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EVERY-TIME WE TURN AROUND IT SEEMS AS THOUGHT THERE IS SOME NEW DIET OR TRAINING CRAZE TAKING OVER ON SOCIAL MEDIA, INTERNET, NEWS, OR FROM FRIENDS. NOW, SOME OF THESE ARE FADS AND WILL CONTINUE TO COME AND GO WITH EVERY NEW SEASON, BUT THERE ARE SOME THAT ARE GAINING POPULARITY AND ACTUALLY HAVE QUITE A BIT OF RESEARCH BACKING THE PROS.
ONE OF THE MORE POPULAR THINGS PEOPLE ARE TRYING THESE DAYS IS INTERMITTENT FASTING OR IF. AT FIRST I WAS SKEPTICAL ABOUT THIS TYPE OF EATING AND “TRIED” IT FOR A LITTLE BIT AND DECIDED I HATED IT, BUT AFTER MORE RESEARCH AND ACTUALLY FOLLOWING AN IF STYLE THAT WORKED FOR ME, I QUICKLY CHANGED MY MIND.
BEFORE WE START BREAKING DOWN THE INS AND OUTS OF IF, LET’S TALK ABOUT WHAT IT IS EXACTLY. UNLIKE SOME OF THE FADS OUT THERE IN WHICH YOU NEED A 1,000 PAGE MANUAL TO KIND OF UNDERSTAND; INTERMITTENT FASTING (IF) IS PRETTY STRAIGHT FORWARD. ALL IF INVOLVES IS GOING THROUGH PERIODS/TIMES OF FASTING (NO CALORIES) FOLLOWED BY PERIODS OF EATING AKA “EATING WINDOWS”.
NOW, THERE ARE MULTIPLE WAYS OF DOING THIS WHETHER IT’S THROUGH TIMED EATING, SKIPPING A DAY OR TWO, BUT THE MOST COMMON IS THE 16:8 APPROACH (WHICH WE WILL BE USING FOR TODAYS BREAKDOWN)
FOR THIS STYLE OF IF, YOU WOULD FAST FOR 16 HOURS AND THEN HAVE AN 8 HOUR EATING WINDOW TO GET YOUR DAILY ALLOTMENT OF CALORIES. FOR EXAMPLE, LET’S SAY YOU HAVE YOUR LAST MEAL AT 8PM, YOU WOULDN’T EAT AGAIN UNTIL 12PM THE FOLLOWING DAY. STARTING AT 12PM YOU WOULD HAVE YOUR FIRST MEAL TO BREAK YOUR FAST AND THEN STOP EATING AT 8PM. NOW, I KNOW YOU’RE PROBABLY THINKING THAT 16 HOURS OF NO FOOD SOUNDS LIKE HELL, BUT IT ISN’T THAT BAD BECAUSE MOST OF THAT FASTED TIME IS WHILE YOU’RE ASLEEP!
NOW, THAT YOU KNOW WHAT INTERMITTENT FASTING IS, LET’S TALK ABOUT THE “WHY” BEHIND IT AND GO THROUGH SOME OF THE POSITIVE BENEFITS THAT COME FROM GIVING YOUR BODY A BREAK FROM FOOD. THE FIRST AND ONE OF THE BIGGEST REASONS BEHIND INTERMITTENT FASTING IS ITS POSITIVE EFFECT ON AUTOPHAGY.
AUTOPHAGY IS THE EATING/RECYCLING OF DAMAGED CELLS WITHIN THE BODY. LIKE A GIANT POWER PLANT; OUR BODIES ARE ALWAYS WORKING TO KEEP UP WITH THE DEMAND WE PLACE ON IT IN EVERYDAY. WELL, ALSO JUST LIKE A POWER PLANT RELEASING POLLUTANTS INTO THE AIR FROM ALL THE WORK GOING ON INSIDE; OUR BODIES RELEASE POLLUTANTS INTO THE BODY. THESE POLLUTANTS ARE KNOWS AS REACTIVE OXYGEN SPECIES (ROS) AND AFTER SO LONG, THEY CAN HURT OUR AMAZING POWER PLANT THAT IS OUR BODY. BY GOING THROUGH PERIODS OF FASTING IT PLACES STRESS ON THE BODY BECAUSE WE ARE STILL USING ENERGY; WHEN THIS STRESS STARTS THE BODY WILL START TO “EAT” BAD/OLD CELLS TO KEEP UP WITH THE DEMAND. SO, TO PUT IT IN SUPER SIMPLE TERMS; NO FOOD=SYSTEM CLEAN UP.
