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Dr. Corinne: Intermittent Fasting: Ingrained in Our DNA, But is it for You?There are numerous arguments both for and against these patterns of eating that are still causing disagreement and discontent in the diet and fitness world, so it's worth learning as much as you can to see if they suit you, your lifestyle, and weight loss goals before committing to a period of Intermittent Fasting.
Where did it come from? Believe it or not, Intermittent Fasting is derived from the eating patterns of our ancestors, the hunter-gatherers. Their eating patterns relied on an ever-changing (and often unreliable) abundance of food, and as such, they often went long periods of time without eating. These eating patterns are thus ingrained in our DNA. Part of us KNOWS that overeating is never, and was never, a sustainable or natural thing to do. Surprisingly, our bodies actually react positively to lengthy periods without sustenance, provided there is no mental stress or tension involved during these times. There are numerous studies that show the benefits of diets based on Intermittent Fasting—yet as with any eating pattern, it doesn't come without its shortfalls. Try to maintain an open mind and learn as much as you can before deciding if it's for you! IF (Intermittent Fasting) generally involves varying periods of fasting interspersed by shorter windows of eating, during which calorie deficiency for the period of fasting time is accounted for. There are several cycles of this which have been proven to work for those seeking to lose weight. By adjusting the pattern and frequency by which you consume your meals, you prolong the period of "fasting" generally reserved for night time and restrict your eating hours to a shorter period during the day. Calorie-Deficiency As a general rule to which all weight-loss programs will agree, the best way to create weight loss is to restrict the number of calories consumed in relation to the amount of activity partaken. Intermittent Fasting is no different, as the 'restriction' of calories takes place between the fasting hours and helps the body to properly digest and assimilate what was consumed during non-fasting hours. The important part of this cycle is to ensure that the meals you eat in between fasting periods are balanced and contain enough nutrients and minerals to see your body through the next period of "fasting." There are numerous arguments both for and against these patterns of eating that are still causing disagreement and discontent in the diet and fitness world, so it's worth learning as much as you can to see if they suit you, your lifestyle, and weight loss goals before committing to a period of Intermittent Fasting. The positives As it wouldn't be fair to focus solely on the negatives, this kind of dieting has ultimately provided some participants with certain levels of success. Let's start by detailing some of the positive outcomes observed by diets of IF. Some aspects of Intermittent Fasting that the media has directed attention to is the fact that almost all people undertaking a period of Intermittent Fasting have experienced the following:
In addition to these positives, IF can help to regulate imbalanced hormonal and cellular function. This can be observed when after not eating for a period of time, your body initiates important cellular repair processes and changes hormone levels to make stored body fat more accessible. While fasting for a certain amount of time inevitably sends the body into "weight loss" mode, as existing fat cells and hormones are called into use to replace the depleted amount of energy the body is receiving (in the form of calories), the sustained period of time with NO caloric intake followed by a significant intake sends the metabolism into overdrive and as such burns more during digestion than would usually occur on a normal diet. The downsides While the overall benefits of Intermittent Fasting seem to be largely positive (and it's even recommended by some medical professionals), there are (as with most weight loss programs) some downsides to be aware of, too. One of the most appealing factors of Intermittent Fasting is that during the non- fasting hours, the meals you eat aren't necessarily specified as having to contain any particular amounts of calories, however they do have to be balanced. This means that while meal-prepping everything isn't a requirement, you still need to be relatively smart about the foods and portions you consume during the non-fasting hours. Just because you've built up a calorie-deficit over the fasting period doesn't mean you can eat anything you like for 8 hours and have there be no consequences! This is where most people fall down with Intermittent Fasting, so it helps to be aware that it's not only during the fasting hours that awareness of the body's hunger cues must be observed. Eating Issues Intermittent Fasting can also elevate the likelihood of developing or worsening eating disorders. As so much of IF revolves around controlling and maintaining certain levels of food intake, there's a fine line between when obsession over eating and not-eating during your fasting/non-fasting days becomes heightened enough to become similar to eating-disordered thinking. Perhaps the most well-known version of the Intermittent Fast was originally suggested in the book "1 Hour Diet" by David Zinczenko. In this book, he suggested that leaving longer periods between meals allows the body to properly process food and break down any excess fat cells is actually preferable to eating more numerous, smaller meals during the day. Good News? The good news is that for those sticking to the 16:8 diet, you actually sleep through most of the 16-hour