Intermittent Fasting-December 2021

Intermittent Fasting
What do you have to lose?
 
How many meals, snacks, caloric drinks do you consume per day?
In 1970 the average American ate 3.3 times per day. By 2000 it had gone to 6.6 times per day and now it is over 10 times per day! This increased frequency along with portion distortion have led to a 23% increase in calories consumed. No wonder that 2/3rds of Americans are overweight and 1/3rd are considered obese!
 
Obesity is a symptom. It is a symptom of eating in a way that causes heart disease, cancer, diabetes, hypertension and most of the common diseases of modern living. Fasting is an easy, effective, cost-free way of addressing these problems. Intermittent fasting is the absence of eating during prescribed periods of time. It can be thought of giving the GI system a rest and allowing it to complete the digestive cycle.
 
Each time we eat, our blood glucose and insulin go up. Under the influence of insulin, glucose is stored in the liver or converted to fat for storage. When we eat too many sugars and starches and eat too often this creates:
 
Inflammation Fluid retention Weight loss resistance Loss of magnesium and potassium  
People often ask: “How does fasting work?” Fasting promotes autophagy defined as “self-swallowing.” By this process damaged/dysfunctional cells are removed making room for new functional cells. Fasting promotes neuronal neuroplasticity in the brain which can stop &/or reverse memory loss. Fasting also produces ketones, a preferred fuel for brain cells, producing better memory and mood.
 
Benefits of fasting include:
Lowers insulin and glucose levels (boost mental clarity) Reduces inflammation Protects against certain cancers Boosts immunity Impacts stem cells (creation of new tissue cells) Boosts HGH protection which prevents bone and muscle breakdown Promotes weight loss and autophagy Here’s how you can get stated:
Stop snacking!! Pick a window of time to stop and start eating Make sure that when you do eat that your food has high nutritional value Be flexible, trying different lengths of time for your fasts Trust the process giving yourself time and grace  
When doing a clean fast drink only organic coffee, tea and water. A good way to start is to daily eat only within a 6-hour window. For most people this means eating only at noon and 6 pm or avoiding either breakfast of supper. After getting used to this pattern, once a week try eating only one meal per day. As your system adapts you may be able to do 2-5 day fasts on a monthly basis. Other strategies include 30- or 36-hour fasts. Some people just don’t eat on Monday, Wednesday & Friday. The great part about fasting is that you can stop any time you want.
 
Supplemental nutrition is key to success. The most important supplements are:
Electrolytes and water Multivitamin, D, magnesium Probiotics, fiber & other digestive support  
Fasting is not recommended when pregnant or lactating, if you have had problems with anorexia or if your BMI is less than 18. There are special considerations for women who are cycling and during perimenopause and menopause. If you have chronic health problems it is imperative that you work with your consulting primary care physician. At the very least Stop Snacking!
 
It is always recommended that you check with your doctor and work with an experienced clinic to guide you. There are many good books available on fasting, a good one is The Complete Guide to Fasting by Jason Fung, M.D. and Jimmy Moore. Fasting is an age-old method of health care. Ben Franklin said, “The best of all medicines are rest and fasting”.