Intermittent Fasting: Is It Right For You?

You’ve heard about intermittent fasting, but maybe you’d like a few more details. Or perhaps you’d like some guidance on how to implement intermittent fasting into your life. If so, you’re in the right place.

Intermittent fasting is an eating schedule that alternates periods of eating with periods of fasting. On some level, you’re already fasting.

You might only be fasting from bedtime until you wake up, but you’re fasting while you sleep. Intermittent fasting shrinks the eating window and expands the fasting portion of a 24-hour day.

There are a lot of benefits to be gained by intermittent fasting that will be covered in the next section, but the benefits are exciting and include:

●      Weight loss

●      Reduced inflammation

●      Lower blood pressure

●      Increased insulin sensitivity

●      Increased brain health

Intermittent fasting isn’t new but wasn’t well-known until 2012 when Michael Mosley hosted the documentary Eat, Fast, and Live Longer. This is the beginning of the popularity of intermittent fasting.

While intermittent fasting sounds difficult, most people are surprised how easy it is to follow after a couple of challenging days or weeks.

Intermittent fasting doesn’t require you to change how you eat, only when you eat.

Of course, making healthier eating choices is always a step in the right direction!

Intermittent fasting is a simple and convenient way of eating that makes a meaningful difference. You’ll notice that you save time and feel better. Your body wasn’t built to successfully handle eating day and night.

Intermittent fasting is more natural for your body than the eating schedule most people follow.

Consider that it hasn’t been that long that humans had access to a steady stream of food. In fact, many people in the world still don’t.

There was a time when humans spent most of the day roaming the countryside looking for things to eat, and they weren’t always successful.

Eating morning, noon, and night is a recent development, and it isn’t good for you.

The Benefits of Intermittent Fasting  

Many of the benefits of intermittent fasting have been shown in human trials, while others have only been studied in animals to date.

Certain types of studies, such as longevity and dementia-related studies, can take a long time to conduct, perhaps too long for anyone currently in their middle-age years to live long enough to see any concrete results!

It’s much quicker to test longevity in rats that only live 2-3 years versus humans that often live to 80 years or longer.

Some of the following benefits aren’t certain but are likely.

Intermittent fasting can greatly boost your health in many ways:

1. Lower insulin levels. 

When insulin levels are high, the body is reluctant to release fat stores for energy. This makes sense.

Your body assumes that if insulin is high, then your blood sugar must be high.

There’s no reason for your body to release fat for energy if you already have plenty of sugar in your blood.

However, over time, it’s possible to develop insulin resistance. This is when your cells no longer respond well to the action of insulin, and blood sugar remains elevated.

●      Intermittent fasting reduces both the blood sugar and insulin levels, which ultimately allows for the use of body fat for energy.

1. Decreased insulin resistance. 

Eating less frequently keeps your blood sugar lower, lowers your insulin levels, and can help increase insulin sensitivity.

Type-2 diabetes is the result of excessive insulin resistance.

Some people with type-2 diabetes are able to heal themselves eventually through intermittent fasting.

●      The weight loss that often occurs with intermittent fasting also increases insulin resistance.

1. Weight loss. With lower insulin levels, lower calories, and greater insulin sensitivity, weight loss often occurs. In some cases, it occurs rather quickly.
   
   
2. Lower blood pressure. Even without weight loss, intermittent fasting has been shown to lower blood pressure in human subjects. Interestingly, the eating window had to be eight hours or less to see this effect in the absence of weight loss.
   
   
3. Possible lowered risk of cancer. Several animal studies have shown that intermittent fasting can help to treat and prevent cancer. Studies in humans still need to be conducted.
   
   
4. Increased growth hormone. Growth hormone levels can be boosted significantly via intermittent fasting. Growth hormone can do a lot of good things in adults:
   
   

●      Improve bone density.

●      Increase muscle mass.

●      Lower body fat levels.

1. Cellular repair. There are processes in the body for repairing cells. These processes appear to be stimulated by intermittent fasting. It has also been suggested when the body spends less time and energy digesting food, it has more time and energy for these cellular repair processes.
   
   
2. Autophagy. When cells are beyond repair, they are destroyed by the body by a process called autophagy. Autophagy literally means “self-eating.” The body is eating its damaged cells, and this leads to the production of new cells.
   
