Fasting for Fast Weight Loss, Better Health, and Supreme Fitness. I stumbled across a fascinating article on something crazy called Intermittent Fasting (IF). Consisting of regular 1. Intermittent Fasting has been shown scientifically to help achieve fast weight loss, better health, and increased fitness levels. As a student of Optimal Living, I knew I had to dig in and learn more. And thus began an incredible journey down the path of intermittent fasting, towards my craziest challenge so far. The Evolutionary Perspective. Before I begin this story, let’s take quick walk up our family tree, all the way back to our hunter- gatherer ancestors, to understand this whole Intermittent Fasting concept. Now these guys, the hunter- gathered, they didn’t eat 3 meals at day at regular intervals like most do now. No, instead they went hunting & gathering, sometimes for days, before finding something good. As leading neuroscience & ageing expert Mark P. Mattson tells us, “our ancestors consumed food much less frequently and often had to subsist on one large meal per day, and thus from an evolutionary perspective, human beings were adapted to intermittent feeding rather than to grazing.”Hmm interesting. Could it be that modern society has put the human specie “zoo- like” environment, and our eating patterns have become progressively less optimal? And more importantly, what happens if we start eating the way we’re evolutionary programmed to? The answer, it turns out, is “amazing things”. The Mind- Blowing Health Benefits of Intermittent Fasting. Here are the scientifically proven benefits of doing regular fasts of 1. Increased Fatty Acid Oxidation (Body burns more fat as energy, leading to fast weight loss)Increased Cell Resistance (Slowed down ageing process, improved immunity)Increased Insulin Sensitivity (Less fluctuation in blood sugar levels, more constant energy & mood levels)Reduced Cortisol Production (Lower stress levels)Reduced Inflammation (Faster body healing, repair, and recovery)Reduced Cancer Cells Proliferation Rate (Reduced incidence of several types of cancer)Reduced Cognitive Decline for patients with Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease. Reduced Incidence of Heart Disease. Not bad eh! And you haven’t heard the craziest part yet: most people start experiencing these benefits within 2 weeks of starting to fast! Oh, and if it weren’t enough, here’s a study that simply blows my mind: In the. On average, the worms on the IF cycle outlasted their counterparts on a regular diet by 1. The life- span extension of these worms was the equivalent of keeping a man alive for 6. I know these are only worms, but still. Low-carbohydrate diets or low-carb diets are dietary programs that restrict carbohydrate consumption, often for the treatment of obesity or diabetes. When I started my medical practice over two decades ago, fibromyalgia was so commonly missed that by the time the average person was finally diagnosed, they’d been. My Thoughts As I Discovered This. This was all phenomenal stuff, no doubt about it. And as someone who loves experimenting, often with the goal of optimizing body, mind, and health, it was very alluring. However, there was one major issue separating me from these incredible benefits. I had to FAST to obtain them! I had to abstain from my beloved food for 1. How the hell was I supposed to do that? To put you in context, I’m like the anti- fasting guy. I usually eat every 2 hours, and I’ve always been a big believer in the 6- small- meals- a- day concept. I bring snacks everywhere I go. The Asian girls in my classes always giggle when they see me peel and eat hard boiled eggs in the middle of a lecture to get my protein fix. The other problem is that when I go without food, I feel like crap. As soon as hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) sets in, my energy drops and I get cranky.“Yeah”, I thought, “You know what? Screw this fasting thing. I love food too much, and this is crazy anyways”. Turning Point: The Universe Gets Involved. Later that night, something strange happened. I grabbed the Men’s Health magazine issue next to my bed for a little pre- sleep reading. We’re in the midst of a series exploring therapeutic ketogenic diets. Our immediate goal is to help the NBIA kids, Zach and Matthias, but most of the ideas will be. Reversing Degenerative Disc Disease of the Back and Spine Prevention, Treatment, Control and Spontaneous Healing of the Back, Lumbar Spine, Thoracic Spine, Cervical. If you are able to afford it, organic fruit is the better choice. The above chart gives you both the calories and carbohydrates in fruit. Please remember that what is. In a word, yes. But, technically this is the wrong question. The correct question is probably closer to, “What is the impact of the calories I consume on my body. Scott December 28, 2011. Fascinating stuff here. The nutritional ketosis approach makes some sense to me, from the perspective of human evolution (I’m an. Thanks for your awesome comment, Zell! First off, congratulations on finding a way of eating that is working for you, and helping you attain your desired weight. I opened the magazine randomly in the middle. The article that was in front of me? A piece on Intermittent Fasting titled “The World’s Most Effective Diet”. Wow. I’m a big believer in the flow of the universe, and that signs are the universe’s way of hinting us the right direction. As I read the MH article, I was moved by the great insight the author provided as he related the day- to- day lifestyle of an “intermittent- faster”, and describe all eloquently all the ways it had improved his life. I couldn’t help but think the universe was telling me something. This article was no coincidence, it was a sign. I pondered on Ralph Waldo Emerson’s wisdom that “all life is one big experiment. The more experiments you do, the better.” and right there and then, I made a decision: “Intermittent Fasting for 1. Let’s do it.” Boom! I turned off the lights and closed my eyes, hoping to sleep for as long as possible. I wasn’t allowed to “break fast” until 5: 3. I had solid 7. 