Every night when you’re asleep, you’re fasting. With an expert-recommended eight hours of shuteye, that leaves 16 waking hours for potential eating. 

When we are awake, we’re faced with constant temptation to snack. Because junk food is often cheaper and more readily available than nutritious, whole foods, it can be hard to maintain a healthy diet. That’s where the idea of intermittent fasting comes in.

The calories we consume get stored as sugars in our fat cells, and it’s insulin that allows this to happen. Between meals, our insulin levels drop so that the body can use these stored sugars for energy. The idea of intermittent fasting is for our insulin levels to go down far enough and long enough that fat is burned off.

Different from Diets

Most diets tell you what to eat. Fasting is mostly about when you eat. However, if eating normally means junk food, treats, and super-sized fried items, you won’t get any healthier during the times you eat, regardless of how long you fast.

Ideally your diet should consist of leafy greens, healthy fats, lean proteins, and whole grains. Many nutrition experts recommend the Mediterranean diet as a good guide.

Fasting Options

There’s plenty of options available should you want to give intermittent fasting a try. Here are some of the more popular options for healthy fasting: 

1. Alternate-day fasting — Eat a normal diet one day and then fast completely or eat 500-600 calories the next.
2. 5:2 fasting — Eat a normal diet five days a week and fast for two days.
3. 16/8 method — You only eat during a set eight hours. For the remaining 16 you’re limited to water, plain coffee, or tea.
4. Eat-stop-eat — Go without eating for 24 hours once or twice a week. Go from dinner one day to dinner the next.

Getting Started

Before doing anything, it is best to talk to your AltaMed health care professional to see if intermittent fasting is right for you. It might not work well with current medications or treatment protocols.

Otherwise, here are some practical tips:

• Begin with a modified schedule — You wouldn’t run 26 miles on your first day training for a marathon. You don’t have to stick to a straight eight-hour eating schedule from day one either.
• Drink up — Water, black coffee, and tea are all allowed. Stay hydrated with calorie-free beverages. 
• Eat often and don’t rush — It’s recommended that you eat every three hours during the period you’re “allowed” to eat so you get the calories you need. Also, savor your food.
• Plan — It’s easier to stick with healthy choices if you know what you’re going to eat.
• Meal prep — It’s even easier if the meal is already set to go. 
• Add some healthy fat — Some fats are better than others. Put olive oil, avocado, or coconut butter into your last meal of the day to keep your blood sugar levels up at night.

The Benefits

Losing weight has always been seen as beneficial for people coping with conditions like sleep apnea, diabetes, high blood pressure, and some types of cancer. There have also been studies linking it to the improvement of conditions like:

• Alzheimer’s disease
• Arthritis
• Asthma
• Multiple sclerosis
• Stroke

Some Side Effects

As with any changes in your routine, there may be initial discomforts such as:

• Hunger
• Fatigue
• Nausea
• Headaches
• Irritability

All these conditions should go away, however, within a month. If you’re suffering from insomnia, intermittent fasting might not be for you.

Let Us Help You on Your Journey

Intermittent fasting is about more than losing weight. It’s about creating a better balance inside your body. That’s something we can help with.

We encourage you to connect with a health care professional at AltaMed to help you grow healthy. If you’re interested, click here or call us at (888) 499-9303.