Intermittent Fasting
The terminology ‘Intermittent Fasting’ is confusing for many people. ‘Fasting’ is used to refer to food restriction for set periods of time. Fasting means to voluntarily reduce or eliminate your intake of food for a specific time and purpose.
Many religions have periods of fasting to atone or purify. Some fasts are directed for medical conditions. Whether for religious observation or medical reasons these fasts are for a period of time and not meant to be ongoing.
Intermittent fasting on the other hand is an eating pattern where you cycle between periods of eating and fasting. We naturally do this by eating during the day and fasting at night. Breakfast is when we break our nightly fast.
Humans have evolved to a day/night cycle. Our metabolism has adapted to daytime food, nighttime sleep. Nighttime eating is associated with a higher risk of obesity and type 2 diabetes.
We break our fast in the morning and then provide ourselves adequate fuel throughout the day. To maintain a healthy weight our intake depends on our daily activities. Most of us are not meant to eat 18 hours of the day starting at 6 AM and ending with a midnight snack.
An individual who rises early to physically toil all day returning at dusk, may need a large breakfast before dawn, stopping for a full lunch and snack to return home to a late dinner. Those of us with sedentary or even moderately active days, likely do not need to keep this schedule to maintain a healthy weight. Regular daily physical activity is important and may require more fuel but does not necessarily necessitate adding extra meal times.
Most of us can break the fast with a small breakfast, getting adequate fuel during the day by eating small amounts at regular intervals. A reasonable intermittent fast feeding schedule would schedule the last meal 8 hours from the first. Food is then avoided overnight. Adequate hydration during the day should be maintained.
Morning people may elect to start eating at 8 AM and have their last meal around 4 PM. Those with more social engagements or night owls may prefer eating on a 1-9 pm schedule. The schedule should work for your obligations and lifestyle.
Intermittent fasting has been found to increase the diversity of the microbiome with a higher percentage of beneficial bacteria. During the evening fast we allow our gut to rest. While our body focuses less on digestion, it may focus on repair. During fasting our body’s cells change the expression of genes and initiate important cellular repair processes.
When you fast, human growth hormone levels go up and insulin levels go down. This has benefits for fat loss and muscle gain. It allows our body to switch from storing fuel to burning it.
In addition to lowering insulin and increasing growth hormone levels, there is an increase in the release of the fat burning hormone norepinephrine during fasting. Because of these changes in hormones, short-term fasting may increase your metabolic rate.
Our bodies switch from metabolizing sugars during waking hours to fats overnight while we’re sleeping. Those who disrupt their circadian rhythm—with jetlag, night shifts, or midnight snacks—are more prone to glucose intolerance, fatty liver, and elevated blood pressure.
Weight loss is the most common reason for people to try intermittent fasting. Eating fewer meals, intermittent fasting often leads to an automatic reduction in caloric intake. Additionally, intermittent fasting changes hormone levels to facilitate weight loss.
In addition to losing weight, diabetes and elevated blood pressure may be improved. Many people continue on this eating schedule to maintain an ideal weight. This may be especially important for those with a history of type 2 diabetes or high blood pressure.
Intermittent fasting is not for everyone. Prepubertal children, pregnant or breastfeeding moms, those in intense physical training or with chronic medical conditions often need a more liberal caloric intake, eating schedule and meal times. There is some evidence that intermittent fasting may not be as beneficial in women as in men and may be harmful to some women. Menstruation and fertility issues are of concern.
Intermittent fasting can have many benefits for your body and brain. It can promote weight loss and may reduce your risk of type 2 diabetes, heart disease and cancer. It may also help you live longer.
Keep in mind, It is not just when you eat that matters. What you eat is vital. Plant-based, whole, unprocessed foods are the basis of any health promoting diet.