   
3. Reduced inflammation. Many scientists believe that cancer, heart disease, asthma, arthritis, obesity, diabetes, Alzheimer’s disease, Crohn’s disease, and many others are all attributed to systemic inflammation in the body.
   
   

●      There’s little doubt that even low levels of inflammation are damaging to the brain, arteries, organs, and other cells of the body over time.

●      Intermittent fasting can help in this regard by reducing inflammation in your body.

●      Some causes of inflammation that can be helped by intermittent fasting are:

○      High blood sugar

○      Unhealthy foods

○      Obesity

○      Oxidative stress. Eating too much and eating unhealthy foods creates oxidative stress which damages the cells and leads to inflammation.

○      Immune cells. Certain types of immune cells are part of the inflammation process. Intermittent fasting reduces the activity of these immune cells.

1. Enhanced brain health. Intermittent fasting may reduce the risk of many neurological disorders such as Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease, and stroke. Animal studies have been very promising, but human trials are still necessary to verify the benefits in humans.
   
   

●      Intermittent fasting is believed to boost memory, learning, and the generation of new neurons.

●      Those that practice intermittent fasting also report less brain fog throughout the day.

1. Increased longevity. All of these health benefits make it very likely that this style of eating can increase the likelihood of enjoying greater health and a longer lifespan.
   
   
2. More free time. Fewer meals mean less time spent cooking, eating, and cleaning up afterwards. If you choose to adopt an intermittent fasting lifestyle, you’ll be surprised by how much time you used to spend dealing with meals.
   
   
3. Less hunger. When you go without food for about 12 hours, your body uses up all of its glucose supplies. This is when fat burning begins. When your body is burning fat for fuel, one of the metabolic products produced is ketone bodies. Ketone bodies are known to blunt the appetite.
   
   

●      Eating fewer meals also results in fewer blood sugar spikes and low points, resulting in less hunger.

●      Less hunger can also lead to weight loss

1. Improved palate. Eating less frequently often leads to a greater appreciation for healthy foods. You might find that your vegetables are more appealing after you start intermittent fasting.
   
   
2. Lower cholesterol and LDL numbers. Several studies have shown a drop in cholesterol and LDL values in intermittent fasters.

There are so many benefits to intermittent fasting. And best of all, there’s very little risk, and it’s free.

Can you think of anything else that can do more for your health for free? You can’t even talk to a doctor for 30 seconds for less than $150 in most cities!

There are things your doctor can do for you that you can’t do for yourself.

But your diet is something that you can do for yourself that your doctor can’t do for you. Be sure that you’re taking full responsibility for your health.

While intermittent fasting is very safe, there are a few potential hazards, which we’ll look at next.

 

“It is extremely important to understand that a healthy diet is a lifestyle change in that it's not something you can just dip in and out of and expect results and or optimum health.”

                                                              - Chloe Madeley

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Risks of Intermittent Fasting  

Intermittent fasting is incredibly safe for the vast majority of the population. However, there are potentially a few exceptions.

If you have any concerns after reading this chapter, give your doctor a call and set up an appointment. It’s always better to be safe than sorry.

Intermittent fasting can be risky for certain groups of people:

1. Those with a history of eating disorders. Many mental health experts believe that intermittent fasting could be problematic for those with current or past eating disorders. In this case, a more conventional style of eating is recommended.
   
   
2. Anyone under the age of 18. Anyone that’s still growing should postpone intermittent fasting until they are physically mature. The age of 18 is a safe bet for most, but if you’re over 18 and still growing, it’s best to wait to begin an intermittent eating plan.
   
   
3. Women who are pregnant or breastfeeding. It might be difficult to ensure that all the required calories and nutrients are being consumed each day. Growing a baby and producing milk requires a fair number of calories, vitamins, and minerals.
   
   
4. Diabetics. It’s best to work with your doctor if you have diabetes. Intermittent fasting can be very helpful for type-2 diabetics, but it’s best to consult your physician.
   
   
5. Those that are underweight. If you need to gain weight to be at your best weight, intermittent fasting is likely to be a step in the wrong direction.
   
   
6. Those on multiple medications. Check with your doctor first.
   
   

It’s understandable that these six groups might be better off following a more conventional diet.

