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Intermittent Fasting is no doubt one of the most popular diet methods out there right now. And while it may have just reached peak hot health trend status recently, the concept is actually not a new one - fasting protocols of all kinds are major touchstones of many cultures and religions around the world. And if you're one of those strange humans who has hated breakfast since birth? Congratulations - you've likely been ahead of the trend for years.
What is it?
Intermittent fasting (IF) is an eating pattern that involves alternating between fasting and eating for specified periods of time - basically focusing on when food is eaten versus what type of food you eat. The idea is that by limiting the time frame in which you're consuming food, your body has plenty of time to digest your food and then resume some important cellular processes like autophagy, cellular repair, and hormone regulation. There are several popular styles of intermittent fasting and all involve differing lengths of eating and fasting time blocks, and some include variations of the amount or type of food consumed.
How to do it?
There are a range of styles of intermittent fasting out there with some garnering more popular attention than others.
16/8 Method - probably the most popular type of IF, this method involves limiting your food intake to an 8-hour window. This will be the method I focus on for much of the rest of this post and is the one I have been experimenting with.
Alternate Day Fasting - this eating pattern involves fasting every other day. On the days you're fasting, you’ll eat either a very small amount or abstain from food altogether. During the non-fasting days, you're free to enjoy a normal diet - preferably one rich in healthy and nutritious ingredients.
Eat-Stop-Eat - similar to the alternate day fast, in this method, you abstain from food for 24 hours once or twice a week. The days picked should be non-consecutive and on the non-fasting days, you can enjoy a normal, healthy diet.
Warrior Diet - This is less of a traditional fast as we know it, but this method involved restricting intake to fruits and vegetables during the day and then consuming one, large evening meal.
5:2 or Twice-A-Week Method - like it's name implies, this involves a fast twice a week. On those days, intake is restricted to a low calorie content of 500-600 calories and the other 5 days are normal, healthy eating days.
What are the benefits?
Research into the long-term effects of IF is still ongoing but while it's unclear what exact mechanism of IF are beneficial to the body, several studies have confirmed positive results in the following areas:
Weight loss & maintenance (1) - recent studies have found that implementing periods of fasting can reduce body fat and promote weight loss and help maintain healthy weight ranges in many individuals. In addition, IF may promote the healthy usage of leptin, the hormone used in the body to promote satiety (or feeling full).
Blood sugar control (2) - IF seems to also provide a blood sugar stabilizing effect that could be particularly valuable to individuals with some insulin sensitivity issues or at risk for diabetes. Insulin is your body's hormone responsible for moving sugar (broken down from the food you eat) from the bloodstream into the cells for use or storage. Giving your body time through IF to make use of the insulin secreted and decrease circulating levels of insulin can be incredibly beneficial when it comes to blood sugar control - as opposed to carrying high levels of insulin (through unhealthy diet or last of physical activity) can cause your body to be less sensitive to the circulating insulin and lead to high blood sugar levels.
Reduction in Inflammation (3, 4) - inflammation is hot-button word in the wellness space and for good reason. In fact, much of my practice has been dedicated to decreasing the effects of chronic inflammation and inflammatory-related disease through diet and wellness practices. Research has now shown a positive link between fasting and a reduction in chronic inflammation which can have a positive impact on the preventing or slowing the development of chronic disease. Additionally, chronic inflammation can just plain make you feel bad (tired, fatigued, lethargic, etc.) so reducing inflammation in the body is key for feeling your best.
Brain Support & Heart Health (5, 6) - research supporting the connection between brain function and fasting is still very much new and/or limited in scope but it is possible that through the reduction in inflammation seen as a result of fasting, that fasting could improve several cognitive markers including learning and memory. The previously mentioned reduction in inflammation is also thought to make IF heart protective by reducing the stress placed on the heart and leading to improvements in cardiac-related markers like cholesterol and triglycerides.
Who shouldn't fast?
Fasting is definitely not for everyone and I encourage anyone who's thinking about beginning a fasting protocol to take it very slowly and carefully and if possible, reach out to health professional to make sure it's the right thing for you. Several people who should avoid fasting (without the expressed consent and under the care of their doctors and dietitians):
People with diagnosed and insulin-managed diabetes
Pregnant women or nursing mothers
Children or teens
People with history of eating disorder, hormone, thyroid, or gallstone problems
Women should also be careful when implementing IF because of the hormonal impact. Prolonged periods of fasting should be avoided, so consider fewer fasting days or shorter fasting windows in order to avoid hormone imbalance or other negative health effects. Seek the advice of a registered dietitian or nutrition professional in order to help you determine if IF is right for you or the best way to implement IF into your lifestyle.
My Experience: I've been playing with IF for about a month now and I'm happy to report some really great benefits I've noticed. My rhythm for fasting has been to implement the 16/8 method about 6 days a week and then to enjoy breakfast with my family on the weekend (I like to cook a big breakfast at least once on the weekend). Since we generally finish eating dinner around 6pm, I've dubbed my fasting window from 6:30pm - 10:30am. And since I'm in the business of being honest here, I've found I'm usually breaking my fast somewhere between 11-11:30am.
As I've worked to get my body and health back after baby number 3, one of the things I figured out about my body is that it operates best (weight stabilization, maintenance, brain power, energy levels, skin, etc.) when I'm careful with the amount of carbs, dairy, sugar, and gluten I'm consuming (I know, shocker, right?) - my body just seems to like and operate best on a lower carb diet (this includes healthy carbs like fruit and starchy vegetables). By implementing IF, I've noticed I can incorporate a little bump in carb content without seeing a decrease in my ability to maintain my weight, any changes in digestion or skin sensitivity, or any onset of brain fog or fatigue. This is counter to what I experience when eating in a normal time pattern and raising my carb intake. The first couple weeks of incorporating IF into my routine were moderately difficult - I was hungry and found myself thinking about food from the time I woke up until the minute I was free from the fasting period. This lasted 7-10 days and now I'm happy to report I honestly don't even think about it in the mornings…but I do love my weekend breakfasts :)
Bottom Line: IF boasts some impressive potential benefits but it's definitely not for everyone. And probably most important to note, fasting is not a substitute for a healthy diet. Even if you decide to give fasting a try, you should make sure you're consuming healthy, nutrient-dense foods in order to reap the benefits.
