Everything You Need To Know About Intermittent Fasting

You may have heard of intermittent fasting before if you’ve ever looked up weight loss strategies. It may seem like just another fad diet but there is a lot of recent research that has proven it to be effective.

Watch Dr. Rob explain how:

VIDEO:

What is Intermittent Fasting?

Intermittent fasting is less of a diet and more of an eating pattern. So you don’t have to change WHAT you’re eating, you just have to change WHEN you’re eating. There are several different patterns you can adhere to based on your lifestyle.

The most common pattern is 16:8 which means you fast for 16 hours and eat all your calories/meals for the day in an 8 hour window. Many people stick to a 12pm-8pm eating period but those 8 hours can be shifted to any time frame that fits with your schedule.

Within that 8 hour period you can eat anything you would normally eat in a day and outside of that time frame you only consume water, black coffee, or tea.

Why Intermittent Fasting Works:

Extended periods of fasting results in changes to hormonal patterns and metabolism. After you eat your food is broken down into macro and micro nutrients so your body can absorb its energy.

Carbohydrates are the easiest for our bodies to break down so they end up being the primary energy source for our bodies in the form of glucose.

When you fast your blood glucose levels fall which signals the body to release stored glucose from the liver to raise your blood glucose levels. Your body likes to have a certain level of stored glucose so it will start to look for other sources like fat and protein to create more glucose.

The idea is that you start to utilize more stored fat or adipose as an energy source during your fasting state rather than easily available carbs.

Why You Should Try Intermittent Fasting.

People are using intermittent fasting to lose weight, improve their health and simplify their lifestyles. Studies have shown that intermittent fasting can:

• Lower insulin levels
• Increase your growth hormones that help build muscle mass
• Reduce inflammation
• Have cardiovascular & brain benefits
• Help your gut microbiome

Intermittent fasting might not be for you if you are:

• Pregnant
• Breastfeeding
• Have a history of eating disorders
• Or are a child or adolescent

Want more info on intermittent fasting? Ask at your next appointment or reach out to thefitclub@pricehealth.ca to find out how a custom nutrition and fitness plan can benefit you!