Intermittent Fasting: Trend or Truth?

In recent months, Intermittent Fasting has become extremely popular in the nutrition world. Fasters are enjoying weight loss, reduced cravings, and lower blood pressure, among other positive results. This method of eating is not new, however. Years ago, I read a book called Eat, Stop, Eat by Brad Pilon, which focuses on when you eat rather than the types of foods you include or restrict (intermittent fasting). According to Pilon, scientific evidence indicates that brief, regular fasts promote weight loss and retention of muscle better than diets that eliminate certain foods or cut your number of daily calories (although fasting usually does cut your number of calories as well).

As you know, I do not promote “dieting.” In fact, I encourage the opposite: Freedom Eating, and a healthy relationship with food. That being said, I do recommend a seasonal detox at least twice a year, and this type of fasting may be a useful tool for those looking to reset and reform their connection with food and eating in general. In my detox classes, I wholeheartedly discourage anything that would force or purge the system. Our mighty livers could unload an enormous amount of toxins into the bloodstream if pushed to hard or too fast, and so I always advise gradual changes. For that reason, I would not advocate for doing this type of plan for too long. I would also like to add that when I personally practiced intermittent fasting (the 16:8 plan), the benefits for me were purely mental. While I did not experience any noticeable physical improvements, I was, however, acutely conscious of my eating and the practice did bring about an awareness regarding my mental connection with eating that I had not previously experienced.

There are two main options for intermittent fasting. The 5:2 plan is one of the easiest fasts and often the one that beginner Intermittent Fasters choose, although it is a little more extreme than some of the other methods in that it involves fasting for a full 24 hours, two times a week. On the 5:2 fast, you eat normally five days a week and then you fast for a full 24-hour period. You can also extend that to doing the full 48 hours at once so that you can just eat the rest of the week without any concern or worries - as long as you’re also eating healthy food while avoiding snacks between meals. The convenient part about this plan is that you can choose when to fast, and move the days around if you so desire. For example, you may choose to fast during the week so that you can enjoy your weekends more. If, however, a special trip is coming up and you know you want to enjoy the food, you can change the fasting days. Clearly, this does offer some flexibility for the newbie. During fasting times, you only drink water and nothing else, so that you remain hydrated. When you do eat, you want to eat high-quality food that is low in simple carbs and high in veggies and nutrition. It is not recommended that you drink or eat anything, but keep in mind that you should pay attention to your body signals. If you feel weak or sick, it ís better to eat a healthy 50-calorie snack (fruit works great here) than to get sicker. If you want to try intermittent fasting, while there are easier programs to use, this one is easy to keep track of. Give it a try for a month or two so that you can see the results that it will have on your mind and your body. You can always try one of the other methods once you realize you can get results from this one.

The 16:8 plan. This daily fasting plan been shown to help people lose weight, lower their blood pressure, and reduce their risk of getting diabetes. This method is easier for most people to do than other versions that require 24 hours of fasting at a time. Instead, this one asks that you fast for 16 hours a day, drinking only water and zero-calorie beverages (herbal teas, citrus-infused water), and then eat whatever you like during an 8-hour window in the day. Studies show that eating between 7 am and 3 pm works better than choosing other times. If you want to choose to eat between 10 and 4, or 11 and 6, that ís your choice. Just pick an 8-hour window and stick to that. While many proponents of intermittent fasting claim that you can eat whatever you want, the truth is you can overeat and cause yourself to gain weight or not lose as fast. Start out with adding in whole foods such as fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds. As for the less-than-healthy choices, stick to one serving and enjoy it as you have it - don’t eat it mindlessly while watching TV. Avoid eating between meals. Whether you’re fasting or not, staying hydrated is imperative. One issue that remains true for most people is that due to ignoring our thirst cues from a very young age, we often don’t know whether we’re hungry or thirsty. To combat this problem, divide out your water each day so that you know by a glance whether you’ve had enough or not. Set yourself up for success by being prepared with the right whole food snacks, zero-calorie beverages, and healthy ingredients for healthy meal preparation. Plan how you’ll handle fasting times during social events, and you’ll be more likely to succeed. Fasting intermittently will help you understand what real hunger feels like.