Why I'll Keep Intermittent Fasting

The term intermittent fasting has become clickbait recently.

The American Heart Association recently presented a summary of a study (not yet peer reviewed or published) out of China that focuses on intermittent fasting and dangers/risks it poses with heart disease and cancer. The study followed about 20,000 Americans over a period of 8-17 years and asked them to self report their eating habits. While there were several limiting factors, the study seems to say that people who fast 8-10 hours per day have a higher risk of death due to cardiovascular disease.

This study goes against previous research that has found that time-restricted eating improves several cardiometabolic health measures, such as blood pressure, blood glucose and cholesterol levels.

Why I'll keep intermittent fasting and encouraging my FASTer Way clients to do the same...

Intermittent Fasting is not a type of diet, it’s simply an eating schedule. 

Your body is always in one of two states: fed or fasted. In the fed state (any time your body is digesting food), your body’s insulin levels prevent you from burning fat. In the fasted state (8-12 hours after your body finishes digesting), your insulin levels are lower and your body is then able to reach into its fat stores for energy. 

The FASTer Way to Fat Loss has implemented intermittent fasting since 2016 with positive outcomes for clients. Members maintain proper caloric intake during a shortened period of time and focus on whole food nutrition, making sure to consume the right amount of protein, carbohydrates and fats by tracking food.

In a clinical study with the Applied Science Performance Institute in Tampa, participants who followed American Heart Association guidelines showed higher levels of fat, and higher cholesterol compared to those who followed the FASTer Way. 

One of the major benefits of being in a fasted state is the body’s ability to focus on cellular repair. The processes of apoptosis and autophagy allows the body to remove and recycle old and damaged cells that could potentially contribute to disease. Having been diagnosed with breast cancer last year, it is even more important to me to share that there are things we can do to reduce our risk of disease.

Inflammation in the body can be reduced through intermittent fasting, too. Yes! This is so powerful because inflammation is the root cause of many diseases. When done correctly, fasting for 12-16 hours each day has many other benefits, too -> improved gut health, cellular repair, better insulin sensitivity, and fat loss.

That is why I'll keep intermittent fasting.

More information:

Three things about intermittent fasting - watch here.

Don't Be Afraid of the F Word

3 Intermittent Fasting Tips

Carb Cycling and Intermittent Fasting Results

Learn more about the FASTer Way program with me here