fasting window! For most of my husband's adult life he has naturally followed this plan without even knowing it. I now follow close to this 16:8 window and feel great doing it. At first, it was not easy for me because I had some low blood sugar issues. Once I stabilized my blood sugar I could handle fasting longer. The idea is that you follow a pattern of not eating early in the morning, and then eating at 11am or 12pm, and then confining any subsequent meals to within an 8-hour window. Leaving 2 hours AFTER your last meal before bedtime and following the same pattern the following day. Simply put, the 16:8 method pretty much involves you just skipping breakfast, and then ensuring your last meal is consumed at least 2 hours prior to when you go to sleep. Sounds easy, right? It is! The main challenge people face during a period of 16:8 dieting is during the window of fasting in the morning. For anyone who has become accustomed to the "breakfast like a king" rule the fitness media has shared with us for years, this might present itself as a challenge. However, if the other meals the previous day have been nutrient-dense enough to provide both enough nutrition and also to satiate hunger, the morning fasting period should prove to be easier. It takes time to figure out which kinds of foods will successfully see your energy levels through until the following afternoon, so don't give up if you find it hard for the first few days! The biggest question on most people's fast-hungry lips is what they can actually EAT during their 8-hour eating window. Another positive element of this diet is that calories are not restricted during your "eating" hours. Both meals and snacks can be consumed, with the only guideline being that they consist of healthy, balanced, and portion-controlled. There are NO "forbidden foods" on this diet, but professionals would recommend only that you avoid overindulgence as much as possible. The urge to overeat or binge can arise after a period of fasting, and so 16:8 dieters much be aware of this danger in order to lower the likelihood of them binging. If it helps for you to break your fast initially with a light snack instead of a heavy meal, this can help with avoiding urges to binge later on. Liquids During the 16-hour fasting period, non-calorific liquids can be consumed (such as tea, black coffee, or water). Making SURE they contain NO sugar is key to a successful 16-hour fast. It helps to take your time while eating, savor each bite, and maybe even take few minutes break in the middle of your meal to allow digestion to begin as studies have shown this is beneficial for overall gut and mental health, as well as weight loss. I'm sure that eating 3 meals of fried, sugary, and fatty foods during your "eating window" would lead to different results after a period of following this diet, so some common dieting sense is advised during this time! As with all intermittent fasts, this diet is not suited to anyone with unstable or unreliable blood sugar, as the low levels during fasting hours can lead to complications. A large part of successful intermittent fasting is centered around creating the right mentality. As with any new "diet" or eating plan, you can't expect to see immediate results—human beings are creatures of habit, and shifting away from your normal eating/exercise regime (or lack thereof) can take time to adjust to. This is actually more of a mental thing than physical, as the recent studies on getting rid of the "diet mentality" suggests! But intermittent fasting needn't be so hard. It's important, however, to understand that you can't just decide you're "fasting" if you accidentally miss or skip breakfast or another large meal. This kind of false justification rarely works, and generally results in severe troughs in energy levels or even binges and spikes in blood sugars. The best way to go about starting an intermittent fast is to PLAN ahead of schedule—start your eating pattern on a Monday, for example, and spend the Sunday prior to it getting yourself more educated on what exactly it is you're getting yourself in for—make yourself aware of all potential outcomes, and potential reactions (both negative and positive). Consult Your Doctor for Medical Advice If you're in any way unsure about whether or not intermittent fasting is something that could work for you, seek your doctor's advice beforehand. The following conditions are signs that you probably should NOT try intermittent fasting:
As so much of dieting is focused around negative emotions and "punishment" for slip ups or deviations from the diet, it's EXTREMELY important to establish a healthy mindset surrounding weight loss before trying Intermittent Fasting. Successful weight loss (and that means sustainable, long-term weight loss that STAYS lost), generally centers around creating positive lifestyle changes that incorporate healthy eating and automatically lend themselves to weight loss. This involves not only diet, but also activity levels, environmental factors, and most importantly—MENTALITY. Intermittent Fasting can be used as one of these lifestyle changes—a simple eating pattern that you follow several days of the week or month that helps to regulate your metabolism and slowly return your body to its most natural and balanced state. But keep in mind how you view the process of Intermittent Fasting in your head—if you're expecting it to work as a quick-fix, just know that this is not sustainable, either. Trust Your Body A huge element of successful weight loss involves learning how to listen to your body correctly. This means feeding, moving, and being kind to your body when it needs you to be. A lot of health professionals over-complicate weight loss by cornering it into one small