Another buzzword for diets right now is fasting. In particular Intermittent fasting. Fasting itself is where you willing abstain from or reduce the amount of food, drink, or broth for a period of time. An absolute fast is abstaining from all food or drink for 8 to 12 hours. Intermittent fasting is where you cycle between periods of fasting and eating. While a fast lasts longer than intermittent fasting, the other major difference with intermittent fasting is that there are no restrictions on food, just when to eat food.According to Healthline humans have been fasting for thousands of years. Whether it was for social or economic reasons largely depended upon who was practicing the fasting. These days a fast is typically observed during spiritual or religious holidays as well as to help lose weight. Intermittent fasting isn't a diet program that you "buy" into with supplements or processed products. (Surprisingly, there are cookbooks though! I mean when I think fasting I think air...who wants a cookbook for air...but, yeah, no...it explains the method, why it's good, how you should practice, and then the obvious, well, recipes. ha!)
What's the big hype though for this diet? "When fasted, we get significant reductions in blood sugar and insulin levels, as well as a drastic increase in human growth hormone". A review of intermittent fasting from Ibiam Publishing.
This short video from the YouTube channel 'What I've Learned' explains the practice very well.
I learned while doing research for tonight's post though that there are several different intermittent fasting methods. There is the 16/8 method, where you fast for 16 hours and only eating between noon and 8pm. The Eat-Stop-Eat method where once or twice a week you don't eat anything from dinner on day one to dinner on day two (essentially fasting for 24hrs.) The 5:2 method is two days out of the week you only eat 500-600 calories a day. These are just to name a few, as in the YouTube video above, the commentator explained another method where he ate every 4 hours but zero snacking between meals. Intermittent fasting compliments a whole foods diet very well as it helps with fat burning, energy production, and improved hormone health.
With the benefits in mind, let's talk cons. There are specific people who should not practice intermittent fasting. According to PCOS Diet Support Tarryn suggests women who are nursing or pregnant, taking prescription medications specifically metformin (as this can cause bouts of low blood sugar), anyone with an eating disorder, or someone who is already underweight.
A Harvard Health article asks the question "Does the intermittent fasting diet work?" According to Dr. Hu one of the pitfalls is actually overeating. "It's human nature for people to want to reward themselves after doing very hard work, such as exercise or fasting for a long period of time, so there is a danger of indulging in unhealthy dietary habits on non-fasting days," The article goes onto say "Part of the fascination with intermittent fasting arises from research with animals showing that fasting may reduce cancer risk and slow aging. "One hypothesis is that fasting can activate cellular mechanisms that help boost immune function and reduce inflammation associated with chronic disease," says Dr. Hu. While it's true that getting rid of excess body fat will improve a person's metabolic profile and lower cardiovascular risk, he says, there's no strong evidence that fasting adds health benefits beyond any other weight-loss strategy."
What's the ultimate take away? Great for weight loss, some evidence that it is helpful with hormone production and reducing insulin levels, but there's still more research to be done on humans and if there are any long term side effects. Lastly, this diet is definitely contraindicated (as in do not pass go, do not collect $200, go directly to jail -- monopoly anyone? LOL) for a specific group of people, mainly those who are underweight, have an eating disorder or are taking medication for insulin. As a taker of metformin, this is also a diet I cannot participate in. I'm an energetic exerciser who is on timed medication. In other words, I GOTS TO EAT!
This may be something that you want to look further into though, if it may possibly work for you. I suggest at the very least obtaining a book on how to fast properly, never go in blind, and always consult with your doctor if it might be right for you.
Alright tomorrow, let's talk Vegetables! Vegans delight!
Blessings,
A
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