Intermittent Fasting – or IF…what is it, and is it for you?

Over the years there have been, and continue to be the latest and greatest new diets.  Designed to help you lose weight, gain muscle, feel better, get healthier… the latest being many versions of the grazing diet.  Eating many small meals throughout the day, which works well if you are diligent and enjoy planning, but can really be difficult if you work in an office setting or have a crazy schedule like me.  Another common issue is that after a few months of progress, there is usually that inevitable plateau. So what diet to choose, and why?  If you decide to implement IF, what does IF do for you?

Numerous animal and human studies done over the past many years suggest that periodic fasting can have dramatic results, not only in areas of weight (ie. Fat) loss, but in overall health and longevity.  A recent article in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition give a great overview: http://www.ajcn.org/cgi/content/full/86/1/7 .  There is a reduction in oxidative damage to lipids, protein and DNA, decreases in blood pressure, improvement in insulin sensitivity and glucose uptake, as well as decreases in fat mass.  There is also some evidence of extended longevity seen in animal studies (read here: http://www.abc.net.au/rn/talks/8.30/helthrpt/stories/s647159.htm) allowing one to surmise that the adaptation to feast or famine (ie IF) by desensitizing our bodies to surplus and thereby not over-burdening the body to excessive caloric intake, also may ‘turn on’ certain genes that repair specific tissues that would not otherwise be repaired in times of surplus.

What’s to argue with?  Results are results. The basic premise to IF is that you eat periodically, and only during a certain window of time.  You are not restricting calories, you are eating all your usual allotment of calories, or at least within 10%, during a restricted window of time, basically 16:8 or 18:6, focusing on protein, quality fats and vegetables.  For example, you would eat your meals from 1pm to 9pm (16:8) or from 1pm to 7pm (18:6). Outside of those eating windows, you restrict yourself to plenty of water, tea and/or black unsweetened coffee.  You could also do a weekly cycle, where you fast one or two days out of the week, then eat normally for the others. Another well known form of IF is the Warrior Diet. 

So how does this apply to you?  Well, it all depends, and as usual there is no right answer.  Try it out and see how it works for you.  Most folks transition from one style of eating, like the grazing method, then go to some form of IF, then back again throughout the year, cycling back in forth.  My own experience is that I have naturally moved towards IF style eating habits, and usually start eating well after noon.  Some days I eat whatever whenever, but I’ve noticed that I definitely feel more energized and alert when doing IF.  I am not at all hungry.until well past noon – I get more done, feel great, and don’t worry about skipping the ‘most important’ meal of the day or having a late dinner.   Because of that, it also feels like food freedom, and that feels great – so try it and enjoy!