Who Shouldnt Intermittent Fast
There is a number of reasons why people should not practice intermittent fasting and those who should seek guidance and professional monitoring.
Those who should not fast:
- Young adults under eighteen years of age
- Pregnant or breastfeeding moms
- Severely underweight or malnourished people
Although you may want to practice fasting some of the risks and drawbacks arent worth the benefits. Fasting can put you into some nutritional deficiencies.
Children under eighteen require nutrition for growth and development, especially for the brain. This is the follow on reason why pregnant women or breastfeeding women should skip fasting during these periods.
Although if you do decide to fast during these periods be cautious.
I asked Exercise With Styles Registered Dietitian Nutritionist Advisor, Kristin Gillispie to weigh in on the subject.
Intermittent fasting can be done safely during breastfeeding, but it is important that it is done correctly and cautiously. Otherwise, it can be harmful as it restricts not only moms nutrients but also the babys. It is also important to note that intermittent fasting may reduce your milk supply.
You should monitor for the following signs that your baby is not getting adequate nutrition: lethargy, abnormal feeding length, abnormal stool patterns, dry diapers, or abnormal urine color indicating dehydration, poor weight gain. If your baby experiences these symptoms, you should stop intermittent fasting immediately.
Whens The Best Time To Exercise On If
Honestly, the best workout is one that gets done. Work out when it works best for you and youll still reap the benefits.
However, there are two other schools of thought on working out while fasting.
The first is that working out while fasted helps you to burn more of your stored body fat. Some small studies support this theory, while others have found that fasting doesnt make a difference in fat burning.
If weight loss is your goal, this may be an approach you want to try out.
Alternatively, trying to work out on a totally empty stomach may leave you feeling yucky.
Working out during your eating window may provide more energy to help you power through your workout. If youre doing endurance exercise, its probably better to go with this approach and have a balanced meal before you get after it.
We Starch Poor Starchy Nutrients At Lunchtime
The other point that will help you start intermittent fasting gently is to stop nutrient-poor starchy foods in the afternoon: bread, pasta, rice, sweet potato, quinoa, wheat, spelled, other seeds, and everything else. flour base. Not only do these starchy foods bring you almost no micronutrients, but they also have the unfortunate tendency to boost your blood sugar level and at the same time your insulin.
Recommended starchy foods are legumes such as chickpeas,beans, lentils. Sweet potato, squash. These starches provide more nutrientsthan others, contain less sugar and are absorbed more slowly because they arerich in fiber.
The goal here is to remove starchy foods that are likely to vary your insulin too strongly after your lunch. This will have the effect of reducing your cravings, cava help you stay in destocking mode of fat and optimize your use of fat as fuel.
Obviously no! These are tips that will really help you make the transition easier. If you think that I just want to fast and its out of the question to change my eating habits is that its not the right time to introduce all these changes, its not a problem. You can simply fast without changing your habits.
Intermittent fasting for beginners
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Intermittent Fasting An Overview
Intermittent fasting is a controlled diet plan in which you restrict your diet intake for a specific period every day. People who opt for intermittent dieting refrain from consuming calories for a defined period. Intermittent dieters can take a calorie-free liquid diet, including coffee and water, while fasting.
If you follow an intermittent fasting routine, you may avoid eating solid foods and a calorie-rich diet.
Is Intermittent Fasting Safe And Healthy
Yes, intermittent fasting does havea lot of benefits. We talk about them in our 21-Day Intermittent Fasting Challenge a lot.
In general, Intermittent Fasting is safe for most people, but you have to know the risks too.
It is also a good time to say that this article should and does not intend to replace advice from your doctor and you should always consult your physician before planning any fasting and especially extended fasting .
Now that we made it clear, here are some of the cases that does not go well with intermittent fasting:
- if you have a diabetes
- if you take medications for blood pressure or heart disease
- if you are pregnant or breastfeeding
- if you have a history of disordered eating
- if you dont sleep well
- if you are under 18 years old
Also, you should be a lot more careful if you are practicing extended fasting, which depending on the source you follow will be continuous fasting for either anything more than 24, 48 or 72 hours. There is a general consensus that any fasts longer than 72 hours should be done under strict medical supervision.
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Does Intermittent Fasting Have Different Effects On Men And Women
The quick answer is: yes, Intermittent Fasting can affect men and women differently.
Anecdotally, we have many women in our online coaching program that swear by Intermittent Fasting, while others have had adverse effects.
Lets dig into the science and studies.
A recent PubMed summary concluded thatfasting can be prescribed as a safe medical intervention as well as a lifestyle regimen which can improve womenâs health in many folds .
Now, in that extract, many of the studies cited are focused on specifically calorie restriction , and they also say that future studies should address this gap by designing medically supervised fasting techniques to extract better evidence.
