The benefits are truly impressive.
Intermittent fasting (IR) is not a diet, it is the frequency of eating. When you do IR, you eat less often and your pancreas does not need to release insulin. The main trigger for insulin is food. When insulin is not triggered, you can tap into your fat stores and use them for energy rather than sugar. However, your body will have to go through a period of adjustment from using sugar as fuel to using fat or ketones as fuel.
The main idea behind IR is NOT to reduce your calories, it is to eat and spike your blood sugar less often. Eating anything triggers insulin. I do not mean drinking a cup of coffee or tea in the morning, but eating 5 to 6 times a day. Snacking will spike insulin, even if the snack is labelled 'healthy'. The more often you eat, the more your insulin levels will rise, leading to insulin resistance. Insulin resistance is really bad news and deserves its own post.
Why is it so important to keep insulin levels low?
Insulin is a hormone (a message to the body) produced by the pancreas, which is located under your left rib cage. It does 6 main things and lots of other smaller things:
It is the key that opens the door in your cells so that sugar fuel can get in.
It reduces excess sugar in your blood after you eat.
Stores sugar in your liver and muscles
Converts excess sugar into fat
Allows amino acids (proteins) into the cell
Allows minerals, especially potassium, into your cells
Insulin is the most important fat-making hormone. When your insulin is working, you CANNOT burn fat, it is that powerful. It stores fat mainly in your midsection, look at the size of your belly and you can see how much insulin you have in your bloodstream. Too much insulin can lead to insulin resistance and when this happens your health starts going down hill until you hit stage 2 diabetes.
Keto & IR
It is important to always do IR in conjunction with a keto diet. On a keto diet you will eat dense and nutritious foods that will provide you with the energy you need between meals and all the essential nutrients to grow and repair your tissues.
Most importantly, your brain is a highly active organ that requires a constant and substantial amount of energy to support its complex functions. Although it makes up only about 3% of your body weight, the brain consumes about 25% of your body's energy. If it is deprived of the energy it needs to function, you may experience symptoms of hypoglycaemia (Greek - Hypo is under or low; Glyco is sweet or sugar and -emia is blood or low blood sugar). This comes with a range of symptoms - confusion, dizziness, weakness, blurred vision, difficulty concentrating, irritability, headaches.
What does IR looks like in practice?
You may consider starting IR and have only 3 meals a day and NO snacking. It is paramount to stop snacking between meals.
Then you can gradually transition to 2 meals a day.
If you have a very slow metabolism, are menopausal or may be even have a slow thyroid you could try doing one meal a day (OMAD).
The secret is to take it slowly and gradually. The main reason is that your body needs time to build up the cellular machinery to burn fat and switch to ketones. As you get used to using ketones instead of sugar as your primary fuel, your cravings will disappear and so will your frequent hunger pangs.
If you would like to explore this further, you can book a free introductory consultation.
Who should not fast?
Pregnant and breastfeeding women - you need a steady supply of nutrients throughout the day for your health and the growth and development of your baby.
People with neurodegenerative conditions - People with conditions such as Alzheimer's or Parkinson's disease also need to approach fasting with caution. These conditions often cause significant weight loss, so it is important to maintain a proper diet, rather than focusing on prolonged fasting.
11 main benefits of fasting
Insulin regulation - blood insulin levels drop significantly during fasting as blood glucose remains low.
Inflammation reduction: Fasting reduces inflammation and oxidative stress.
Improved heart health: Fasting may improve heart health by lowering blood pressure and triglycerides.
Repairing damaged tissue: Periods of rest may allow our bodies to heal.
Improved brain function: Many people report a clearer mind and improved memory when fasting.
Better appetite control: Regular fasting makes you less hungry, not hungrier.
Higher levels of Human Growth Hormone (HGH): This can lead to increased fat burning, muscle gain and other benefits.
Immune system improvements: Some consider fasting to be a catalyst. Researchers say that fasting "flips a regenerative switch", causing stem cells to produce more white blood cells as our bodies "recycle" the old ones. This turnover causes our immune health to become more robust and efficient.
Autophagy: Fasting helps to regenerate our bodies at a molecular level. The word autophagy means "self-eating" in Greek. Autophagy is our body's way of breaking down old, damaged and worn out material and then building new, healthier replacements on a molecular level. Fasting may be one of the most effective ways to trigger this important process.
Anti-aging: Fasting initiates many different positive changes in our bodies. These improvements slow down ageing by keeping our DNA and cells healthy. The benefits of fasting aren't just temporary. Over a lifetime, they have a cumulative effect on longevity.
Metabolism: Metabolic rate can increase by 3-14%.