Again, let your doctor be your guide if you have any concerns. The whole purpose of intermittent fasting is to enhance your health. There’s no point in following a diet that could be detrimental to you.

 

 

“Poor diet and sedentary behaviour have led to an increase in obesity and lifestyle-related disease and a huge rise in chronic medical conditions.”

- Frans van Houten

 

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Intermittent fasting can produce a few side effects, too, such as: 

1. Low energy. While many people report an increase in energy while intermittent fasting, it’s not uncommon to suffer from low energy levels for a week or two.
   
   
2. Binge eating. Intermittent fasting will typically require eating larger meals, but that’s not a license to get carried away. Limiting yourself to healthy foods can be helpful. It’s easier to binge on potato chips than salad.
   
   
3. Anxiety. If you regularly use food to deal with stress, depression, boredom, loneliness, or other negative emotions, you may feel some anxiety initially. Seek out other ways to soothe yourself when you experience uncomfortable emotions.
   
   
4. Preoccupation with food. Those that intermittent fast often report less preoccupation with food, but the opposite can also happen. You might find yourself counting the hours until you can finally have a meal.
   
   
5. Brain fog. Until your body gets used to intermittent fasting, it’s possible to suffer from a little brain fog. This typically clears up once your body becomes used to dealing with less frequent meals.
   
   
6. Diarrhea. This happens more frequently with longer fasts, such as alternate day fasting. On an alternate day schedule, you might go 36 hours without food. Eating a huge meal right after a longer fast might send your GI tract into a tailspin. More moderate fasting schedules are rarely an issue.
   
   

●      The solution is to eat a small meal at first after a longer fast.

The common side effects of intermittent fasting are far from life threatening but can certainly be annoying.

Most of these side-effects only occur during the first week or so, and most people report zero side-effects. The risk of intermittent fasting is minimal if you’re not in one of the higher-risk groups.

 

 “Do you know how many calories are in butter and cheese and ice cream? Would you get your dog up in the morning for a cup of coffee and a donut?”

- Jack LaLanne

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How Does Intermittent Fasting Work? 

How does intermittent fasting accomplish all of the amazing benefits that it provides?

There are several interesting things that scientists have discovered about intermittent fasting and the physiological effects that are produced.

Not everything is known yet, but there’s enough to be confident in the benefits of intermittent fasting.

 There are 4 states in the fasting cycle:

1. The first state is the absorptive state. This begins immediately after eating. You’re fed and your body is digesting and absorbing nutrients.
   

●      This state is roughly four hours in duration. The body relies on glucose for energy and the mechanisms for storing body fat are very active.

●      This is the state most of us are in the vast majority of the time. We eat again before our metabolism moves on to the next state.

1. The next state is the postabsorptive state. This state lasts from 8 to 12 hours. The primary source of fuel is still glucose, but the source is the liver, rather than directly from food.
   
   
2. The fasted state. Once the liver glycogen stores are depleted, the body is in a fasted state. At this point, the body is switching over from glucose to other energy sources, including fat.
   
   
3. The final state is a switch from fat storage to fat mobilization. This is the point that the body has no interest in storing fat but is very interested in releasing fat to be used as energy.
   
   

●      This is also a period of low insulin. In fact, low insulin is considered to be one of the primary triggers for this state.

It’s also why diabetics that use insulin have a very difficult time losing fat. The body is reluctant to hold onto fat if insulin levels are high.

Intermittent fasting allows the body to move beyond states one and two. There are many health benefits that occur once the fasted state is reached.

It’s easy to see that if you eat until late into the night and begin eating early in the morning, the fasted state is never reached.

Other mechanisms for the benefits realized by intermittent fasting include:

1. Fewer calories. A smaller eating window tends to result in consuming fewer calories.
   
   

●      A fasting period of at least 16 hours each day encourages the use of fat for energy and results in a rise in ketone bodies in the blood, which lessens appetite.

●      This has many benefits, including weight loss, which leads to other positive health results.

1. Lower inflammation. Less inflammation leads to lower incidence of heart disease, stroke, arthritis, and many other diseases.
   
