Intermittent Fasting

Intermittent fasting is a scheduled eating plan where you change the time when you eat to, roughly, a 6-8 hour window of time without cutting calories. You can choose from different schedules, make your own and also choose how many days in the week you abide by your chosen plan.

Here are some of the many health benefits of intermittent fasting: improves focus, supports a healthy heart, improves digestion, anti-inflammatory, boosts the immune system, detoxifying, helps with weight loss & maintenance, decreases triglyceride levels, decreases free radical damage, decreases metabolic disease risk, reduces the risk of chronic diseases such as diabetes, can prevent cancer, increases your energy levels by burning stored fat, improves genetic repair mechanisms, protects against neurodegenerative diseases, increases human growth hormone & can promote healing, lowers blood sugar levels, reduces blood pressure, boosts metabolism, extends lifespan, reduces oxidative damage, removes waste material from cells, improves mental clarity & concentration, anti-aging, balances hormones, fights against microbes, viruses & bad bacteria, improves emotional health, stimulates healthy cognitive function and it’s free!

Those living with: chronic stress, cortisol dysregulation, diabetes, nursing & pregnant moms and hypoglycemic individuals should probably avoid intermittent fasting. Do your research and/or check with your health care provider first.

One recommended schedule is as follows: fast from 7 a.m. until noon, eat during the hours from noon to 6 p.m., and fast from 6 p.m.-11 p.m. Then, depending on your sleep schedule, you will be sleeping, let’s say, from 11 p.m. until 7 a.m. This intermittent fasting schedule would be 16 hours of fasting altogether, and a good part of that you will be sleeping.

Here are a few other schedules you could try out:

1.) 20 hours of fasting and a 4-hour window to eat.

2.) One day of fasting – a full 24 hours and then 6 days of eating as you regularly do.

3.) One or 2 days of fasting per week.

4.) 16 hours of fasting with an 8-hour window of eating and alternating this for every other day instead of every day.

5.) 19 hours of fasting on the days you choose and a 5-hour window to eat from noon to 5 p.m.

People who have tried this kind of fasting have reported improvements in their overall health. These extended times of not eating allow your body to do a re-set and organs like the kidneys get a chance to rest.

If you decide to try it, just find a schedule that works for you or make your own. Try different schedules until you find what works best for you.

Be Well and God Bless You.

Jennifer Wimmer