Intermittent fasting is increasing in popularity, primarily because it can be simple, it’s effective for weight loss and has many other health benefits. 

Intermittent fasting involves reducing your “feeding window” (the time period in which you eat), and certain types also involve reducing your calorie intake.

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what is intermittent fasting

The most common types of intermittent fasting include 5:2 fasting (fasting 2 days per week), alternate-day fasting and daily time-restricted feeding. Each of these types are effective, so you can choose the type of fasting that fits in best with your lifestyle.

One of the main challenges of fasting is fitting it in with your lifestyle. Many social occasions are food-focused, so it may be difficult if you’re trying to eat within a certain window. It can also be difficult to fit it in with your daily life – your work commitments may not allow you to have your first meal of the day is at 10am. 

How intermittent fasting works

Our cells are fuelled by glucose and fatty acids. Many of us rely on sugar and carbohydrates as our main fuel source, which can lead to low energy and the 3 pm slump. During fasting, fats are converted to ketones, which provide an efficient form of energy for the brain and other body tissues. This results in a “metabolic switch” from primarily using glucose for fuel to relying more or ketones for fuel.

Benefits intermittent fasting diet

Over time, intermittent fasting can reduce abdominal fat, lower blood pressure, reduce inflammation and improved gut health. Studies also show that it can improve brain function and protect against neurodegenerative disease.

Intermittent fasting also stimulates autophagy, which is the removal of any damaged cells, to promote the development of new, healthy cells.

While intermittent fasting is effective for weight loss, some studies suggest that it does not necessarily work any better than other diets. So if can make it fit in with your lifestyle, and you’re interested in the health benefits, it may be worthwhile considering.

How to Start Intermittent Fasting

Before you get started with fasting, check with your healthcare provided to determine whether it’s right for you.

If you get the green light, you’ll need to choose which type of fasting you will use and create a plan to put into practice. 

Time-restricted feeding is a simple way to get started. Here’s the process:

  • Look at your current feeding window, ie. what time do you eat in the morning, and what time is your last meal or snack of the day. How many hours is your feeding window? For example, if you’re having your first meal at 8am, and your last meal is finished by 8pm, you have a 12 hour feeding window.
  • Next, reduce that window by 1-2 hours to start with. So if you’re currently eating in a 12-hour window (between 8am and 8pm), reduce to 10 hours for one month (8am to 6pm). Following that, gradually reduce your feeding window to a minimum of 6 hours. 

Common side effects of fasting include hunger, irritability and poor concentration, however, these will usually disappear after a couple of weeks. Many people continue with intermittent fasting for months, even if they’re experiencing these symptoms. If you’re feeling tired, irritable and hungry after a few weeks, this approach may not be right for you. 

It’s important to note that intermittent fasting isn’t suitable for pregnant and breastfeeding women, anyone with a history of eating disorders and people with certain medical conditions.

While intermittent fasting can be beneficial for health and effective for weight loss, it’s not just how you eat that matters. What you eat is also extremely important for disease prevention and overall health. 

So, eat your veggies, healthy fats and quality protein, and consider experimenting with fasting for added benefits!

About the author: Fran Dargaville, Functional Nutritionist (MHumNutr, FNTP)

Fran Dargaville is a Functional Nutritionist and Speaker with a Masters Degree in Human Nutrition, specialising in Gut Health. She aims to empower people to take control of their health with real food nutrition and lifestyle shifts. She believes you’re not stuck with your symptoms – they are simply messages from the body that something is out of balance. She does the detective work to get to the root cause of frustrating symptoms (such as fatigue, brain fog, digestive issues and hormonal imbalances), to bring the body back into balance for life.

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