   
2. Lower IGF-1. Insulin-like growth factor 1 is involved in the growth of bones and tissue. High levels of IGF-1 are implicated in the developments of several types of cancer. Intermittent fasting lowers IGF-1, and lower levels of IGF-1 are associated with longer life spans.
   
   
3. Lower blood sugar levels, lower insulin levels, and greater insulin sensitivity. All of these greatly contribute to health, leanness, and longevity. High blood sugar is devastating to the lining of blood vessels and to nerves.
   
   
4. Compliance. The healthiest eating plan in the world is worthless if you can’t follow it. Intermittent fasting results in considerably better compliance than simply following a reduced calorie diet.
   
   
5. Increased autophagy. The damaged cells are removed from the body more quickly and efficiently when intermittent fasting. Autophagy plays a big role in preventing cancer.

While all of these are amazing, it’s important to note that this is how your body was designed to operate.

You’re allowing your body to do what it naturally does. Intermittent fasting prevents you from getting in the way of your body’s natural processes.

Intermittent fasting isn’t really making your body do anything. You’ve just been preventing your body from doing all of these things by eating too much and too often.

“Some people are willing to pay the price and it's the same with staying healthy or eating healthy. There's some discipline involved. There's some sacrifices.”- Mike Ditka

 

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Eating Schedules 

There’s more than one road to get to the intermittent fasting promised land.

There are several popular eating/fasting schedules, and you always have the option to create your own plan. Let’s take a look at a few options.

Consider the intermittent fasting schedule that will work best for you:

1. 16:8. This is the most common intermittent fasting eating schedule. On this plan you have eight hours of eating and a 16-hour fast. This can be very convenient.
   
   

●      You can skip breakfast and begin eating at noon. Your eating window lasts until 8PM, which allows for lunch, dinner, and a snack. You’re free to use the eight hours as you see fit.

●      Some people modify this plan by decreasing the eating window to as little as 2 hours. It’s up to you but avoid an eating window of over 8 hours.

1. 5:2. This plan allows for five days of regular eating and two days of very low calorie eating. The commonly suggested caloric intake for the two low-calorie days is 500 calories for women and 600 for men.
   
   
2. Eat-Stop-Eat. You simply eat on some days and skip eating altogether on others. Two days of fasting per week is the most common schedule. However, many people have success with just one day a week, while others prefer three.
   
   
3. Alternate day fasting. Just as the name suggests, you eat one day and fast the next.
   
   
4. One meal a day. This plan has a lot of fans. You eat one meal a day or have a one-hour eating window each day. Most people prefer to eat their one meal at dinner, but it’s entirely up to you. If you want to lose a significant amount of weight quickly, this is a great option.
   
   
5. Your own schedule. Many people choose to follow their own intermittent fasting schedule. Jack Dorsey, the CEO of Twitter and Square has a unique fasting schedule. He eats one meal a day from Sunday night until Thursday night. He doesn’t eat anything on Friday or Saturday.
   
   

There’s more than one way to do intermittent fasting. The right schedule depends on you and your lifestyle. Everyone is different and the best schedule for someone else might not be the best schedule for you. Feel free to give a few options a try and pick the one that works the best for you.

The best option is the one that you can follow consistently.

 

“If I'm not hungry and I'm busy, I am quite happy to skip a meal. It's informal intermittent fasting. I feel strongly that this is one of the strongest areas of longevity research.”

- David Andrew Sinclair

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Getting Started  

It’s not enough to read about intermittent fasting.

At some point, it’s necessary to get started and actually do it!

Intermittent fasting is simple once your body gets used to it and you lock down the right schedule.

There are several tips that make your first intermittent fasting experience easier.

Use these strategies to get started with intermittent fasting today:

1. Try 16:8 first. This tends to be the easiest plan for most people, because many are already close to following this plan already. Many people eat a minimal breakfast anyway, so skipping it altogether isn’t a huge change.
   

●      The only challenge is managing food consumption in the later evening hours when many people struggle with overeating.

●      16:8 is the best place to start unless one of the other options is highly appealing to you.

1. Set an easy goal. Rather than decide on day 1 that you’re going to eat this way for the rest of your life, start with something smaller. A week is a good goal, and you’re likely to feel pretty good after a week.
   

●      Once you’ve accomplished a week, aim for two more weeks. Three weeks is enough time to determine if intermittent fasting is for you.

