Intermittent Fasting

Like many of us, I am sure you have a family member, friend or colleague that is fasting at this moment. Intermittent fasting has become a very popular trend over the last couple of years, even though it is not a new practice. For centuries, humans have had to fast because of the lack of, the accessibility to and/or the readiness of food at any given time, as well as religious beliefs and rituals. 

So where is all this fuss about intermittent fasting coming from? What does it mean? Are there benefits? And should you jump on the bandwagon and give it a go?

Let’s start by explaining what intermittent fasting is: When you intermittently fast, you are limiting the amount of time for eating in a day and, therefore, limiting the number of calories consumed on that day. This means the window of time during the day that you will be eating is reduced. 

One example is the 16:8 fasting method. This means that you will fast for 16 hours (except for the consumption of zero calorie beverages, such as black tea and coffee) and have an 8-hour window in your day that you will be able to consume your food, and you will do this every day of the week. The 5:2 method is also very popular and involves taking 5 days of your week to eat normally and 2 nonconsecutive days of your week that you restrict your calories to no more than 500-600 calories per day. 

Fasting for 24 to 72 hours has not shown to have a better outcome; rather, it can become dangerous and might encourage your body to store more fat in response to starvation. 

If we talk about the most well-known benefit of intermittent fasting, and the one that has made this trend so popular it is without a doubt: weight loss. 

Weight loss from intermittent fasting occurs simply because of the reduction in calories consumed in a day (as long as you do not binge eat) as the result of the restricted number of hours that you are allowed to eat during the day. 

What happens inside of your body when you do not eat for long periods of time (8 to 12 hours) is referred to as metabolic switching. This is when the sugar stores are exhausted, and the liver starts burning fat as a source of energy to fuel and sustain vital organs and tissues, resulting in fat loss. 

Other benefits that have been recorded after 4 weeks of intermittent fasting are improved cholesterol levels, blood pressure, heart rate, help with focus and mental clarity, and increased energy levels. However, it is important to note that studies have also shown that these improvements tend to disappear after resuming a normal diet. 

There is little doubt that fasting will help you lose weight and may even have additional benefits. The question becomes: are you willing to fast for the rest of your life? Studies have shown that the benefits of intermittent fasting disappear not long after 2 weeks of stopping the fasting. Fasting does not teach you to eat well or healthily. So, even though on the surface fasting might look like a good idea, it is very difficult to sustain in the long run and could have some adverse effects on your health, such as headaches and lightheadedness, digestive issues like constipation, bloating and nausea, fatigue, mood changes, malnutrition and difficulty sleeping—just to name a few. 

With all this said, if you are thinking of trying intermittent fasting, it is recommended that you seek approval and advice from a health professional to ensure that it is safe for you to try and in order to prevent any nutrient deficiencies. If you’re committed to losing weight or starting something different to improve your health, why not look at the bigger picture and try a most holistic approach that will get you the long-term results you want instead of unsustainable fad diets? 

The results you want can be achieved by putting some key strategies in place. These can be as simple as recognizing hunger and fullness cues, body movements and mindfulness eating. 

If you are ready to make a change that will become your new way of living, instead of just a quick fix, the team at Insight is here to help you!

For personalised support with developing resilience, book a session with Fran today!