There’s a new trend in how we eat, or possibly I should say how often we eat. It is becoming especially popular because it helps people lose weight without having to deal with the effects of hunger. It also helps reduce the risk of chronic diseases, like diabetes, cancer and heart disease.
What is this new trend? “Intermittent fasting” or IF is the name of the game.
Intermittent fasting is nothing new. In a sense, IF is an eating strategy imprinted in our DNA, because our ancestors practiced a reduced eating schedule. They had no choice in the matter. They simply did not have the kind of frequency and ease of access to food we have now.
Your Eating Window
True hunger is something you should only experience every 16-24 hours, not every four hours as we are accustomed to. This new strategy to eating is not just about skipping meals. It’s about spending as much time as possible in the fasted state.
The best way to define any type of fasting is to think of it as simply a change in eating patterns. In the case of IF, in place of three square meals in a day, or eating a handful of smaller meals throughout the day, you have a specific window of time when you’re allowed to eat. This could take the form of a few hours a day, or the fasting window could represent certain days of the week. During that time, you can eat whatever you want – within reason of course.
Spacing out your “eating window,” allows your mind to get in tune with your body so you understand what real hunger really feels like.
IF is not about starving. Fasting is different than starving, but it isn’t a diet either. The literal definition is:
“to abstain from food and drink during a specific period of time.
IF is about eating two meals in a day rather than three. Either breakfast and lunch or lunch and dinner during which you introduce a 16 hour fasting period and it’s proving to be a powerful approach to eating.
Let’s be real. The Western world spends little to no time in a fasted state. For most, there is a constant grazing from dusk to dawn, and even into the late night for some people.
IF won’t work for anyone that’s eating a steady diet of processed foods and chips. If you practice fasting, stick to a mostly whole food diet, rich in vegetables, lean proteins, healthy carbohydrates and fats to experience the best and quickest benefits of IF. And, the two meals chosen for the day need to be packed full of nutrition and completely balanced.
It is estimated that one out of every two people in today’s modern world is obese or overweight and millions are dying from complications that stem from this truth.
IF doesn’t just help to manage body weight. It a powerful tool in the life extension arena as well.
Unless you snack late into the night, you likely incorporate IF in your schedule already, fasting for approximately 12 hours daily. However, current research shows that some benefits of IF may only be realized after longer periods of fasting – around 20-24 hours, depending on activity levels.
The proposed benefits of IF in animals and humans reads like a laundry list of “look better,” “feel better,” and “live longer”…
Having a window of limited eating is much less difficult to pull off then restricting calories. IF is truly one of the simplest strategies for taking fat weight off and keeping good weight (muscle tissue) and requires very little change in behavior.
Slowing the aging process, boosting energy levels and rebooting the immune system are all benefits gained when you incorporate IF into your eating schedule.
So, what are you waiting for? Decide which two meals you want to enjoy going forward and choose the richest, nutrient dense foods to enjoy during that period. If follow this protocol, and combine it with challenging strength training exercises, I promise you will see positive changes in your body and in the way you feel.
For more tools and resources from Carolyn Hansen to assist you in attaining your health and fitness goals and achieving the success you desire in life, please visit:
Isn’t it time to throw away all the false statements you’ve accepted about dieting and exercise and learn what it really takes to stay healthy and fit?
