intermittent fasting
Intermittent fasting is cycling between periods of fasting and eating. It is an eating pattern rather than a diet and is a simple way to improve health outcomes.
By restricting food, even for a relatively short time, you train your body (really, you train the mitochondria, which are your energy-making cells) into burning ketones rather than glucose. It's like a metabolic switch.
The Proven Health Benefits
How and when we eat plays a large role in how well our bodies function. Intermittent fasting can:
promote cellular repair and health maintenance
increase weight loss and reduce belly fat
promote microbiome diversity which has been linked to a reduction in chronic health conditions
promote beneficial changes to gene expression - think disease protection and longevity
improve insulin resistance
reduce oxidative stress and inflammation
increases brain-derived neurotrophic factor (DNF) which is required for optimal nerve function and brain health
curb appetite by altering hunger hormones.
Firstly… What are ketones?
Ketones are the chemicals released when your body is burning fat. This basically means that once glucose stores have been exhausted, your body starts burning fat for energy, known as nutritional ketosis.
Intermittent fasting also stimulates an extremely beneficial process called autophagy. This literally means 'self eat'. This is where dead, diseased, or worn-out cells are broken down, recycled, or devoured. They are then replaced with healthy, more active new parts, also creating space for new cells to grow - think happy healthy immune and brain cells. Autophagy can increase longevity and also reduce the risk of cancer and dementia.
When not to fast
If you are pregnant, underweight, or underfed, fasting should not be considered part of your lifestyle.
The Two Favourite Methods, It's an individual choice
Time Restricted Fasting (16/8)
Where your 'eating window' is confined to a certain amount of time. Research has indicated that 16 hours of fasting with an eating window of 8 hours is the most popular and most sustainable method. Eating two meals a day, perhaps breakfast and lunch, skipping dinner, and sleeping through the hunger works well for many people, especially if you're extending the fasting time to 18 hours. Others find an early dinner (5 pm) and skipping breakfast the next day works better for them.
5:2
This is where you reduce your calorie intake for two, non-consecutive, days of the week. 5 days of the week are 'normal' eating days, while the other two days, calories are restricted to 500-600. Normal eating means, eating the correct amount of calories for what your body needs, not overindulging, but rather eating reasonable portions of a wide range of foods.
The downside of this method is that it can be quite restrictive, which can make it unsustainable for many people.
How Often To Fast?
This is a personal choice, but research suggests that if choosing time-restricted fasting, every day provides optimal benefit, but even two days per week can show positive health marker results.
The key is to keep mixing it up. Your body can get ‘lazy and rigid’ if you keep too much of a regular fasting cycle, making it harder to reap the benefits of fasting. Try switching out the days or even the hours that you do it. This keeps your metabolism flexible, and more able to react to the fasting pressure.
WHAT WE LIKE
Nutritionists believe that no one diet fits all. Therefore being able to tailor your intermittent fasting to suit you makes it more appealing and much more sustainable in the long run. We love that it reduces the risk of chronic disease and improves all your health markers so gives you the best chance to lead a happy, healthy life.
in a nutshell
The main health benefits of intermittent fasting:
Weight loss
Reduce insulin resistance
Reduce inflammation
Reduce 'bad' cholesterol & improve heart health
Promote brain health and slow the progression of neural dysfunction (Alzheimer's, dementia, Parkinson's)
Increases the resistance of cells, tissues, and organs to stress and common diseases associated with aging and sedentary, overindulgent lifestyles.
Protective against metabolic syndrome and associated disorders including diabetes and cardiovascular disease
Top tips
Drink plenty of water during the fasting period, it's important to keep hydrated.
Eat to satiety during the eating window.
Break the fast with a nutritious, protein and fibre-packed meal.
Make sure that you are having protein with every meal.
As always, limit your processed carbohydrate intake, this can increase hunger and interfere with sugar regulation, making fasting counterproductive.
Keep your metabolism switch flexible by mixing up your fasting days and times.
What to do now
As always, if you’d like to know even more about which fasting type might suit you and your needs better, seeing a nutritionist is a great start.