Digging into the PubMed Archives brought me to the following conclusions :
One small study resulted in the following: Glucose response to a meal was slightly impaired in women after 3 weeks of treatment, but insulin response was unchanged. Men had no change in glucose response and a significant reduction in insulin response.
Another small study studied the effects on their menstrual cycles after a 72 hour fast which is significantly longer than any fast recommended in this article: in spite of profound metabolic changes, a 72-hour fast during the follicular phase does not affect the menstrual cycle of normal cycling women..
Precision Nutrition a great resource recommends not attempting Intermittent Fasting as a woman if:
- Make sure you are getting enough sleep.
You know your body best.
But What If I Get Hangry
Hunger is normal during a fast, especially when you first start fasting. However, if you keep a set fasting schedule daily, youll probably find that you begin to not even feel hungry until near the end of your typical fasting window. You might also begin to relate to your hunger differently, recognizing true hunger from cravings.
But dont worry even on fasting days you get to eat some calories! Clinical trials of intermittent fasting typically involve having people eat up to 500 calories on fasting days of 24 hours. There are still scientifically validated benefits of having regular 500-calorie fasting days.
If you ever feel very hungry, hangry, irritable or light-headed during a fast, try the following:
Read Also: What Is Normal Fasting Glucose Range
Top 6 Questions About Intermittent Fasting
1) Wont I get really hungry if I start skipping meals?
As explained above, this can be a result of the habits you have built for your body. If you are constantly eating or always eat the same time of day, your body can actually learn to prepare itself for food by beginning the process of insulin production and preparation for food.
After a brief adjustment period, your body can adapt to the fact that its only eating a few times a day. The more overweight you are, and the more often you eat, the more of an initial struggle this might be.
Remember, your bodys physical and cognitive abilities most likley wont be diminished as a result of short term fasting.
2) Where will I get my energy for my workouts? Wont I be exhausted and not be able to complete my workouts if fasting?
This was a major concern of mine as well, but the research shows this might not be the case: Training with limited carbohydrate availability can stimulate adaptations in muscle cells to facilitate energy production via fat oxidation.
In other words, when you train in a fasted state, your body can get better at burning fat for energy when there are no carbs to pull from!
3) I like the idea of fasted training, but I work a regular 9-5 or a night shift and cant train at 11AM like you do. What am I supposed to do?
Depending on your training schedule, lifestyle, and goals, go back to the portion above where I talk about the 16/8 protocol and simply adjust your hours of fasting and feasting.
What Can I Eat While Intermittent Fasting
During the times when youre not eating, water and zero-calorie beverages such as black coffee and tea are permitted.
And during your eating periods, eating normally does not mean going crazy. Youre not likely to lose weight or get healthier if you pack your feeding times with high-calorie junk food, super-sized fried items and treats.
But what Williams likes about intermittent fasting is that it allows for a range of different foods to be eaten and enjoyed. We want people to be mindful and take pleasure in eating good, nutritious food, she says. She adds that eating with others and sharing the mealtime experience adds satisfaction and supports good health.
Williams, like most nutrition experts, regards the Mediterranean diet as a good blueprint of what to eat, whether youre trying intermittent fasting or not. You can hardly go wrong when you pick complex, unrefined carbohydrates such as whole grains, leafy greens, healthy fats and lean protein.
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What To Drink During Intermittent Fasting
To get all the health benefits of Intermittent Fasting such as fat loss, increased metabolic rate, lower blood sugar levels, boost in the immune system and others, you have to restrict from consuming any caloric food. But you can still consume non-caloric beverages because they do not break your fast and allow you to get all the benefits of fasting.
This is because non-caloric beverages do not cause the release of insulin, and as a consequence, do not interfere with fat burning and autophagy .
This would include:
- Plain black coffee
Got more questions about Intermittent Fasting Drinks? Weve got more information in our blog post What Can You Drink During Intermittent Fasting.
What Is Intermittent Fasting And Why Would You Do It
Intermittent fasting is not a diet, it’s a pattern of eating. It’s a way of scheduling your meals so that you get the most out of them. Intermittent fasting doesnt change what you eat, it changes when you eat.
Why is it worthwhile to change when youre eating?
Well, most notably, its a great way to get lean without going on a crazy diet or cutting your calories down to nothing. In fact, most of the time you’ll try to keep your calories the same when you start intermittent fasting. Additionally, intermittent fasting is a good way to keep muscle mass on while getting lean.
With all that said, the main reason people try intermittent fasting is to lose fat. We’ll talk about how intermittent fasting leads to fat loss in a moment.