5 hours of no- food time ahead of me. All righttttt! I thought about it, and couldn’t even recall the last time I’d gone more than an hour before having my morning smoothie. I remembered wondering what I had gotten myself into, but I had committed to this little project and there was no way I was backing out. I did a little yoga, took my (cold) shower, and prepared my “copious” breakfast: a liter of green tea. I headed over to my computer, knowing full well that the key to this whole operation was to keep myself busy all day. I started working on my upcoming e. Book. I immersed myself in it, and before long I had an hour of good writing under my belt, and it was time to make more tea. Over the next few hours, I had little waves of hunger come in and out, but overall I felt focused and achieved a great state of flow. After 3 hours of solid creative work, I decided to step outside and enjoy the afternoon sunshine. I got on my bike, and went cruising around Perth, enjoying life. I couldn’t believe how well this experiment was going. When I got back from my bike ride, I remembered I had to do something. It was Sunday 4pm, the weekend market was about to close, and I didn’t have my groceries for the week. That’s right, I had to go grocery shopping. I had to go buying large amounts of delicious food after 1. The stakes had just been raised. I walked into the market, and my nostrils were immediately flooded with the wonderful aromas of fresh baked bread and croissants. I felt this sharp pain in my stomach, and thought about turning around. But no, this was a challenge, and pushing myself through this could only make me stronger. I got everything I needed, paid for my stuff, and even managed to remain courteous to the cashier despite my advance state of hunger. As I walked out, I looked down at my watch. I just had to go home, put the groceries away, then I would cook one hell of a feast. I felt a bit woozy driving home, my mind was a bit foggy as I unpacked my groceries, but before I knew it, my i. Phone alarm went off. A proud smile beamed over my face. I had just crushed this fasting day, put myself out of my comfort zone, and come out a bit stronger on the other side. Best feeling ever. And then, it was time for some fooooood!!! On fasting days, I appreciate my food SO MUCH more. That first bite of food after 1. I experience a high level of mental clarity, as more of my energy is being using for cognitive activities instead of the digestion process. I’m more productive and get more stuff done, because I spend less time preparing & eating food. It’s making me mentally tougher, it’s increasing my self- control. While cold showers give me a “let’s do this”- type mental toughness, fasting helps me remain focused & persistent over a longer period of time. Both are equally important part of getting my mind where I want it to be. Stepping Things Up: Training in a Fasted State. On the 1. 0th Day of Fasting, I celebrated by pushing the envelope a bit. Stepping things up if you will. I was chilling at the beach, and eventually got restless from too much reading & journaling, so decided to get up and go for a run along the water. This would be my first ever “fasted training session” and besides being fun, this run would serve 2 purposes: 1. Put my body under more “stress”, thus possibly “supercharging” the benefits of the fast. Allow me to enjoy the sights provided by the return of Australian summer & bikini- season : )The workout was amazing, I felt light and fast. I didn’t get tired, my mind felt clear, and I even received a few smiles from the ladies. Overall, great success. That night, happy with my first fasted training, I found myself thinking how I could take this Intermittent Fasting experiment to the next level. The very first article I found, on Fasted Training, absolutely blew my mind. This article by Intermittent Fasting expert Martin Berkhan looked at a groundbreaking study that looked at 2 groups of subjects, and put them on a cycling training program for 4 weeks. One group would do the training in fasted state, while to other group would have food before training. At the end of the 4 weeks, when comparing the results 2 main findings were discovered: 1. The fasted group increased VO2. Max by 9. 7% vs 2. This means that the fasted had a significantly greater fitness improvement. The fasted group increased Glycogen Storage (how much energy is stored in the muscles) by a whopping +5. This is of particular interest for endurance athletes because it allows for greater energy reserves. Think of it as a bigger fuel tank on a racing car. The article also taught me something very interesting: Kenyan runners, arguably the best endurance athletes on the planet, are known to do most of their training in a fasted state. Wait, what? Researchers then compared the subjects’ post- fasting blood samples to those taken after a day of normal eating. The results? The scientists observed that the male participants’ levels of human growth hormone (HGH) were 2. HGH? WHAT?? For those who don’t know what it is, HGH is pretty much the “superhuman” hormone. It’s a commonly used substance in illegal doping protocols by high- level athletes. Why I choose Intermittent Fasting. Fasting. Not Eating. Sounds scary, doesn’t it? Ever since I can remember, we have been told as trainers to recommend eating multiple times throughout the day, every 2- 3 hours. In addition, many clients also shared the same experience when I told them to increase their meal frequency. Just about every client hated to eat breakfast because they didn’t have the time, or the discipline to pack and eat every 2- 3 hours. To all my clients, I am sorry. But as Mark Sisson put it, “But like many