ANOTHER HUGE BENEFIT OF IF IS THAT IT GIVES THE DIGESTIVE SYSTEM AND THE GI TRACT A BREAK. IF YOU THINK OF YOUR STOMACH AS A MUSCLE; YOU’LL REALIZE THAT YO'U’VE BEEN “WORKING IT OUT” SINCE THE MOMENT YOU ENTERED THIS WORLD. FOR ME, THAT MEANS IT’S BEEN GOING NON-STOP FOR 29 YEARS! ADD ON TOP OF THAT, ALL THE SHIT THAT HAS BEEN PUT INTO IT DURING THAT TIME AND YOU’LL SOON REALIZE THAT YOUR DIGESTIVE SYSTEM HAS BEEN WORKING OVERTIME TO TRY AND KEEP YOU ALIVE AND HEALTHY. SO, LETS BE NICE TO THE LITTLE GUY AND GIVE HIM A BREAK FROM TIME TO TIME, SO THAT IT CAN BUILD UP ITS LINING, DIGESTIVE ENZYMES, AND WORK EVEN BETTER WHEN YOU DO EAT.
ALONG WITH HELPING RID THE BODY OF ROS AND STRENGTHENING THE DIGESTIVE SYSTEM; INTERMITTENT FASTING HAS BEEN SHOWN TO HAVE POSITIVE BENEFITS ON WEIGHT MANAGEMENT, MENTAL CLARITY/COGNITIVE FUNCTION, IMMUNE SYSTEM, AND BLOOD SUGAR & INSULIN LEVELS.
IN A SHORT ANSWER, YEAH JUST ABOUT. I THINK ANYONE CAN RECEIVE POSITIVE BENEFITS THROUGH IF, BUT JUST LIKE WITH ANYTHING ELSE, BE SURE TO CONSULT YOUR DOCTOR BEFORE TRYING NEW DIETS AND/OR TRAINING PROGRAMS. WITH THAT SAID, THERE ARE SOME PEOPLE WHO TYPICALLY FIND IF EASY AND REAP THE BENEFITS. THESE INCLUDE:
People who travel a lot- due to being on the road they can use the travel time to fast to help avoid high-cal/processed foods that can be found in airports and flights.
Keto enthusiasts- Due to the nature of the ketogenic diet (which is an entirely different topic) it’s common for people who eat a keto diet to incorporate IF into their daily habits.
People who struggle with breakfast or having breaks during the day- Often times I hear clients talk about not having time for meals during work or they aren’t hungry in the mornings; these are prime candidates for Intermittent Fasting since it’s pretty much what they already like to do.
AGAIN, THESE ARE JUST A COUPLE DIFFERENT TYPES OF PEOPLE THAT I’VE FOUND TO DO WELL WITH FASTING BECAUSE OF THEIR LIFESTYLE, BUT THAT DOESN’T MEAN IT’S ONLY FOR THEM.
BIGGEST RESPONSE I GET WHEN TALKING ABOUT IF IS “SO, YOU GET NO FOOD DURING THAT TIME?!” AND THE ANSWER IS YEAH PRETTY MUCH. TECHNICALLY, TO BE IN A TRULY FASTED STATE, THE BODY SHOULDN’T HAVE TO METABOLIZE ANYTHING. GUESS WHAT; NO MATTER WHAT IT IS THAT GOES INTO THE BODY, YOUR BODY WILL HAVE TO METABOLIZE IT IN SOME WAY. A COMMON THOUGHT WITH IF THOUGH, IS THAT AS LONG AS WHAT YOU INTAKE DOESN’T HAVE AN EFFECT ON INSULIN OR BLOOD SUGAR LEVELS, THEN YOU CAN STILL MAINTAIN A “FASTED” STATED. SOME OPTIONS THAT CAN BE HELPFUL WHEN FASTING, ESPECIALLY FOR LONGER PERIODS, ARE:
Black coffee
Branched Chain Amino Acids (BCAAs)
Medium Chain Triglycerides (MCTs)
Water
Herbal Tea
IF YOU’RE STARTING OUT WITH FASTING I WOULD AIM TO TRY AND DO IT WITHOUT TAKING IN ANYTHING BESIDES WATER. THIS GIVES YOU A CHANCE TO REALLY BECOME MORE IN-TUNE WITH YOUR BODY AND HOW FASTING AFFECTS YOU.
