And Did It Make Any Difference
ABC: Catalyst
When Dr McMillan conducts her final tests to see how Kevin and Samantha have tracked, the results “are a little unexpected”.
Over the six weeks, Samantha lost 3.5 kilograms and Kevin 8.5 kilograms but Kevin’s weight loss is actually “some cause for concern”.
“More than half of Kevin’s weight loss came from lean body mass most of it muscle,” she says.
“Lean muscle crucial for staying healthy as we age. So, going forward Kevin and anyone taking up fasting needs to ensure they also do exercise.”
There has also been little change to Samantha and Kevin’s gut health.
But there has been “a really big metabolic improvement” for them both.
In particular, Samantha’s fasting insulin levels reduced, and her fasting blood glucose levels came down to “the normal category”, which means she reduced her risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
Supplied: Samantha Roberts
“This is a really powerful message, because you haven’t actually lost a lot of weight, but you’ve seen that really big metabolic improvement,” Dr Hocking says.
“Even for someone who doesn’t lose any weight, if your metabolic health has improved because you’re eating better and you’re exercising and getting enough sleep, you’re in a far healthier position.”
Dr McMillan says Samantha “epitomises the promise of fasting for me”.
“She has managed to overcome a really tough journey through my experiment and embrace a new way of eating,” she says.
What To Eat On Intermittent Fasting And Keto
More and more people report excellent results when combining intermittent fasting with a ketogenic diet. Why?
Since the keto diet, just like fasting, reduces insulin, empties the carbohydrate stores, and burns fat through ketosis, it is an ideal match.
Because fasting taps into body fat for energy, it is the most ketogenic diet of them all.
To unleash the full potential of intermittent fasting through a ketogenic diet, you need a daily calorie intake consisting of 75% fat, 20-25% protein, and 5-10% carbohydrates.
Thereby, 1 gram of fat provides 9 calories, and 1 gram of protein or carbohydrates provides 4 calories, which reduces the amount of fat in relation.
To go keto with the previous lists, all you need to do is to follow these crucial points:
- Avoid foods at the bottom of the carbohydrate list
- Prefer fatty cuts over low-nutrient fillet meats
The fact that lean proteins strongly increase insulin levels was long unknown and doomed classic low-carb diets to failure .
Since the ketogenic diet is based on this fact, it can even improve the following health benefits of intermittent fasting:
- Insulin sensitivity
Health Benefits Of 16/8 Intermittent Fasting
Adopting this eating style may seem difficult if youve never tried it before, but once you get used to it, its easy to follow. Plus, the research-backed benefits make it an excellent tool to improve your health.
Intermittent fasting 16/8 has been researched for its ability to improve multiple aspects of your health.
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How To Plan Your 1: 8 Fasting Schedule
So, what 16:8 fasting schedule will suit you best? No matter when you choose to fast, it should include your sleep hours. To determine what hours are best for you, ask yourself:
- Which meal is essential to me?
- How do I feel if I miss this meal, or if its late or early?
- What part of the day do I feel most hungry?
Try to schedule your fasting period when you tend to be less hungry and least likely to eat otherwise, you might break your fast too early or overeat during your eating window.
Once youve identified the most vital part of your day for your eating window, choose what time you want your window to begin and end. For instance, if youre going to skip breakfast or eat a late breakfast and early dinner, you might set your eating window from 11 am to 7 pm. And if you cant start your day without breakfast, you might choose to eat from 9 am to 5 pm.
Simply put, pick start and end times that work best for you and stick to them. Youll feel better if you follow a set schedule, and youll be more likely to stick to your fasting plan.
What To Eat To Break Your Fast
To break your fast you should eat small portions of foods that are easily digestible so you dont overwhelm your digestive system.
Nutrient-dense foods that are easy to digest and contain a bit of protein and some healthy fats can break your fast more gently.
Here are some examples of what to eat to break your fast:
- Dried fruits:Dates are a good source of nutrients and are frequently used to break fasting in Saudi Arabia. Also, apricots and raisins may have similar effects.
- Smoothies: Great way to introduce nutrients to your body since they contain less fiber than whole, raw vegetables, and fruits.
- Soups: Soups that contain protein and easily digestible carbs can gently break fast. Avoid soups made with a large amount of high-fiber, raw vegetables, or heavy cream.
- Vegetables: Cooked, starch vegetables like potatoes can be a good food option when breaking a fast.
- Healthy fats: Avocado or eggs can be a good food choice to eat after a period of fast.
Breaking your fasting period with foods high in fat, sugar or even fiber can be difficult to digest and this can lead to discomfort and bloating. Once youre tolerating gentler foods add in other healthy foods and return to eating normally.
If you wish to learn more about 16/8 intermittent fasting and what foods to eat here is an Intermittent Fasting 16/8 Cookbook that includes 50 delicious recipes for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and dessert.
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Intermittent Fasting Eat Before Or After Workout
Among bodybuilders, intermittent fasting is not a new idea. The most standard intermittent fasting schedule in which nothing is eaten for 14 to 18 hours daily is a proven method for improved muscle growth.
