Intermittent Fasting

When we fast, the body is forced to use its fat stores as an energy source. This is a good thing, it means that the digestive system doesn’t require energy & allows that energy to be redirected to be spent on other functions such as healing and regenerating.  

Fasting makes you enter a state of ketosis (If you’ve heard of the Keto diet, it works off this idea). Fats actually yield more energy per gram than carbohydrates do (burning carbohydrates is easier for the body, but burning fat is more efficient). So fasting/entering a state of ketosis, can often actually make you feel like you have more energy than eating lots of carbohydrates.

Intermittent fasting works on this idea - having an earlier dinner means that your body fasts for longer overnight, allowing the body to enter the state of healing and regeneration. As mentionned, the body uses fat as it’s energy source instead of carbohydrates so this also helps with weight loss.

The recommended intermittent fasting times range, with eating time being between 8-10 hours (so fasting time is 16/14 hours). In general, 12+ hours is considered a real ‘fast’ for the body. Fasting does not suit everyone, and it’s generally thought that women should do slightly less fasting time than men. 

In TCM, the importance of breakfast is stressed. Try to eat dinner earlier rather than skipping breakfast/having a late breakfast. Ideally, you want to have 2-3 hours between dinner and bed.

The benefits of intermittent fasting aside from weight loss include: outcomes like improved insulin sensitivity, lower cancer risk, improved blood sugar & reduced inflammation. Another benefit, is that those who do intermittent fasting have a  healthier gut microbiome: more “lean” gut flora - bacteria that doesn’t extract as much sugar and fat from the foods they eat. Those that eat late/around the clock however, seem to have more “obese” flora, that extract more calories from the food eaten.