NOW THAT YOU HAVE A BASIC UNDERSTANDING OF INTERMITTENT FASTING, ITS BENEFITS, AND WHATS ALLOWED; LET’S TALK ABOUT WHERE TO START. IN MY OPINION, THE BEST AND EASIEST TIME TO START IS WITH OVER NIGHT FASTING FOLLOWED BY SKIPPING BREAKFAST. LIKE I MENTIONED EARLIER; IF WE STOP EATING AT 8PM AND THEN DON’T EAT AGAIN UNTIL NOON THE NEXT DAY; BAM! THERE IS A FAIRLY EASY 16-HOUR FAST, WHICH IS A GREAT STARTING POINT TO GET YOU USED TO THIS LIFESTYLE, WHILE REAPING THE BENEFITS. REMEMBER, DURING THAT TIME YOU CAN HAVE WATER AND IF YOU WANT A MORNING CUP OF JOE, GO FOR IT (JUST SKIP ON CREAM/SUGAR). ONCE LUNCH TIME HITS; EAT UP.
I RECOMMEND BREAKING YOUR FAST WITH A MODERATE FAT, MODERATE PROTEIN, AND LOWER CARB MEAL SO THAT YOU CAN AVOID CRAZY BLOOD SUGAR AND INSULIN SPIKES. AGAIN, THAT’S JUST MY RECOMMENDATION, BUT YOU CAN DO WHATEVER YOU WANT! AS YOU GET MORE COMFORTABLE WITH FASTING YOU CAN INCREASE YOUR FASTING LENGTH ALONG WITH TRYING OUT DIFFERENT WORKOUTS WHILE FASTED (YOU CAN GET EVEN MORE BENEFITS WHEN TRAINING DURING A FASTED STATE)
TO WRAP IT ALL UP, INTERMITTENT FASTING SHOULD BE THOUGHT OF AS A LIFESTYLE AND NOT JUST SOMETHING YOU DO TO DROP WEIGHT. IF DONE INCORRECTLY IF CAN BE UNHEALTHY AND HAVE NEGATIVE IMPACTS TO YOUR OVERALL HEALTH AND WELLNESS. MORE AND MORE RESEARCH IS COMING OUT ABOUT THE BENEFITS OF IF, SO KEEP YOURSELF INFORMED AND READ UP ON SOME OF THE DIFFERENT TOPICS OUT THERE IF THIS IS SOMETHING THAT INTERESTS YOU.
DON’T KNOW WHERE TO START WITH RESEARCH OR NEED A SUPPORT GROUP FOR YOUR FAST? JOIN MY CIRCLE ON THE LIFE APP (DON’T WORRY ITS FREE) TO FAST WITH OTHER PEOPLE, GET THAT ADDED MOTIVATION, & HELPFUL INFORMATION TO REACH YOUR GOALS. JUST SHOOT ME AN EMAIL AT MICAH@AWAYATHLETICS.COM SAYING YOU WANT TO JOIN MY FASTING CIRCLE AND I’LL TEXT YOU THE LINK!
REMEMBER THOSE SUPPLEMENTS I MENTIONED EARLIER? WELL, IF YOU’RE LOOKING TO TRY THEM OUT, THEN BE SURE TO USE MY CODE: LIFTAWAY TO SAVE SOME MONEY ON EITHER SURGE SUPPLEMENTS OR COMPLETE WELLNESS PRODUCTS.
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