Therefore, bodybuilders have been using the 16/8 schedule, also known as peak fasting or time-restricted feeding , for decades.
Due to the release of growth hormone, intermittent fasting boosts muscle gain .
However, it is vital to exercise in a fasted state. Therefore, it is better to eat after than before workout while intermittent fasting.
Given the essential goals of burning fat and activating autophagy for health benefits, this even makes more sense :
- The low insulin level before eating enables maximum fat burning
- The fasting state allows the body to maximize autophagy through exercise
In contrast, eating allows the body to relax. And this is in contradiction to athletic performance, as you can also witness through self-experimentation.
Against this background, it is wiser to use the increased adrenaline levels for exercising. Afterward, you can send your body into recovery and growth mode with a meal.
Drinks To Avoid While Fasting
It is always good to avoid drinks with sugar and artificial sweeteners. There isnt a rule that says you cant drink soda, juice, or milkshake during your eating window, but when it comes to your fasting period there are some drinks that you must avoid.
During your fasting time you should avoid:
- Diet soda
- Juice
- Coconut water
- Alcohol
Two main things that you need to remember for drinks while fasting is to make sure you are drinking enough fluids and to avoid drinks that contain calories.
Caloric drinks like juices, smoothies, diet soda can be consumed during your eating window, but if you can it is best to stick to water, tea, coffee, or mineral water.
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What Is 16 8 Fasting
Intermittent fasting is a dietary pattern that alternates between periods of fasting and eating.
Unlike other diets, fasting plans do not specify what or how much you should eat per day.
Instead, they primarily focus on when you should eat.
Due to this distinction, intermittent fasting is not considered a diet in the conventional sense.
Instead, it may be better described as an eating pattern.
The 16:8 diet is a popular version of intermittent fasting.
It involves consuming your meals during an 8-hour eating window while fasting or abstaining from food for the remaining 16 hours a day.
Consider The Intermittent Fasting Plan Right For You:
Some of the popular regimens include:
The 16:8 diet, or time-restricted feeding, where you fast for 16 hours a day, but are free to eat whatever you want in the other eight hours. Experts advise picking an eating window that lets you finish your meals fairly early, such as 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. or earlier, because your body is less efficient at putting sugar away as the day goes by.
Alternate day fasting, which means limiting yourself to 500 calories one day, then eating whatever you want the next, and then repeating that process.
The 5:2 plan, which means incorporating two non-consecutive fast days into your week, then eating normally during the other days.
Here are four tips to keep your plan on track:
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The Realities Of A Fasting Diet
In the first six weeks, Samantha finds it’s sometimes hard to incorporate the changes into her grocery shop, even though she has meal plans and expert advice.
“I’m just trying to manage everything,” she says.
“To make sure I’ve shopped, to make sure I’ve got enough vegetables, to make sure I’ve got enough plant-based stuff.
” to be really organised I have never spent this much time in my kitchen. I’m always cleaning the kitchen ’cause I’m making so much stuff.
“It’s a whole lifestyle change.”
On the 16:8, another challenge Samantha faces is waiting until midday to eat.
“There’s no talk about food, it’s banned. Till 12 o’clock,” she says.
“It’s quite hard hitting I think, more than I thought it would be. If I’m up at 5.30, it’s six-and-a-half hours with no food. It’s a long time.
“From 12, I’ll try and have some eggs. And then at like 1, I’ll try to have lunch, and then I’ll have fruit a lot more.”
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One thing she has to watch is “panic eating” in the minutes before 8:00pm.
“I think I have a personality, if somebody says you can’t have that water, then I want it even more. I think my personality is like that, but I think it’s a sense of panic,” Samantha says.
“, ‘What else am I going to cram in before 8 o’clock?’.
“The worst thing is, I actually don’t feel like I need something else to eat, but I’m eating it because if I don’t, I’m not going to eat until tomorrow again.”
When To Eat On Intermittent Fasting
With the rising popularity of intermittent fasting, new fasting plans and programs come up again and again. Meanwhile, there are numerous types of fasting.
Nevertheless, we already dealt with the essential intermittent fasting schedules. In my experience, it is also the most classical of all methods, with which most people achieve the best results.
The substantial reason for the fact that humans can successfully convert 16/8 intermittent fasting is the simple integration into daily life.
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/4how To Effectively Follow Intermittent Fasting
Fasting has been an age-old practice that is said to carry a number of benefits with itself. The practice of fasting not only helps in flushing out all the toxins from the body but also give a generous boost to the metabolism. Modern twists to this ancient practice come in different styles, forms and methods. Intermittent Fasting is one of them. You might have heard of this, as this style has gained popularity, especially among millennials in recent years, as it is considered less restrictive and offers more flexibility. Many people might argue that fasting is not a healthy option to inculcate in daily routine, but when done in the right manner, intermittent fasting can benefit your health in a number of ways. Here is how you can extract maximum benefits from this diet.
