My husband and I aren’t into fad diets, although we strive to eat healthy meals and limit portion sizes. As I mentioned in my post HbA1C, my numbers were elevated, putting me in the pre-diabetic category. Pre-diabetic?? I was quite concerned. In January, two friends told me they were doing Intermittent Fasting (IF), one of them to lower her HbA1C. That got me researching this diet, and here’s what I found out.
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What is Intermittent Fasting (IF)?
Intermittent Fasting involves rotating between a fed and fasted state: limiting food consumption to a particular window of time, and fasting the rest of the time. Some people fast for 2 days a week, and free-eat the rest of the days of the week (5:2 diet), or fast for 24 hours one day a week( 6:1 diet). On fasting days, a small meal of 500 calories may be consumed. This kind of IF is more difficult to sustain over time.
Most people though opt for the more doable 16/8 diet (or 18/6), in which they fast for 16(18)hours and eat during an 8(6) hour window, or the 12/12 diet, in which there is a 12 hour fast followed by 12 hours of eating.
The basic science of IF
The cells in our bodies obtain glucose and fatty acids for energy from what we eat. Glucose or sugar is used for energy, and the fats are stored as triglycerides. During times of fasting, fats are converted to ketones and those are used for energy.
Dr. Mark Mattson, a neuroscientist at Johns Hopkins, explains it this way: after several hours of fasting, when the sugar stores are consumed, the body makes a metabolic switch to using fat for energy.
Benefits of IF
Based on research (Sutton et al., 2018; Cabo and Mattson, 2019), the following are the benefits of IF:
- Reduction in insulin levels
- Improved insulin sensitivity
- Improved metabolism
- Reduced risk for cancer
- Enhanced brain function
- Reduction in inflammation
Who shouldn’t do Intermittent Fasting?
- Children and teens under the age of 18
- Pregnant or breastfeeding women
- People with diabetes or blood sugar problems (only on the recommendation of your doctor)
- Those suffering from eating disorders
- Chronically stressed women
- Those who don’t sleep well
If you experience unusual symptoms while doing IF, consult with your doctor.
How to go about it:
- The 16/8 plan seems to be the most sustainable. It might be easier to start off with the 12/12 plan, and after a week or so, keep adding an hour to the fasting period, until you are doing 16 hours of fast.
- According to Mattson, it can take 2-4 weeks to get used to IF.
- Generally people skip either breakfast or dinner. According to several studies, it is better to end your feeding time before 6 pm. End your eating time at least 3 hours before bed. Eating earlier is better.
- During the fasted state, one can consume water (highly encouraged) or sugarless beverages.
- Avoid too much snacking. That will help with blood sugar levels.
Additional guidelines:
- Remember more quality, less quantity. Avoid sugars and refined flour. Opt for complex carbs and more nutritious meals.
- Stay active. Incorporate aerobic as well as muscle building exercises into your day.
How we do IF
My husband and I practice the 16/8 plan. We are night owls, so we skip breakfast. We have a cup of tea with skim milk and stevia in the morning, along with water.
Lunch is our first meal of the day, although sometimes it resembles breakfast, because we really enjoy eating eggs and toasted homemade bread.
Like most Indians, we do have our cup of chai in the early evening, along with a snack. Our dinner ends later than is common for most IF-ers, but then we do go to bed around 1 am! (I’m writing this at 1 am, actually!)
Initially after starting IF, I lost a few pounds, but soon after, I plateaued. I realized that the claims that you can eat whatever you want during those 8 hours and still lose weight were baseless. You do need to limit calories. There has to be a caloric deficit in order to lose weight. So, I cut out my frequent snacking, and now snack less often with healthy snacks.
Since I did want to lose more weight, in addition to IF, we started eating a modified Mediterranean diet that my doctor has been recommending for a long time. I’ll write a post about that in the future. I have been losing weight and reducing my carbs has definitely helped with that.
Have you been doing IF? What has your experience with that been like? Would you like to start? Comment below. Share with someone who might benefit from this post.
2/12/23:
Since having written this post, based on more research,I have changed my views on IF especially for women.
Check out my newest post:
Keto and Intermittent Fasting: Debunking Diet Myths and Embracing Sustainable Health
If you have any health concerns, consult your doctor before starting Intermittent Fasting.
Sources:
hopkinsmedicine.org
health.harvard.edu
sciencedirect.com/Cell Metabolism
New England Journal of Medicine
“Journey to Health with Priya” provides general educational information on various topics on this website as a public service, which should not be construed as professional medical advice.
Thanks for sharing! Great info!
Thanks Cathy.