We’ve all heard breakfast is the most important meal of the day, but what if I told you that some scientific research shows breakfast might not be all that important? Intermittent fasting is a popular health and fitness fad and my motive is to help you understand it. We all have heard of various fitness trends and understanding them is important so you know if it can help or hurt you. As a communications major, focusing on health communications, this is a relevant subject in the emerging health and fitness-orientated world we live in.
So what exactly is intermittent fasting?
Intermittent fasting (IF) is an eating pattern, not a diet. The approach to IF is about when, not what, you will eat (Gunnars, 2015). IF is typically started by continuing your fast from sleep, skipping breakfast, and pushing your first meal a few hours after waking. Other than for religious purposes, people who generally fast do it to reap potential benefits from the caloric restriction and biological processes that take place within the body when in a fasted state (Gunnars, 2015). There are many different approaches and IF methods, but the most popular I’ve seen by far is people following the 16/8 method. The 16/8 Method is fasting for 16 hours each day, followed by an 8 hour eating window. Now you don’t have to explicitly follow 16 hours fasting. You can fast for 14 hours and do a 10 hour window of eating, or you can do 18 hours of fasting and 6 hours of eating. When using IF as a dietary approach to weight loss, what really matters is calories in versus out. Having an 8 hour window of eating for example lets you eat luxuriously during that time span, and surprisingly some people might find it hard to get their calories in during this small window of (which is the point!)
What are some ways to make intermittent fasting easy?
If you start to get hungry many things can be used to suppress appetite. These are some things I have tried out before:
- Drinking just black coffee
- Drinking water or sparkling water
- Having just an apple (later on in the fast when you are close to breaking it)
- Drinking BCAAs
- Get yourself busy and do some work so you don’t think about being hungry
While intermittent fasting is utilized for its known benefits, it does have many drawbacks. Fasting does have adverse effects, which are being studied through research, since it is a form of starvation (Horne, Muhlestein, & Anderson, 2015). According to Horne and fellow researchers (2015), while uncommon, studies have shown when fasting has taken place for about 5 to 7 weeks in healthy adults there may lead to some serious conditions. Worse case fasting problems from immoderate practice include excessive weight loss, anemia, delirium, malnutrition, eating disorders, compromised immune system, and organ deterioration, but these adverse side effects are rare (Horne, et al., 2015). Fasting in general can lead to other minor problems such as headaches, fainting, weakness, dehydration, and hunger pangs (Horne, et al., 2015).IF specifically, is a relatively new fitness trend, which has limited information on long term effects, with many of its studies focused solely on weight loss (Horne, et al., 2015). Having limited studies on these long-term effects poses the issue of whether or not people should even take part in a dietary approach that has not been substantially studied (Horne, et al., 2015).
So with all these possible harmful effects of intermittent fasting, what are the potential benefits that people fast for? IF has been shown through several studies to have many health benefits such as weight loss, prevent and fight cancer, promote longevity, brain health, and many other advantages. The most common of these reasons is to create a caloric restriction, which in return leads to losing weight. According to Barnosky and other researchers from studies (2014), it has been found that IF is helpful in weight and visceral fat mass loss. IF statistics are comparable to standard caloric restriction diets, with many studies showing higher percentages of weight loss (Barnosky et al., 2014). Along with weight loss improving health and protecting against type II diabetes, insulin sensitivity increases during fasted states, which also helps in staving off fat storage (Barnosky, et al., 2014). According to Mattson (2005), Caloric restriction and reduced meal frequency as a result from intermittent fasting was found to increase production of brain-derived neurotrophic factor. BDNF “increases the resistance of neurons in the brain to dysfunction and degeneration in animal models of neurodegenerative disorders” (Mattson, 2005)
Fasting induces Autophagy, a cellular repair process throughout the body. As a result, there is reduced inflammation and oxidative stress, which contributes to the overall wellbeing of our bodies (Johnson et al., 2007). Autophagy is a intracellular repair process that removes deformed proteins, clears out damaged organelles, prevents against genome instability and necrosis, which all play a part in preventing cancer, neuro-degradation, diabetes, and other diseases (Glick et al., 2010).
Lastly, from the nature of Intermittent fasting, it helps with busy lifestyles, making things simple and boosts productivity. With intervals of fasting, people don’t have to worry about cooking, or preparing 3 or more meals a day, which can be very convenient. It allows you to focus on your tasks on hand.
Takeaways?
In a current world with upward focuses on health and fitness, IF is at the top of the list. Intermittent fasting includes intervals of fasting and eating. There are several potential drawbacks of intermittent fasting that are induced from starvation for long periods of times, like excessive weight loss, compromised immune system, and eating disorders to name a few. On the other hand there are also many benefits like improving insulin sensitivity, fighting cancer, promoting brain health and longevity. While popular right now, fasting is something humans have been doing for thousands of years, whether it has been in times of famine or for religious reasons. Hopefully by understanding it, you will be that much more aware of how our body functions and use it to your advantage.
This information is for educational purposes only. I am not a doctor. None of this is medical advice. Everything here has been gathered through personal experience and personal research. If you are going to start a physical activity regime, you should consult your physician. If you are going to start a nutrition or diet, you should consult a registered dietitian.
This information (which has been modified slightly from its original form) was a memorized speech that I gave for a public speaking class at the University of Connecticut.
References
Barnosky, A. R., Hoddy, K. K., Unterman, T. G., & Varady, K. A. (2014). Intermittent fasting vs daily calorie restriction for type 2 diabetes prevention: A review of human findings. Translational Research, 164(4), 302-311.
Cherif, A., Roelands, B., Meeusen, R., & Chamari, K. (2015). Effects of Intermittent Fasting, Caloric Restriction, and Ramadan Intermittent Fasting on Cognitive Performance at Rest and During Exercise in Adults. Sports Med Sports Medicine, 46(1), 35-47. Retrieved from http://link.springer.com.ezproxy.lib.uconn.edu/article/10.1007/s40279-015-0408-6
Glick, D., Barth, S., & Macleod, K. F. (2010). Autophagy: Cellular and molecular mechanisms. J. Pathol. The Journal of Pathology, 221(1), 3-12.
Gunnars, K. (2015). Intermittent Fasting 101 - The Ultimate Beginner's Guide. Retrieved February 14, 2016, from http://authoritynutrition.com/intermittent-fasting-guide/
Horne, B. D., Muhlestein, J. B., & Anderson, J. L. (2015). Health effects of intermittent fasting: Hormesis or harm? A systematic review. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 102(2), 464-470.
Intermittent. (n.d.). Retrieved February 20, 2016, from http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/intermittent
Johnson, J. B., Summer, W., Cutler, R. G., Martin, B., Hyun, D., Dixit, V. D., . . . Mattson, M. P. (2007). Alternate day calorie restriction improves clinical findings and reduces markers of oxidative stress and inflammation in overweight adults with moderate asthma. Free Radical Biology and Medicine, 42(5), 665-674.
Mattson, M. P. (2005). ENERGY INTAKE, MEAL FREQUENCY, AND HEALTH: A Neurobiological Perspective *. Annu. Rev. Nutr. Annual Review of Nutrition, 25(1), 237-260.
O'Gallagher, G. (2014). The Six Rules of Effortless Fasting - Part 2 of the Kinobody Fasting Guide - KINOBODY Fitness Systems. Retrieved from https://kinobody.com/diet-and-nutrition/the-six-rules-of-effortless-fasting-part-2-of-the-kinobody-fasting-guide/