Are You Tired Of The Stubborn Pounds That Refuse To Drop Off As You Age Well Intermittent Fasting Is A Solution To Get Your Body Back To Feeling Great Again
- What intermittent fasting is all about
- The history of intermittent fasting
- How fasting helps women over 50
- Misconceptions debunked with science
- Scientific evidence of the benefits
- The positives it has on your brain and body
- Why weight loss is harder as we age
- The right way to transition to this diet
- The eight main types of intermittent fasting
- A step-by-step guide to getting started
- A comprehensive guide for each type
Can Intermittent Fasting Affect Your Hormone Levels
Menopause brings about various hormonal changes. Estrogen and progesterone levels start to fluctuate and behave unpredictably and then, after a while, make a steep drop. That can shake the balance of other hormones as well. Thyroid hormones, cortisol, and serotonin can all be affected in unpredictable ways, which can result in many health problems such as high blood pressure, decreased bone health, metabolic problems, and weight gain. A common occurrence during menopause is the development of insulin resistance. Your body becomes less sensitive to insulin, which makes it more difficult to digest sugar and carbohydrates in general and causes weight gain. Also, the loss of estrogen makes it harder to maintain muscle mass.
Is It Right For You
Consider times youve gone without food for long periods. If youre currently flirting with intermittent fasting ask the following:
- Do you feel weaker or have less endurance?
- Have you noticed the same workouts feel more difficult?
- Is your quality of sleep suffering?
- Do you feel any lack of concentration or focus?
- Do you feel more anxious, depressed, or lack memory?
- Are you noticeably distracted by hunger?
If you answer yes to any of those, then IF is probably not for you right now.
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Intermittent Fasting For Women Over 50 Weight Loss
One of their conclusions from the above-mentioned study was that fasting was successful in helping older women lose belly fat.
Belly fat is a concern for many post-menopausal women, not only for appearance but also for health.
The reduction in belly fat that resulted from intermittent fasting helped the women to reduce their risk of metabolic syndrome, which is a collection of health issues that increase a post-menopausal womans risk of cardiovascular disease and diabetes.
My Notes On Intermittent Fasting
My experience with intermittent fasting has honestly completely reframed a large aspect of my understanding of healthy food habits and has given me a further avenue into the world of healthy ageing and longevity. I would love for all of you to try this for yourselves and Im going to outline my understandings and my recommendations for jumping in. As a note, I just want to say I am not a healthcare professional and before trying this out for yourself, I recommend seeking the advice of a healthcare professional to see if its right for you.
The act of restricting calories is in and of itself a catalyst for weight loss so that seems like a no brainer.
I would absolutely begin your intermittent fasting journey with a 12 hour fast. As long as you finish eating your last meal by 8 PM at night and dont eat again until 8 AM the next day, you will have begun your intermittent fasting journey. Doing the 12-hour fast will help you get your mindset right and develop a discipline around creating a routine eating pattern.
If you can make it through to noonYou have missed one meal of the day = 30 % less food weight loss comes from 80% eating less and 20% exercise but here is what I love.the animal tests showed that the increased lifespan was still at 30 %v when the mice overate outside the fasting times.concluding that its not so much what you eat but when you eat.I highly recommend you eat
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How Does Intermittent Fasting Work Whats The Evidence
The research on the health benefits of intermittent fasting is pretty interesting, with the latest findings adding a bit of inconsistency with previous results. A study published in April comparing two groupsa calorie-restriction only group and a calorie-restricted and time-restricted eating groupthat followed subjects over the course of one year found no effect on body weight, body fat or metabolic risk factors. People who only ate from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. didnt lose significantly more weight than those who ate any time throughout the day. Any weight loss was attributed to overall caloric restriction rather than time-restricted eating regimens.
Other findings, however, have shown benefits for weight loss, insulin resistance, mental health outcomes and brain cell activity. Lets take a look at a few of those.
Intermittent Fasting For Women Over 40
Research shows that around the age of 40, women begin to experience changes in their hormone production. And, since there is a correlation between intermittent fasting and hormone production, its only normal to wonder if there are any differences in the benefits of practicing intermittent fasting in your 40s.
Im now over 40 and can say that I continue to feel that there are benefits of IF and that I do not experience any physical differences between fasting in my 30s and now. If anything, I feel that it has helped me stay in a routine and stick to healthy eating habits.
I want to first note that you should first consult a licensed medical physician before you jump into intermittent fasting. IF isnt for everyone and therefore, its something to discuss with a professional.
The purpose of this post is to give you an overview of IF schedules, not to provide any professional/medical advice.