●      Even easier is to do just a few intermittent fasting days the first week, and then add additional days when you believe you can be successful.

1. Pick the best 8-hour window for you. While most people on a 16:8 schedule choose to eat from noon-8PM, there’s no reason you have to use these times.
   

●      If you like to eat in the morning, you can start eating at 6AM if you like.

●      Or maybe you’d like to have a late breakfast, normal lunch, and early dinner.

●      You’re free to choose the continuous 8-hour period that works for you.

1. Get the junk food out of the house (mostly). An 8-hour window is still plenty of time to eat enough to gain weight and be unhealthy. Eight hours just makes it harder.
   

●      One cardinal rule of any eating plan is: If it’s in the house, you’ll eventually eat it.

●      Don’t deprive yourself of all the foods you love but keep your access under control. A small bag of M&Ms is a better option than the big bag.

1. Fill up on healthy foods first. When you do sit down to eat, focus on eating healthy foods that you enjoy. If you want to eat something unhealthy, wait until the end of the meal and enjoy a small indulgence. 

Focus on:

●      Vegetables

●      Fruits

●      Healthy sources of protein

●      Whole grains

●      Healthy fats

●      Water is a great, healthy, low-calorie option that can fill you up quickly.

1. Have a plan for hunger. What are you going to do if you experience hunger outside of your eating window? You’re not intermittent fasting if you’re not sticking to the plan.

●      Studies show that those with a plan to handle negative events such as hunger, anxiety, or the urge to spend irresponsibly are much more likely to be successful when those events occur than those without a plan. So, have a plan.

●      You could read a book, go for a walk, drink a glass of water, knit, clean the house, dance, call a friend, or chop wood.

●      When you want to eat, consider whether you’re really hungry or just bored, stressed, or lonely. If you’re not hungry, distract yourself.

1. Exercise. Exercise is a good idea for everyone that doesn’t have a manual labor job. Your body needs some physical activity to be healthy. Exercise also helps to control appetite and will make it easier to stick to the plan.
   

●      Take it easy at first, but there’s no reason why most people can’t exercise without reservation.

●      For example, do you know of David Goggins? David needed to lose 106 pounds in less than three months to qualify for Navy Seal training. He ate one meal a day and exercised for several hours every single day. He was successful and became a Navy Seal.

It might feel a little intimidating to begin intermittent fasting. The most important aspects are just getting started and avoiding the need for perfection.

It might take some time to find the right eating/fasting schedule that works best for you. Be patient and do your best to enjoy the process.

“The closer food looks to the way it is in nature, the better you can tell that it's nutritious, and a good part of a healthful diet, which along with exercise can promote overall health.”

- Margaret Cuomo

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Frequently Asked Questions   

Can I eat whatever I want during my eating window?

You can, but just because you’re eating in a narrower window than before doesn’t mean that food quality doesn’t matter.

●      You will see benefits from intermittent fasting even if you eat the same foods you normally eat. However, higher-quality food will yield better results.

●      Avoid the belief that you can now eat a lot of junk and still see significant benefits.

What can I consume during my fasting period?

Ideally water. Diet drinks, plain tea, and coffee are all calorie free and acceptable. Anything with calories is best avoided.

What is the best eating schedule?

The best eating schedule is the one that you will best adhere to.

If I follow 16:8, what is the best time of day for my 8-hour eating window?

Again, the best schedule is the one that you’ll adhere to.

●      The second answer is to eat earlier in the day.

The body’s digestive system is believed to have a circadian rhythm like your sleep cycle. Your body is best at digesting and assimilating food in the morning. You’ll also be less likely to affect your sleep if you eat earlier in the day.

How should I manage hunger while fasting?

Here are a few tips:

●      Remind yourself that you’ll be eating before too long.

●      Remind yourself that what you’re doing is good for your health.

●      Drink a big glass of water.

●      Exercise.

●      Distract yourself in any way you can that isn’t unhealthy. For example, smoking isn’t the best option here.

1. What if I don’t want to lose weight, but I still want the health benefits of intermittent fasting? You’ll simply need to ensure that you’re eating enough. Just eat more food at your meals and/or ensure that you’re eating some foods that are more calorie dense.
   
