Intermittent Fasting. Dangerous? Or Miracle?
Intermittent Fasting (IF) is the latest health trend. Everyone is doing it! But what actually is it, and is it something you should do?
Fasting, according to Merriam-Webster dictionary is ‘to abstain from food’. Almost all cultures and religions have some sort of fasting practice. Catholics fast on specific days during Lent and before receiving Holy Communion. Muslims fast during Ramadan. Yom Kippur is one fasting holiday in the Jewish faith. Throughout history, you will find numerous examples of fasting rituals; during the seasonal hunt, before war, with the change of seasons, during vision quests, etc. It usually involves the complete avoidance of food for extended periods of time.
Unlike our modern conveniences like 24 hour supermarkets, our paleo ancestors did not have access to a surplus of food. In fact, having any kind of food source was never guaranteed. People had to work for their food – hunting, gathering, and foraging. The changing seasons, climate, resource competition, animal migration patterns, all influenced whether or not food would be available. At times, food was abundant, and at other times. food was scarce or non-existent.
As humans evolved over millennia, our DNA became embedded with the possibility of famine. As such, it developed coping mechanisms to survive the inevitable scarcity. Perhaps this is why there are so many benefits to fasting – the innate wisdom of the body has turned a potential threat into an advantage.
The problem with living in the modern day however, is that we almost never experience times of scarcity. Almost all of us in the Western world have access to cheap calories whenever we want it. And so we eat. All…the…time. I realize that being hungry is uncomfortable, and anytime we’re uncomfortable, we want to fix it. But can there be a benefit to being uncomfortable? To staying in that discomfort? Exercise is uncomfortable, but we know it’s good for us so we do it. Being pregnant is uncomfortable, but it’s obviously a good thing! Being hot or cold is uncomfortable, but we willingly take a sauna or engage in cold therapy, because we know there is benefit. So, why not engage in the discomfort of hunger? Skipping a few meals once in a while won’t kill you. In fact, it may have some very desirable health effects.
Indeed, you can find numerous examples of therapeutic treatments that recommend fasting. But until recently, we haven’t had much research showing us the benefits (or harms) that fasting may have. In the past few years however, research on the topic has exploded. Benefits of fasting include:
- Increased longevity and lifespan.
- Cardiovascular protection. [i]
- Reduction in oxidative stress and inflammation.[ii]
- Enhanced immune system function.[iii]
- Improved cholesterol ratios.[iv]
- Reduction of chronic health conditions like metabolic syndrome, arthritis and hypertension.[v]
- Improved memory and cognitive function.[vi]
- Improved insulin sensitivity.[vii]
- Hormone balancing.[viii]
- Protection against neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s.[ix]
- Improved gut health.[x]
- Deeper sleep.[xi]
- Weight management.[xii]
These are impressive results. But what is the difference between fasting and intermittent fasting?
Intermittent Fating is simply extending your overnight fast. The intent is to lengthen the amount of time without calories over the course of 24 hours. This means that you still eat regular meals during the day, only you start eating later, and/or finish eating earlier than normal. It may also mean that you eat only one or two meals per day, instead of three or more.
In real time, it looks something like this:
- Skip breakfast. Consume only non-caloric beverages like tea, black coffee or water.
- Eat your first meal at 12:00pm.
- Eat your second meal at 7:00pm.
- Consume no calories past 8:00pm.
By adhering to this schedule, you achieve many of the benefits of fasting, yet you still get to eat several meals during your 8-hour eating window. This approach is much more achievable, and safer, for many people than avoiding all calories for 24 or more hours.
There are many ways to implement IF into your daily routine. The most popular include:
16/8 Method
As the name implies, you fast for 16 hours each day and eat your meals within the remaining eight hours. This is often the easiest method for many to follow. Here’s what a typical day might look like:
- Finish eating at a specific time of the day. Take your last bite of food by say, 8pm. Consume no calories (including caloric beverages) past this time.
- Fast for the next 16 hours. Avoid all calories for 16 hours, including beverages (water is always ok).
- Begin eating at 12:00noon or later. You can have food or caloric beverages after 12 o’clock.
