Intermittent Fasting 101: Everything You Wanted to Know

Intermittent Fasting 101: Everything You Wanted to Know

By Courtney Ranieri, N.D.

Intermittent Fasting (IF) has received a lot of hype recently. Intermittent Fasting actually isn’t a new concept. It has been practised for thousands of years, mostly for religious reasons. I hear you right now: before you can convince me to do anything with the word ‘fasting’ in it, you’re going to have to make a good case for it. I agree: the word ‘fasting’ sounds pretty... miserable. What we don’t realize is that you actually ‘fast’ every single day – we just call it sleeping. From the time you eat your last snack or meal of the day until you munch breakfast the next morning, you are in a ‘fasted’ state.

Intermittent Fasting differs from other diets as it focuses on controlling meal timing rather than what you’re actually eating. The idea behind Intermittent Fasting is that you are consciously ‘skipping’ meals to put your body into
a Fasted State. I’m not telling you about skipping meals just for fun, the good news is there are benefits to this madness...

The Benefits of Intermittent Fasting

Studies have shown that IF can:

•   Regulate insulin levels

•   Promote weight loss, especially in the belly area

•   Improve appetite control

•   Improve heart health by decreasing cholesterol, blood

  sugar and triglyceride levels

•   Decrease inflammation

•   Improve leptin (satiety hormone) control

•   Improve HbA1c (blood sugar marker)

•   Increase Human Growth Hormone aka HGH (which can help increase muscle mass and increase fat burn)

  Who May Benefit from Intermittent Fasting?

  Adults who:

•   Want to lose weight or are having trouble losing those last few lbs

•   Want to naturally increase Human Growth Hormone to increase muscle mass

•   Feel as though they are always eating, hungry or have lost the ability to feel full

•   Are Prediabetic or Diabetic

•   Have Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome

•   Have high cholesterol

•   Want more freedom from food. Having to worry less about food can free up mental energy for meal prep

  and leave more time for things you need to do.

  Top 3 FAQS to see if Intermittent Fasting is for you

  1. Can I eat or drink anything during the fasting time?

  2. Do I have to give up breakfast?

  3. Will I lose muscle mass?

  4. Can I work out while fasting?

  ***This article is only for informational purposes and should not replace medical consultation or recommendations***