That said, when I was putting together this post and my Intermittent Fasting Guide for Women, I researched some 30+ clinical trials to see if there is anything that was specific to women in their 40s, 50s, and beyond.
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Why Is Intermittent Fasting For Women Over 50 A Good Idea
I mentioned earlier that women over 50 experience a reduction in basal metabolic rate. This means that they have to eat less food, to get the same fat loss results. Eating less is difficult and unenjoyable, everyone loves to eat! Intermittent fasting makes eating less much easier. In fact, you get to eat large satisfying meals, but overall eat less than if you were eating and grazing throughout the day. Many of the women over 50 I have worked with have had great success with intermittent fasting and weight loss. Its sustainable, enjoyable and has many additional health benefits.
How Many Hours Should A Woman Do Intermittent Fasting
The most common model used for intermittent fasting is the 16/8 model. That means that you will go 16 hours without eating and 8 hours eating.
Typically, the 16 hours are done overnight when you are asleep which makes it much easier.
This helps you manage hunger and gives you more energy during the day. This is a note from experts about the process of intermittent fasting for women:
Going without breakfast is part of intermittent fasting , also called time-restricted feeding . IF is a pattern of food consumption that cycles between fasting and eating in specific time periods.
There are various ways to do it one of the most common is the 16/8 protocol, which involves 16 hours of fastingtypically done overnightwith an 8-hour window in which to eat each day.
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What Can You Eat When Fasting
Then the next question will be what you can eat when fasting to get the best results.
You shouldnt be eating any food during your fasting window, but there are some beverages you can drink that wont break your fast and can even accelerate your results. First and foremost, you make up the bulk of what you consume during your fast.
Coffee and green tea are also excellent choices since they do not contain any calories but contain caffeine and antioxidants. The two of these together can help to accelerate your metabolism, giving you better results than water alone.
Also try mixing in some C8 MCTs to your morning coffee to help fight off the hunger pains while accelerating your metabolism. Theyre converted into ketones in your body which helps to signal fat burning.
Support Many of the Keto Benefits Associated With Increased Ketones, & Support Them FAST, but Without the Difficulty of Doing Keto…
Benefits:
- 3X Better Than Coconut Oil, Butter or MCTs
- Heightened energy levels
It would be best if you focused on eating quality whole foods and sticking away from processed and refined foods during your feeding window. Inflammatory foods women in their 50s should limit include gluten, dairy, grains, soy, and alcohol, but those will vary depending on the individual.
Women in their 50s will also have a harder time with insulin resistance due to hormonal changes . Therefore, its best to avoid sugar, starches, and refined carbohydrates.
Is Intermittent Fasting The Best Fat
In any case, IF appears to work mostly because people find it relatively easy to adhere to. They say it helps them naturally limit calories and make better food choices by reducing eating windows. Some studies suggest that IF is better than only cutting calories, carbs, or fat because it appears to promote fat loss while sparing lean muscle mass.
Of course, most people use IF with another weight-loss plan. For instance, you might decide to eat 1,200 calories a day to lose weight. You may find it much easier to spread out 1,200 calories within 2 meals and 2 snacks than in 3 meals and 3 snacks. If youve struggled with weight loss because your diet either didnt work or was simply too hard to stick to, you might try intermittent fasting for quicker results.
In Prime Womens recently launched PLATE, an intermittent fasting program, Dr. Kathryn Waldrep recommends eating within an eight-hour window and choosing that time frame based on your bodys circadian rhythms. Early risers might eat between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. Night owls would eat their first meal at noon and finish their last meal at 8:00 in the evening. As more and more research has been done around IF and circadian rhythms, there seems to be credible evidence on the soundness of this approach to eating for weight management.
Want to give intermittent fasting a try? Take a look at Prime Womens PLATE program. Now available in an app on Apple or Android with reminders to keep you on track.
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Examples Of Intermittent Fasting Schedules
For a 12 hour fast you would have dinner at 6pm, and after dinner you have no food until 6am the next morning.
In other words, you have a 12-hour eating window, and 12-hour fast period.
For a 16-hour fast you would have dinner at 6pm and again after dinner you don’t eat until the next morning at 10am.
This gives you an 8 hour eating window and you have fasted for 16 hours .
For an 18 hour fast would be when you have dinner at 6pm, and then your first meal of the day is at noon the next day, giving you a 6 hour eating window and 18 hours of fasting.
There are just a few examples, and you can of course adjust the eating time to suite your schedule.
For example if you are doing a 16-hr fast and normally have dinner at 8pm, then you would break your fast at noon/12pm the next day.
There are numerous fasting protocols that you can follow, and the one you choose is a very personal choice Dr. Fung’s book is an excellent resource and will give you much more insight than I can to help you choose what’s right for you!