- Eat all your meals in the next 8 hours. You’re eating window is a full 8 hours. You can shorten this if you want, but try not to lengthen it.
- Be consistent The more you do this, the more your body gets used to it. This makes it easier to do, and helps you train you circadian rhythm.
5:2 Method
This is also known as ‘The Fast Diet’. Two days per week you will decrease your calories by 75%. This translates to eating a total of 400-600 calories on each of these two days. On the other five days, you eat as you normally would. Here’s how it looks:
- Choose two days during the week to reduce your calories. Make sure they are not consecutive days.
- On your ‘fasting’ days consume only 400-600 calories. Emphasize healthy, nutrient dense foods.
- On the other days, eat normally, but still be sure to emphasize healthy options.
- Be consistent. It may be challenging at first, but your body will adapt the more you do it. You will see increased benefits over time.
Alternate Day Fasting
This method entails fasting for a full 24 hours every other day. In order to make it easier to follow, you do actually get one meal per day. Confused? Here’s how it works:
- Choose which non-consecutive days of the week to fast. You may want to avoid weekends due to social engagements.
- On Monday, eat normally.
- Stop eating anything after the dinner meal (including caloric beverages). Let’s say that’s 7:00pm.
- On Tuesday, fast all day until 7:00pm. You may have a dinner meal after 7:00. See! You fast for 24 hours but still get to eat at least one daily meal!
- On Wednesday, eat normally, but stop eating again at 7:00pm (remember this includes beverages).
- On Thursday avoid all calories until 7:00pm.
And so on… Fast during the day with one evening meal, and every other day eat normally. This method has specifically been studied for weight loss and metabolic issues with promising results.
Extended Fasts (24 hours +)
Fasting for 24 hours or longer has shown to be especially therapeutic for metabolic disorders, cognitive health, longevity, weight management, immunity, and more. However, longer fasting periods like these may be contraindicated for some people. If you are under severe stress, have an eating disorder, severe metabolic conditions, liver or kidney issues, hormonal imbalances, are pregnant or breast feeding, or deal with any other medical issue, you should always speak with your doctor before attempting to fast.
Your Own Method
Don’t like any of the methods listed above or have a specific idea that better meets your schedule? Experiment with a your own method. It’s all about what works best for you! Here are some ideas to help get you started:
- Once per month, fast for an entire weekend.
- Every week, fast one day per week.
- Each month, fast for one specific day.
- Skip a meal if it seems like a good idea.
- Reduce your total caloric intake one day per week.
- Fast for a weekend with the change of the seasons.
As you can see, there are endless ways you can implement intermittent fasting. With all the impressive research behind it, it’s something that most of us could benefit from. But remember, it’s not for everyone, so please make sure you ask your health care provider before beginning any dietary program.
If you feel like its something that would work for you, then give it a shot! If you want a guided approach, or advice on the best method for you, then don’t hesitate to reach out. I have guided countless clients with fasting protocols with great success. There is great opportunity in this ancient practice! Contact us so we can help you too!
Of course, if you’re having symptoms of any kind and you can’t quite figure out why, give us a call. We’re here to help!
[i] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6471315/
[ii] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22187934
[iii] https://thesource.com/2018/11/21/fasting-for-72-hours-can-reset-your-entire-immune-system/
[iv] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20300080
[v] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24434759
[vi] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3670843/
[vii] https://blog.daveasprey.com/insulin-resistance/
[viii] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22187934
[ix] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/30650523
[x] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4255146/
[xi] https://thesleepdoctor.com/2018/12/18/can-intermittent-fasting-help-sleep/
[xii] https://www.bulletproof.com/diet/intermittent-fasting/intermittent-fasting-weight-loss/
Cathy Cooke, BCHN, BBEC Holistic Nutritionist and Building Biologist is the founder of Whole Home and Body Health which provides EMF Assessments, Mold Testing, and Nutrition and Health Consulting located in Boise, Idaho. Cathy is available for consulting via skype and phone, and is also willing to travel as needed for home assessments. Schedule an appointment today!