Perhaps most importantly, intermittent fasting is one of the simplest strategies we have for taking bad weight off while keeping good weight on because it requires very little behavior change. This is a very good thing because it means intermittent fasting falls into the category of simple enough that you’ll actually do it, but meaningful enough that it will actually make a difference.
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What Are The Side Effects Of Fasting And How To Minimize Them
You will minimize the side effects of fasting by sticking to these recommended foods. But its still possible you will experience some side-effects.
If this happens, you have to remind yourself of two things.
1) Its normal because your body is getting adjusted to a new way of eating and switching over between fuel sources.
2) And the side-effects usually dont last long. Because they disappear once your body is accustomed to fasting.
But, with that being said, lets get into some of these common side effects. And what else you can do to minimize them.
Fasted Cardio Vs Non Fasted
There are many debates about whether fasted cardio is better than fed state training. Both play a great role in weight loss either way you go. But there are some beneficial bonuses when you train fasted.
One of those benefits is the increase in human growth hormone . Fasting actually stimulates a much greater HGH secretion. You will likely see improved muscle growth due to the increase in HGH during a fast.
The peak of HGH is first thing in the morning and what I like to do is complete my fasted cardio or fasted weight training in the morning to take advantage of the peaking growth hormone.
But not everyone is a morning person so exercising while fasted at any time is also fine due to HGH secretion throughout the day. One study showed 5 times the human growth hormone during a two day fast, so there is no denying a much better HGH response during a fast. You may not have the full effect doing shorter fast but you will have much better secretion fasted rather than fed.
Fun Fact: Did you know Hugh Jackman practiced 16/8 intermittent fasting to bulk up and lean out for the role Wolverine?
The more you train while fasted the better your muscle adapt to using fats as fuel . It may take up to two weeks to hit the sweet spot but your body will switch much sooner from glucose to fats the longer you practice fasted cardio.
Thus, burning more fat due to increased fatty acid oxidation is the reason why fasted cardio is a prime way to lose fat and build lean muscle.
Read Also: How Does Fasting Burn Fat
What Can You Drink During Intermittent Fasting
You can drink water, coffee, tea, and other non-caloric beverages. Do not add sugar or cream, or milk to your coffee or tea. Apple cider vinegar is a powerful beverage to drink during your fasting window because it helps increase your stomach acid. This results in better digestion and better absorption of essential nutrients from the food you eat.
If youre looking for a highly trusted apple cider vinegar, I recommend buying these ones:
- Bragg Organic Apple Cider Vinegar With the Mother
- Bragg Organic Apple Cider Vinegar With the Mother
Extended Aka Prolonged Fasting
How: Fast for more than 24 hours once a month
As mentioned before, extended or prolonged fasting usually means anything between 24 and 96 hours of fasting.
It is not recommended to do it more often than once a month and anything above 48-72h of fasting should be done under a doctors supervision.
Yes, there are lots of people who dont follow this recommendation and nothing happens, but it is risky and we do not recommend it if you are not experienced faster and especially if you have any of the medical conditions described above.
For more in-depth guide on prolonged fasting, read Prolonged Fasting 101: How To Do It & What Are The Benefits?.
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How To Start Intermittent Fasting
Firstly, lets cover the basics of IF and how to start intermittent fasting effectively and make it sustainable starting by addressing the typical problems people face.
Its important to note that a staple of intermittent fasting is hydration! You absolutely must hydrate throughout the day and while fasting, beyond the amount of water you would normally drink.
When fasting, a good rule of thumb is if you feel hungry, drink some water, or chew some 0 calorie or no sugar gum and youll start feeling better.
Breakfast: Green Smoothie At 8 Am
After fasting, I like to ease into my day of eating with a smoothie since it is a little easier for my gut to digest.
You’ll want to go for a green smoothie instead of a high-sugar fruit smoothie to avoid starting your day on a blood-sugar roller coaster. Add in lots of healthy fats to keep you going until lunch!
Ingredients:
Method:
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We Stop The Added Sugars
This point is important. If you are about to startintermittent fasting to lose weight its because your weight, shape and healthare not optimal. Added sugars are largely responsible for this situation. Youmust realize it and internalize it.
It is inevitably hard to say that we will have to stop sugarto be healthy. So many good things contain sugar: chocolate, cakes, ice cream its almost impossible to avoid added sugars. Instead of thinking in termsof deprivation you have to tell yourself that right now you are going to becomedemanding and you are only going to eat things that are really worth it. Forexample a birthday cake, an exceptional pastry that you do not cross often. Thegoal is to get the added sugar out of your everyday life so that it becomesexceptional in every sense of the word. Lets be honest, the majority of thesweet things we eat are not exceptional, so reserve this little treat forexceptions that are worth it.