How Start Intermittent Fasting
While praciticing intermittent fasting you dont change WHAT you eat. Not unless your regular diet includes a barrow load of sugar and empty carbohydrates. Then it would be prudent to cut out most of the sugar and useless carbs too enable you to better lose weight and have improved health.
What does change is WHEN you eat or rather how long you wait since your last ate before you eat again.
The premise is that you stop eating for a length of time that is longer than the time it would take to digest your last meal which is 6 to 8 hours depending on your metabolism.
The length of time you wait or fast before you eat again can vary, it depends on you and the type of intermittent fasting you have chosen.
There are various methods of intermittent fasting:
- 12 or more hours without eating every day
- 12-20 hours of fasting a couple of days a week.
- Not eating for a full 24 hours one or two times each week
There are other variations that require more input and longer lengths of time without food.
It is important to find what works for you to better your chances of sticking to it.
When I started this journey I could only really manage 12 hours from the last time I ate at night to when I ate again in the morning. At that point I was doubtful that I could stretch it much beyond that.
If I eat my when I last ate was at 7.00pm then I can eat again at 7.00am. These times are good for me as I dont really eat in between those times anyway.
But of course the choice is up to you.
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Benefits Of Intermittent Fasting For Women Over 50
Intermittent fasting has shown to be highly beneficial for both women and men of various ages. However, women over 50 can find it especially helpful due to the specific health concerns that arise at that age. It is, therefore, no wonder that intermittent fasting is becoming increasingly popular. So here, we will list the top benefits of intermittent fasting for women over 50.
Weight loss
This is the most common benefit of intermitted fasting. In the absence of calories consumed from food, your body turns to body fat for fuel. In addition to that, you will eat less even during the period of the day that is designated for eating. Simply because you will not be able to consume so much food in a short time as you otherwise do when eating throughout the whole day. Fewer calories will last shorter, leaving more time to burn your body fat. Also, as your eating time is limited, you will have to put more planning into your meals. That way, you will be more likely to avoid sweets and unhealthy snacks and focus on nutritious foods.
Insulin resistance
Fasting leads to lower glucose levels in the body, which results in lower insulin levels and stable average blood sugar levels. Understandably so, this reduces the risk of diabetes. That also helps you lose weight, as high insulin levels generally halt fat burning and induce fat storage. It would help if you also considered taking lipo C injections, as they are highly effective and an excellent addition to your efforts to lose weight.
Intermittent Fasting Helps Reduce Hot Flashes
Hot flashes are closely related to poor sleep .
And this drastically impacts mood .
Women whose hormones are out of balance may suffer from sleep problems. Intermittent fasting can help significantly improve sleep quality, according to a study conducted on 14 women.
After only one week of intermittent fasting, the participants were already able to observe the following improvements in their sleep patterns :
- Reduced awakenings
This improvement in sleep hygiene can help reduce hot flashes and night sweats.
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What Pitfalls Should You Look Out For
Cortisol is actually elevated. This can be a good thing. When we are fasting, cortisol can actually help us burn fat. When it is combined with food, it will cause you to store fat. At the end of a fast, our cortisol is high, so we need to increase proper salt in our water or on our tongue to lower our aldosterone, which regulates fluid retention, and that will bring down cortisol.
Maintain Your Intensity For Workouts
You dont need to down-regulate your workouts just because you are fasting. Keep everything else the same other than your fasting. If you are wanting to maximize fat loss, do it in a fasted state and if you want to maximize it, even more, do it at the end of your fasted state. Then you break your fast with your post-workout meal which will be absorbed more efficiently and typically is a high protein meal.
Sara Banta
Founder of Accelerated Health Products, Health Coach, and Host of Accelerated Health TV, Sara Banta is a natural supplement expert, wife, mother of 3 teenagers, and an award-winning health and wellness expert.Follow Sara for the latest in natural health supplements, news, and updates.
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Is Intermittent Fasting Good For Menopause
There are some studies that show intermittent fasting could be beneficial for menopause particularly for combatting weight gain. As an effective method of weight loss, IF may help women to lose weight at a time when gaining weight is more common and much more likely.
IF has also been shown to reduce blood pressure and triglyceride levels, as well as improve insulin sensitivity in some women. This could be beneficial to those going through menopause as this period is usually characterized by an increase in abdominal weight gain.
An increase in abdominal fat has been linked to an increased risk of developing heart disease and diabetes. The benefits of IF for those with menopausal status could help to reduce these risks.
Intermittent fasting has also been shown to be beneficial for weight loss and weight control in post-menopausal women.
