Intermittent Fasting

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Intermittent fasting (IF) is way of timing your meals to allow you to be in a non-fed state for relatively long periods of time.  A non-fed state also known as the “post-absorptive state” is a physiologic state where your body has consumed easily accessible energy sources like sugar and glycogen. When you have depleted those stores, your body will start using fat as an energy source. You will need to abstain from eating for at least 12 before you actually reach the “non-fed” state.

Transitioning to Intermittent Fasting

• Step 1 – Stop snacking – eat three meals each day – do not eat between meals
• Step 2 – Stop consuming sugar, reduce excess carbohydrate intake
• Step 3 – Do not eat your first food of the day (breakfast) until you are hungry
• Step 4 – Eat your breakfast later and later in the morning as you start to become more fat adapted. 
• Step 5 – Eat two meals each day
• Step 6 – Eat your first meal later and your last meal earlier to increase the amount of time that you are in the non-fed state
• Step 7 – Eat one meal a day
• Step 8 – Continue to extend your fast to greater than 24 hours

Caution – extended fasting should be done under strict medical supervision. Beware – excessive fasting can be stressful and therefore increase your cortisol levels leading to high blood sugars, suppression of thyroid function and failure to lose weight. 

Tips For Success

• Reduce your carbohydrate intake levels – carbohydrates stimulate insulin
• Avoid excess amounts of protein – protein can be turned into carbohydrates, which then increase insulin
• Eat healthy fats – Meat, eggs, cheese, coconuts, chicken, pork … Avoid polyunsaturated fats (PUFA) – PUFA are found margarine, commercial mayonnaise and salad dressings (usually in the form of canola oil or soy oil) and many processed foods
• Eat real food- avoid protein powders, power bars, avoid processed foods. Protein powders often contain BCAA (branched chain amino acids) that can spike your insulin levels
• Drink plenty of water – avoid juice, diet drinks
• Avoid artificial sweeteners- they can spike you insulin levels
• Do not try to starve yourself – this is not sustainable and will slow your metabolism
• Do not overeat when breaking your fast – eat slowly in a calm, relaxed atmosphere.
• Be flexible with your eating schedule
• Plan ahead with what you are going to eat to break your fast-Do not just “grab something” because you are tired or hungry or time pressured.

FAQ

• What is the advantage of being in the “non-fed” state? 

While in the “non-fed” state, you will burn your own fat for energy; this will help you to reduce your body fat. More importantly, fasting (being in the non-fed state for extended periods of time) will reduce your insulin levels. Chronically elevated insulin levels (resulting from lack of being in the non-fed state) leads to insulin resistance (IR). Fasting also helps "fighting inflammation; may boost brain function and prevent neurodegenerative disorders; may enhance heart health by improving blood pressure, triglycerides, and cholesterol levels; increases growth hormone secretion, which is vital for growth, metabolism, weight loss, and muscle strength; could extend longevity; and may aid in cancer prevention and increase the effectiveness of chemotherapy..." (link)

•  Why is Insulin Resistance (IR) so detrimental to health? 

Research is demonstrating that insulin resistance (IR) is the root cause of many chronic diseases including heart disease, high blood pressure and type II diabetes. IR also contributes to weight gain, hypothyroidism, cancer, mortality from covid-19 and other chronic inflammatory diseases.

• Doesn’t a calorie-restricted diet do the same thing? 

No! Calorie restricted diet eventually will fail because your metabolism slows down under conditions calorie restriction. Intermittent fasting dose not restrict caloric intake, instead IF restricts the timing of your meals. IF does not slow your metabolism. Improving your insulin sensitivity will actually increase your metabolism.

• Isn't eating small, frequent meals beneficial and breakfast is the most important?

Every time you eat, your pancreas secretes insulin and excess insulin is a root cause of weight gain and most chronic diseases.  And breakfast as a most important meal is a marketing strategy promoted by the food industry. Evolutionary, we would need to gather or hunt food each day and be in a non-fed state until we get the food for that day. Eating sugar loaded cereal each morning is not what our body needs to function properly.

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