element of a pie-chart that relies on the entirety to achieve wholesomeness. Studies have shown that Intermittent Fasting can affect the functioning of your cells, genes, and hormones, as the altered pattern of your eating will ultimately release the hormones necessary for cell growth and repair. Intermittent Fasting is particularly effective regarding the hormones that have to do with your hunger, blood sugar, and metabolism. Reducing insulin resistance is extremely effective in lowering blood sugar levels, thus lowering your risk of developing type 2 diabetes. Cancer Research It has even been suggested that periodic fasting can trigger improved cell regrowth and immune system repair, assisting the body's recovery from treatments such as chemotherapy. As well as using stores of glucose, prolonged periods of fasting also breaks down significant portions of white blood cells. This then triggers stem-cell based regeneration of new immune system cells. Check out this fascinating article about fasting-induced cell regeneration, Click here. The Human Growth Hormone (HGH) is known to be one of the most highly affected hormones in the body during a period of fasting. After 6 hours of a fast, this hormone goes into overdrive and starts producing physiological results in the form of increased metabolism and fat-burning. The proteins it produces—amino acids—are used to improve brain and neuro functioning, also repairing collagen and helping with skin growth and repair while it does so! Insulin and HGH work as opposites in this function. Read more about this in the article here: Cardiovascular Health As fasting helps to reduce instances of inflammation, contributing to lowered cholesterol, blood pressure, and overall weight, there are definitely benefits for those seeking to improve their heart health. However, doctors also advise caution to these patients, as electrolyte imbalance can occur, giving rise to arrhythmias. The doctor in the following article also states however that there is still a lot of research to be done in this area regarding heart health and Intermittent Fasting, so for those unsure or wary of trying it, he advises to consult your healthcare professional before embarking on a period of fasting. BOTTOM LINE It seems that the same goes for any existing medical condition - if you wish to try losing weight with Intermittent Fasting, it's best to consult your doctor first. Heart health article, Click here.
Having support as you complete your transformation is crucial for success. Making dietary changes is never easy which is why having a strong support system in place is so important. I encourage all of you to keep in touch with me as your journey continues. Once again, if you ever need any additional guidance or support, don't hesitate to reach out! Here is an intermittent fasting plan you can do for only $29. Sign up here to get started. I am deeply passionate about helping people become the very best versions of themselves. If you need any additional information, help, or questions answered, please email me at Dr@DrCorinneWeaver.com. If you want more healthy tips you can subscribe to my YouTube channel here https://www.youtube.com/drcorinneweaver. Like and comment on my channel so I will know what tips and topics you want to know about. I am forming a community of people who want to take action in their own health with my social media channels and I want to know what health topics you want to hear. Keep Breathing, Email: Dr@DrCorinneWeaver.com Dr. Corinne Weaver is a compassionate upper cervical chiropractor, educator, motivational speaker, mother of three, and internationally bestselling author. In 2004, she founded the Upper Cervical Wellness Center in Indian Trail, North Carolina. Over the last 13 years, she has helped thousands of clients restore their brain to-body function. When she was 10 years old, she lost her own health as the result of a bike accident that led to having asthma and allergy issues that she thought she would always have to endure. Then, after her first upper cervical adjustment at age 21, her health began to improve thanks to upper cervical care and natural herbal remedies. This enabled her to create a drug-free wellness lifestyle for herself and her family, and she also enthusiastically discovered her calling to help children heal naturally. Dr. Weaver was named one of Charlotte Magazine's "Top Doctors" in 2016 and is now a number-one internationally bestselling author to two books: Learning How to Breathe and No More Meds. Upper Cervical Wellness Center is known for finding the root cause of health concerns through lifestyle changes, diagnostic testing, nutraceutical supplementation, and correction of subluxation (as opposed to just medicating the symptoms). The practice offers cutting-edge technological care at its state-of-the-art facility, including laser-aligned upper cervical X-rays, bioimpedance analysis (measures body composition), digital thermography (locates thermal abnormalities characterized by skin inflammation), and complete nutritional blood analysis, which is focused on disease prevention. 
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Intermittent fasting is heralded as one of THE most effective ways to lose weight and get your body into shape. Simply put, Intermittent Fasting is not a diet—it is an eating pattern. (Photo: Creative Commons-Pixabay)
Curiously, there have been studies to show that Intermittent Fasting has more successful rates in men instead of those in women. This has to do with hormonal rates involved in metabolism and fat storage, and takes into account centuries of women's activity levels being lower than those of men. (Photo: Dr. Corinne Weaver)
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