’s why Chi Flow fasting never removes breakfast; instead we rest overnight, eat early, and avoid late dinners.
It supports thyroid and adrenal health rather than stressing them.

3. What Fasting Window Is Best for Women Over 50?

Forget the 16 : 8 trend.

Start with 12 hours, for example, 8 pm to 8 am, then extend slowly if it feels good. TCM follows the meridian clock:

7–9 am Stomach Time: best for breakfast.
9–11 am Spleen Time: transform food into energy.
1–3 am Liver Time: detox and rest.

By honouring these hours, you protect your nervous system and steady energy rather than ups and downs, highs and lows. Find out more about the Chinese Medicine Timeclock

4. How Does Fasting Clear “Dampness” and Boost Energy?

When digestion is weak or eating is constant, the body accumulates dampness, a heavy internal moisture causing:

Belly weight and bloating

Puffy hands / feet

Foggy thinking, fatigue

Joint stiffness and swelling

Giving the Liver and Spleen time to rest allows dampness to drain.

Within weeks many women notice flatter stomachs, lighter limbs, clearer skin, calmer moods and steady energy. This is healing from the inside out, not crash dieting.

How Qi Gong Supports the Fasting Programme

Qi Gong is the moving medicine that completes the fasting cycle.

When we practise daily during the six-week programme, gentle breath-led movement loosens adhesions and fascia around the organs, allowing the Liver Qi to flow so detoxification and fat metabolism improve naturally.

It also builds lean muscle mass, which increases insulin sensitivity and helps regulate blood-glucose levels, crucial for preventing midlife weight gain.

5. Will Intermittent Fasting Affect My Hormones, Mood or Sleep?

Absolutely, but in the right way. Gentle fasting resets circadian rhythm and stabilises blood sugar, easing night sweats and restless sleep.
But harsh fasting spikes cortisol, which steals progesterone and worsens hot flushes, anxiety and insomnia.

Fasting rests the organs; Qi Gong nourishes them. Together they restore balance, strength, and vitality.

The Chi Flow method uses Qi Gong, acupressure and daily support to calm the nervous system so the body feels safe enough to release weight and restore hormone harmony.

Im 57 now and you can read my menopause story here: https://joannefaulkner.ie/2023/11/17/my-menopause-story/

Acupressure for Metabolism & Emotional Ease – Liver 13 (Zhang Men)

Find the soft spot beneath your right ribs—Liver 13, the “Camphorwood Gate.”

Massage or tap gently.

It harmonises the Liver and Spleen, releases emotional tension and wakes up metabolism.

Nourishing Foods to Support Gentle Fasting

Sour foods (lemon, lime, apple-cider vinegar) stimulate the Liver.
Green & bitter vegetables (kale, watercress, rocket) drain dampness.
Warm, cooked meals (porridge, soups, stews) nurture the Spleen.
Avoid raw salads and cold smoothies when digestion feels weak.

WATCH THE PODCAST

👉 Learn More about Fasting and Food as Medicine for Menopause in my eBOOK

Final Thoughts

After 50, your body doesn’t need stricter rules, it needs rhythm, compassion and community.
Chi Flow with Jo offers fasting as a form of love: resting the organs, clearing dampness, and awakening vitality.

If you have struggled before to commit to a programme – Chi Flow with Jo with its LIVE classes every weekday morning will keep you on track. We do this TOGETHER every January because it works: Join us

💗 Ready to Join?

Click here to become a member of Chi Flow with Jo → CLICK HERE

Or drop in for a class and feel it for yourself (sign up below). Join the Chi Flow with Jo community for live sessions, practice, and support.

Self-administered acupressure or Chinese Medicine is not a substitute for visits to qualified healthcare practitioners.

Knowing how to treat yourself and your loved ones with complimentary therapies like acupressure can be greatly beneficial and convenient. However, for serious and chronic conditions, you’ll want to visit an Shiatsu therapist / Acupuncturist or other qualified healthcare practitioner who can develop a treatment plan based on your unique medical history and combination of symptoms. The information provided should not be considered medical advice.

Prolapse anyone? Support your spleen with Chinese medicine.

Recipes

Late summer is a time to support your spleen and stomach with seasonal, ripe fruits and slowly cooked root vegetables. If we don’t, we can experience worry, overthinking, joint pain, abdominal swelling, hernias, varicose veins and haemorrhoids.

The Spleen in TCM is all about feeling comforted and supported. If the spleen is weak you will find many prolapse symptoms in the body.

The organ is linked to the Earth Element and Sweet Flavoured foods – so come and watch what foods to eat, which points to press and even practice a Bear Qi Gong move in the video below.

In my last post I shared Spleen 6 Acupressure point – here is Spleen 9 – Yin Mound Spring

Spleen 9 (SP 9) is a powerful point. Its main function in Chinese medicine is to resolve “dampness”.

To find the point put a finger at the inside of your ankle bone and trace it all the way up the midline of the inside of the leg until you meet resistance. Right below the inside of the knee, in that little depression is Spleen 9 and it is typically a bit tender when pressure is applied. The Spleen is associated with the flesh of the body so make sure you are on the fleshy part under and slightly behind the tibia, not on the bone itself.

Dampness is not a normal diagnostic term used in western medicine, but it is actually quite simple to understand.

When the Spleen and the Stomach channels are working together digestion runs smoothly, water and nutrients are well absorbed, and transported so the the body metabolizes food well, transporting nutrients around the body.

When these two organs are not working in harmony, “dampness” occurs. Excess water within the system doesn’t move well and you can experience symptoms such as oedema, swelling, bloating, gas, diarrhoea or constipation, brain fog, sluggishness, difficulty with urination, aching limbs and sore, stiff joints.

In the video above I talk all about the Spleen & Stomach – what strengthens and what weakens, so watch the video below, and you can find more recipes and info in the orange colour chapter in my books.

Intermittent Fasting the Chi Flow with Jo Way

Every January, hundreds join the Chi Flow with Jo Intermittent Fasting programme, a six-week reset rooted in TCM, not restriction.
We follow nature’s rhythm:

♥ Eat during daylight, rest digestion at night.

♥ 7–9 am Stomach Time / 9–11 am Spleen Time: best window for breakfast and nourishment.

♥ 1–3 am Liver Time: when the body detoxes, so avoid eating after dinner especially the late-night snacks.

Start simply: no food after 8 pm, breakfast after 8 am.
Each week we lengthen the fasting window gently, giving the organs time to cleanse and reset. It’s a lifestyle of rhythm, not willpower, perfect for sensitive thyroids and tired nervous systems.

👉 Find out more and Join the January 2026 Chi Flow with Jo: Intermittent Fasting Programme

It’s easier when you do it together.

💗 Ready to Join?

Click here to become a member of Chi Flow with Jo → CLICK HERE

Or drop in for a class and feel it for yourself (sign up below). Join the Chi Flow with Jo community for live sessions, practice, and support.

Self-administered acupressure or Chinese Medicine is not a substitute for visits to qualified healthcare practitioners.

The information provided should not be considered medical advice.