Is Intermittent Fasting Right For You?
“Fasting is the greatest remedy-the physician within.” -Paracelsus, 16th Century Physician
What is intermittent fasting?
Fasting is one of the oldest remedies in human history and has been part of the practice of virtually every culture and religion on earth. Fasting is the voluntary absence from food for spiritual, health or other reasons. It may be done for any period of time, from a few hours to a few days. Fasting is a part of everyday life. The term “breakfast” is the meal that breaks the fast, which we do daily.
The Body’s Response to Fasting
Glucose and fat are the body’s main source of energy. When glucose is not available, then the body adjusts by using fat, without any health detriment. This is a natural part of life. Periodic food scarcity has been part of human history and our bodies have evolved to deal with this. In the 1980s, Dr. Valter Longo observed that when you starve yeast and bacteria, “they live longer.” This revelation paved the path to researching this idea with humans and expanding their lifespan (Robbins & Diamandis, 2022).
Since then, many studies have been done showing that fasting can not only expand the lifespan but also prevent obesity, diabetes, hypertension, cancer, asthma, multiple sclerosis, cardiovascular disease, Parkinson’s disease and Alzheimer’s. This is our way of driving our insulin levels down which in turn change the fuel our body uses from glucose to fat and our cells essentially clean up and repair themselves.
Fasting can also improve sleep quality in terms of the amount of sleep, depth and sleep cycles. In a fasted state, our bodies repair better, heal better and sleep better, because sleep is part of the healing process.
How to Get Started
A popular way to begin intermittent fasting is through “timed-interval feeding.” Simply put, you eat an early dinner (ideally 2-3 hours before sleep) and then you eat nothing until the next morning, approximately 12+ hours later. Or keeping your eating window about 8-10 hours.
It is very important to break your fast with a good protein, fat and carbohydrate source. It is also very important that you are getting enough food and the right foods during your eating window. The goal is whole foods, plant rich, phytochemical rich, high fiber, high quality fat, and good protein sources.
Longer fasting periods may be ideal for severe chronic illnesses but should be discussed with your healthcare provider first. Individual responses may vary and some people may not tolerate fasting for 16 hours, but can for 12 hours. If this is the case, stick with a 12 hour fast.
Caution to the Wise
Personalization is key. Woman who are trying to conceive, are currently pregnant or breastfeeding should not fast longer than 12 hours along with women who are very thin or have adrenal issues. If you have chronic health conditions, it is important to discuss with your healthcare provider first. Although, the 12-hour time restricted eating is regarded as safe for most people.
References
Fung, J. (2016). The obesity code: Unlocking the secrets of weight loss. Greystone Books.
Robbins, T., Diamandis, P., Hariri, R. (2022). Life Force: How new breakthroughs in precision
medicine can transform the quality of your life and those you love. Simon & Schuster.
Hyman, Mark. (2022). How to do intermittent fasting for weight loss and better health.
Retrieved from www.drhyman.com