Intermittent Fasting – The Multiple Benefits
“Fasting is the first principle of medicine” - Rumi
Simple Hacks For Women Who Want To Benefit From Intermittent Fasting
Feasting and fasting is a part of the natural cycle of life. Incorporating fasting into your lifestyle is a beneficial practice that’s free and flexible. You can even fast when you are traveling or have a busy schedule. A regular fasting practice enables you to take time out to participate in feasting on holidays, vacations, and other important life events, without losing the benefits you have gained.
Studies show that extended periods of fasting can yield several benefits such as weight loss, greater burning of body fat, improved cognition, reduced inflammation, and potentially increased longevity.
There are different ways that people fast. For instance, longer multi-day fasting, fasting for shorter periods, the 5:2 fast, dry fasting, water fasting, and so on.
In this blog post we explore the concept of Intermittent Fasting (IF), which is a biohacking tool and a way of restricting food intake for periods of time that are suited to your body. Intermittent Fasting looks beyond weight loss to other additional benefits.
IF is easy to follow while leading a normal life. You can sleep through much of the fasting period, which makes it convenient. Establishing a healthy eating routine with IF, gives your digestive system enough time to rest between meals, which leads to better digestion. Plus, when your body gets a welcome break from processing food, it can focus on healing itself, on cellular repair, and on regeneration.
You could structure your IF fasting hours based on what suits you. There are various options such as 16:8, 18:6, or even 20:4. So, for instance, if you follow the 16:8 hour fasting format, and your last meal of the day is at 7pm, then your next 8-hour window for eating will only be after 16 hours, which starts at 11 am the next morning.
So, what happens when you fast and why is a 16-hour fast the magic number to strive for? Let’s break it down :
- In the first 4 hours after a meal, your body uses the food consumed for energy and cell growth. It stores excess glucose in your cells.
- Between 4 – 10/12 hours in the fasting window, your body uses these stored nutrients and glucose for energy.
- Around 12-14 hours after your last meal, the body starts using stored fat for energy. This is the key to weight loss.
- Around the 16-hour fasting mark, autophagy also known as ‘self-eating’ or ‘cellular recycling’ kicks in. Autophagy is considered a crucial mechanism in the body. It's a cellular clean-up, where old and dysfunctional cells that can contribute to ageing, cancer and other chronic diseases are removed and mopped up from the body.
Some studies indicate that autophagy typically begins after around 14-16 hours of fasting and peaks after around 48 hours of fasting. There are others who say that autophagy begins only beyond the 18 to 24-hour mark. A heavy last meal prior to fasting, that is high in carbohydrates, may take you longer to get to the stage of autophagy as against a low calorie one. This could be one of the reasons for varied ranges in different studies.
Do note that research on IF and associated autophagy is still in its early stages, and more studies are needed to fully understand the relationship between the two.
For me personally, the ideal fasting period is 14-15 hours as I find my body doesn't cope well with the stress of longer fasts on a regular basis. Once a fortnight, I manage to do an 18-hour fast. There are many women who do wonderfully well with longer fasts. Always remember to identify and follow what works best for you.
Benefits of Intermediate Fasting for women:
- Weight loss: Intermittent fasting can help women lose weight by reducing their overall calorie intake and boosting metabolism.
- Improved insulin sensitivity: Fasting helps regulate blood sugar levels and improves insulin sensitivity, which can be beneficial for women with insulin resistance or diabetes.
- Hormonal balance: Fasting can help balance hormones in women, including reducing levels of the hunger hormone ghrelin and increasing levels of the hormone leptin, which regulates appetite.
- Reduced inflammation: Fasting can reduce inflammation in the body, which is associated with many chronic illnesses, including heart disease and diabetes.
- Improved brain function: Fasting may help improve cognitive function, memory, and focus, which can be especially beneficial for women as they grow older.
You should avoid Intermittent Fasting if you are underweight, pregnant, lactating, have high or unstable levels of blood sugar or blood pressure, are undergoing medical treatments, or if you have kidney diseases.
I want to conclude by reminding you that the benefits of Intermittent Fasting are well-documented. My personal experience with IF has also been very positive. However, please keep in mind that these are my experiences and suggestions and should only be taken as a general guideline. It's always recommended to seek advice from a medical professional before embarking on any significant dietary changes.