/4benefits Of The 1: 8 Diet
16:8 fasting boosts metabolism, it cuts down the calories and this helps the weight loss process. Intermittent fasting can help keep the cholesterol in check when combined with a nutritious diet and regular exercise.
It manages food habits, controls calorie intake, and keeps the cholesterol level in check. These are the contributing factors to a healthy heart. The diet helps in reducing insulin resistance which helps in diabetes management.
It also helps to enhance brain functioning, improve concentration, protect against age-related memory loss and reduce the levels of cortisol in the body, which means less stress.
The intermittent diet plan helps prevent and manage diseases such as diabetes, certain heart conditions, some types of cancers, and some neurodegenerative diseases.
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Mistake #: Youre Not Sure What Counts
So my wife and I are trying to start on the IF journey . Its harder than we thought. How can she do coffee in the mornings without throwing off the benefits of the fast? She doesnt care for black coffee, but the chokehold of caffeine has her in its stimulant grip, and I dont want to die in that ditch today.
I, too, live and die by that a.m. cup of coffee. But this person is overthinking it. The best thing to do is simplify your routine. Have your morning cup of coffee exactly as you like it and break your fast then. For example, if youre doing 16:8 , have your coffee at 8 a.m. and your last meal at 4 p.m.
Do I Have To Skip Breakfast
You may have heard or read that a 16:8 plan means you cant eat breakfast. But when it comes to intermittent fasting, a 16:8 schedule is extremely flexible and simple. You decide when your 16-hour fast begins and ends, so if youre someone who simply cant live without breakfast, dont deprive yourself.
Or, maybe you prefer to skip breakfast. Thats ok too. Whatevers comfortable for you. You could also eat breakfast an hour or two later and eat dinner an hour or so earlier. Just make sure that your eating window closes eight hours after you first break your fast. All that matters is you have 16 consecutive hours during which you abstain from food and drink only calorie-free beverages like water or unsweetened tea or coffee.
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Can You Eat What You Want During 1: 8 Intermittent Fasting
Following the 16:8 diet isnt an excuse for an unchecked approach to whats on your plate. The diet encourages eating balanced meals within this time frame, says dietitian Milly Smith, of Dietitians Australia.
If your aim is to lose weight, that means making wise food choices, because if high energy/discretionary foods or high-energy drinks are consumed in this window it can negate this effect.
Hour Fast Benefit #: A More Youthful Appearance
In more recent times fasting has become known for its ability to turn back the biological clock. Many people who take up intermittent fasting notice dark under-eye circles disappearing and fine lines smoothing out.
These benefits may sound too good to be true, but theyre backed by science. Recent studies have shown that intermittent fasting boosts human growth hormone or HGH. Fasting for just 24 hours can boost HGH levels by 1300-2000%!
HGH is an essential hormone that helps build and repair tissues as diverse as your skin, brain, and other organs. By improving cellular turnover, HGH may help your skin look fresher and more youthful. It may also increase your bodys muscle mass, in turn making fat loss even easier.
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Foods You Should Eat:
This diet won’t restrict you from your favourite food or ask you to cut out any food groups completely. But when you do eat in your eight-hour window you need to eat sensibly and healthily so you don’t get tired or hungry for the rest of the day. We’re talking lean red meat and poultry, fish occasionally, lots of eggs and spinach and enough carbs to keep you going.
Are The 16 Hour Fast Benefits Different From Other Forms Of Intermittent Fasting
Other forms of intermittent fasting have extended fasting hours that go from 20 hours to even 72 hours. Extended fasting between meals is beneficial for healing at a cellular level and is often employed to treat severe ailments. It is often practised at intervals or until certain health targets are achieved.
In comparison, fasting 16 hours a day is a regular discipline that helps you not only achieve weight loss but also maintain body fat composition and insulin levels, among a host of other benefits.
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Healthy Foods To Enjoy During Your Eating Window
Calories still count, and you should get the most nutrition possible from every calorie you eat. Ideally, you should eat the same types of healthy foods during IF that you would eat on any healthy diet. That means eating lots of vegetables, lean protein, healthy fats, seafood, whole grains, dairy, and legumes. While these food groups hold the key to your intermittent fasting success, some choices are still better than others.
Veggies Incorporate a lot of cruciferous veggies such as broccoli, cauliflower, and brussel sprouts into your diet. They have more fiber to aid in digestion, and they also help you feel fuller.
Beans & Legumes Black beans, chickpeas, and peas are not only good for increasing your energy but are also a good source of protein.
Fruits & Berries You want to avoid overloading on fruit since they contain a lot of natural sugar that interferes with insulin levels. Berries are a better choice because of the high nutrient and antioxidant content. Adding berries and nuts to salads will help you get a diversity of nutrition in a single delicious serving.
Nuts Nuts contain good fat and a lot of antioxidants. Although nutritious, they are also high in calories. Almonds, walnuts, hazelnuts, cashews are a great choice.
Seafood Seafood is packed with nutrients, especially omega-3 fatty acids. People who normally eat more Omega-3 reduce their risk of heart disease, dementia, and depression. Salmon, shrimp, and trout are some perfect nutrient-dense choices.
