Today let’s talk about Intermittent Fasting. I have used this with many of my patients and also on my own health journey. My dedication to this approach comes and goes and I think it is time to get back into a regular rhythm. I typically eat between 9-5 or 10-6 but you can choose whatever 8-hour window works best for your schedule. I find that the first few days I feel some hunger during my fasting window but my body soon gets used to the new food schedule.
There are many ways to support healthy metabolism. Two major ones that have gotten a lot of attention recently are Intermittent Fasting (IF) and High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT). The best news is that both of these are relatively simple to do, can be free or cheap to implement and can be used together! Later this week I’ll add a post about HIIT.
Intermittent fasting, or IF, is also referred to as “time-restricted eating.” In it, you choose an 8-hour window each day to eat and then consume no calories the rest of the day. This gives your body an extended fasting period where it has to mobilize resources (burn fat). Over the course of thousands of years, humans never had constant access to food the way we do now. Even just 50 years ago, most people ate three square meals but did not snack throughout the day. Now we commonly eat three meals AND snack through the day. We’ve increased our caloric intake in a time when most of us are more sedentary than ever.
Human beings evolved amazing mechanisms to weather good times and bad times. Our metabolism is such that we store excess calories as fat during times of abundance and can burn those stores to survive periods of famine. During feast times, insulin stores extra sugar in the blood as fat. Many of our modern meals are carb-rich – essentially flooding the body with quick energy. When the body is overwhelmed with resources it cannot immediately use, it is smart and saves much of those calories for a rainy day. Insulin also impairs cognitive function, which is why many people report feeling more mentally alert while intermittent fasting. During the 16-hour period of fasting, the body has to burn those stored calories as fuel. It releases glucagon – insulin’s hormonal opposite – which mobilizes fat in the body.
Intermittent fasting can be effective even if only utilized 5 days out of the week. Many patients still have great results and can ease their time restriction on the weekend. It’s still a good goal to eat during a 12-hour window on your “off” days. It is helpful to ease into intermittent fasting. Start with a 12-hour fasting window and every day or two add an hour to work up to a 16-hour window over the course of 1-2 weeks. If you are a brittle diabetic, pregnant, under 16, over 70, have chronic kidney disease, gout, chronic heart disease or a history of eating disorders, this is likely not a good eating strategy for you. These patients must consult a healthcare provider before starting IF.
HIIT and IF are a great combination to boost metabolism and fuel healthy weight loss. Eating a healthy diet is also crucial to supporting healthy metabolism. If you are ready to start or revitalize your health journey, you are in the right spot! Check out my website to get in touch. I offer 15-minute complimentary consultation calls to answer your initial questions. Telehealth appointments are available at your convenience from the comfort of your own home.
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