   
2. Are there any supplements I should take? There’s no reason to take any supplements just because you are practicing intermittent fasting. There’s no reason to avoid any either. It would be best to take any supplements during your eating period.
   
   
3. What is the longest I can safely fast for? In supervised fasting clinics around the world, six weeks is pretty standard. That’s right, six weeks without food. While you can probably fast for six weeks safely, having medical supervision would be best for such an undertaking.
   

●      In the world of intermittent fasting, fasting for an entire weekend without food is fine if your doctor is onboard.

Will I lose muscle from intermittent fasting?

Most studies show that intermittent fasting has no impact on lean body mass. A few studies show minimal lean body mass losses, while others show minimal gains.

If your muscle mass is affected, it will be inconsequential.

 

“The only way to keep your health is to eat what you don't want, drink what you don't like, and do what you'd rather not.”- Mark Twain

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Tips for Success  

Those that have been intermittent fasting successfully for years have a lot of tips to pass along to others who want to be successful.

A few additional bits of knowledge might make all the difference.

Below you will find the most common tips from the experts.

Keep these tips in mind to maximize the odds of success:

1. Intermittent fasting doesn’t guarantee weight loss. Eating fewer calories than your body requires is the only way to lose weight. Intermittent fasting can make it easier to consume fewer calories. However, it is possible to overeat, even if you’re only eating during a small part of the day.
   
   
2. Stay hydrated. Everything in your body works better when you’re sufficiently hydrated. If you find yourself craving water-rich foods like grapes, apples, and many other fruits, there’s a good chance you’re just thirsty.
   
   

●      Have a glass of water every few hours. If you can’t stand the thought of drinking water, choose another zero-calorie beverage.

1. Make your meals enjoyable. After you’ve gone 16 hours or more without food, you deserve to eat something you like. Plan ahead. Just remember to be healthy.
   
   
2. Be prepared for some grief from your friends and family. You probably don’t know a dietitian, but everyone seems to be an expert on what constitutes an appropriate diet. Don’t let anyone talk you out of any of your goals, including this one. Try intermittent fasting and determine for yourself if it’s appropriate or not.
   
   
3. Eat slowly and meaningfully. This is always good advice. Put your full attention on your meal. Take smaller bites. Chew your food slowly and thoroughly. Avoid doing anything else while eating, such as watching TV, reading, or playing on your smartphone.
   
   
4. Eat foods that are more satiating. Eat at least one food with each meal that is very satiating. Soups, oatmeal, chicken, beans, eggs, and yogurt are a few examples. A meal of rice and vegetables can be satisfying, but the feeling doesn’t last for long.
   
   
5. Stay busy during your fasting periods. If you’re bored and idle, you’re more likely to eat when you shouldn’t.
   
   
6. Stick to a fasting routine. Start and end your fast periods at the same times. Avoid moving your eating window around each day. Your mind and body do best with a schedule
   

 

“The best way to lose weight is to close your mouth - something very difficult for a politician. Or watch your food - just watch it, don't eat it.”

                                                                   - Ed Koch

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Continue to Research

Intermittent fasting is a more natural way of eating than the current custom in North America and most of the world.

Our bodies weren’t designed to consume food from early in the day until late at night.

There are a lot of benefits to eating inside of a smaller window of time.

The benefits of intermittent fasting are a result of the metabolic changes that occur. The major changes include:

●      Better insulin sensitivity

●      Lower blood sugar levels

●      Less inflammation

●      Increased fat burning

These changes also lead to lower body weight which is a healthy step for most of the population.

The benefits you can expect to receive are numerous:

●      Lower body weight and lower body fat levels

●      Decreased risk of many diseases

●      Increased longevity

●      Eating fewer meals leads to more free time

There are a few groups of people that might not be suited to intermittent fasting. If you fall into one of these groups, have a chat with your physician.

The benefits gained from intermittent fasting are worth a visit to your doctor.

Choose the best eating/fasting schedule for your life and your personality.

Sticking with this style of eating is more important than the specific schedule you choose.

They’re ultimately all a path to the same destination.

If you’d like to be healthier, intermittent fasting is an idea worth considering. If you have any questions or concerns, talk with your doctor and keep researching online.

 

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