Dear Reader,
This is such a well documented practice. I dare not write much about it. I will let the experts fill you in on all of the details.
Dr. Pompa and Dr. Jockers are my two favorites. Be sure to read the article on Dr. Jockers regarding the myths associated with fasting.
What I will tell you is that I have found intermittent fasting (IF) to be probably THE most helpful tool when it comes to managing my weight, hormones and general good health. As the experts will show you, there are many of ways to utilize this age-old practice. Dr. Mercola speaks to the importance of this "Feast and Famine Cycling". See the link at the end of this article to watch his brief video. I prefer to only "carb-up" once a week. I may do it twice at the very most depending on my schedule and circumstance.
For me personally, I have found it very simple to do the 16 & 8 IF. This simply means I am fasting for 16 hours (at least 8 of which I am asleep - and you should be as well to maintain good health.) I don't eat until 11 AM and my last bite is no later than 7 PM. When I travel, I use local time. Messing with the time changes are too difficult to maintain this practice as many times on the east coast it's not unusual for me to be up at 2 AM or earlier my time.
I also practice the 5-1-1 IF. This is one of several cycles of IF. It looks like this:
I do a 16 & 8 IF for 5 days a week. And one day a week I "carb up". So instead of eating approximately 30 gm of carbs a day, on my "carb up" I will eat approximately 75 gms. I do this by switching to eating more of a Paleo lifestyle which is still lower in "GOOD" carbs such as a small sweet potato, some quinoa, or even a CLEAN baked goody (lots of good ideas on my Pinterest board here). Eating Paleo is simply changing up your macronutrient intake. KETO is high fat, moderate protein and low carb; wherease, PALEO isespecially for women, can be very helpful for hormonal balance. Read this excellent article for details.
And then one day a week, I will do a 24 hour fast. This is not as hard as you may think. Eat a single meal on any given day at a time of your choice, and then don't eat again until that same time the next day.
NOTE: It doesn't really matter much which days you do which; however, I find for me it's easiest to be mostly consistent and keep the same day pattern. For some, when they know there is a special occasion on the way they save their "carb up" time for this particular day. Now, for me, a "carb up" day is NOT a "cheat" day. I don't go off the charts with carbs as I explained above. But that's my conviction. It works best for me. You will find your own way that works best for you. And as always. . . HYDRATE HYDRATE HYDRATE!
Again, there are many ways to use IF. As you will read, this practice is ideally suited to coincide with the Ketogenic lifestyle as you not be in a carb craving mode.
Watch this video to understand why it may important to jump in and out of Ketosis. In other words, be 'metabolically flexible'.
Thanks for reading! Ciao!
~ Barbie