behaviors in the fitness and health world, there comes a point where the benefits decrease and we find ourselves on the dreaded plateau.”After reading this quote, it explained the frustration between my clients and me. I needed to find a better method of eating to get my clients to adhere to. This was when I began to explore intermittent fasting. Upon further research, I received and email from Precision Nutrition. It was a free E- book written by Dr. John Berardi and his team called “Experiments with Intermittent Fasting”. The stress of leaving a secure senior personal training position and the increased workload was overwhelming. I found myself skipping meals, eating more food later at night and having a protein shake as my first meal about 2- 3 hours after I got to work. What I was doing without even knowing it was called the Leangains method of intermittent fasting. LEANGAINS BY MARTIN BERKHAN (1. This brand of fasting is based on an 8- hour feeding period followed by a 1. However, it also layers a few other food rules on top. The diet should be high in protein, should cycle carbohydrates, should include fasted training, and should use nutrient timing (eating the bulk of your calories during the post- exercise period). On this plan, you fast from, say, 9 PM on Monday night until 1 PM on Tuesday afternoon. If you’re going to exercise, you’d do so just before 1 PM on Tuesday, with 1. BCAAs (branched chain amino acids) during training. After training, you eat 2- 3 meals before 9 PM, with your biggest meal coming right after exercise. The fasting begins again on Tuesday evening until Wednesday at 1 PM, and repeats every day. I stayed just as lean and muscular as before, I wasn’t hungry as often and had plenty of energy. After experiencing the benefits myself and reading all of the great literature on IF, I was sold. I was actually relieved to know that I didn’t have to eat so often. I was way too busy! I would start out the conversation briefly explaining my own eating history. I then would give them some facts about intermittent fasting such as hunger control by not eating breakfast and frequent meals, improved growth hormone output and detoxification. Almost every client grasped the concept without hesitation. What they were currently trying to do wasn’t working, so why not listen to another idea. They were thrilled that I was not having them prepare so many meals ahead of time or eat a large breakfast. I was actually making their life more convenient. Who doesn’t want that? I made sure to give them reading materials to back- up my recommendation and also to help educate them. In the past year I have been promoting intermittent fasting with much success. Not all of my clients respond the same, but I would say about 5. If someone is not successful with IF, I let them know that it is not the only way. Intermittent Fasting is a method of eating that can aid in losing fat, maintaining leanness, all the while increasing productivity and performance. It is a lifestyle that for some is optimal. It is NOT the only way and it may not be the method that works best for you. The BEST nutritional strategy is one that is sustainable, thereby enriching your life and promoting wellness. Other Methods of IFThe Leangains method I described above is not the only way to perform IF. I have personally tried and recommended all of the methods I have described below. I have even done many of them in one week. Take a look at the various methods below, try them and find what works for you. One of the best things about IF is that you can tailor it to what best fits your regime. ALTERNATE DAY FASTING (ADF) BY DR. EADES (3. 6 hour fast / 1. With this plan you simply eat every other day. So on Monday, you’d eat within a 1. AM to 8 PM. Then you’d fast overnight on Monday, and all day/overnight on Tuesday. You’d eat again from 8 AM to 8 PM on Wednesday. Alternate day fasters are encouraged to make good eating choices, but they’re allowed to eat what they want on the non- fasting days. MEAL- SKIPPING(Random)Some IF proponents believe we should behave like our evolutionary ancestors did. As humans evolved to get their food and exercise randomly, so should we. This brand of IF includes eating unprocessed, “evolutionary friendly” food (think Paleo- diet type). This is paired with randomly cycling daily calorie intake, and randomly skipping a breakfast or dinner meal once or twice a week. The rules are very flexible. It’s flexible: You can choose whichever 2. Want to fast from breakfast to breakfast? That’s cool. Just eat breakfast on Monday, and don’t eat again until breakfast on Tuesday. Want to fast dinner to dinner? That’s cool too. Eat dinner on Wednesday, and don’t eat again until dinner on Thursday. WARRIOR DIET BY ORI HOFMEKLER (2. On this plan, you fast for 2. Then, eat your daily food intake within the 4- hour feeding window. After that 4- hour feeding period, fast again for 2. Generally, most people place their 4- hour feeding window at the end of the day, as it’s more convenient for family dinners and after- work training sessions. However, the 2. 0 hours of fasting and 4 hours of feeding can occur any time during the day. Benefits of IF The benefits of intermittent fasting may be new to some of you. So I wanted to share some of the benefits you would experience when implementing IF into your lifestyle. Intermittent fasting is the easiest way to restrict calories. Intermittent fasting is the easiest nutrition lifestyle that allows you to stay within your target calories without endless hunger pangs, and even gives you some elbowroom to make mistakes. Intermittent fasting gives you more appetite control. Hunger isn’t driven by physical needs as much as cognitive factors. Oftentimes you’ll find yourself eating when you think you’re hungry, but it’s not when your body really needs food. In fact, your body has a tremendous capacity to store food, energy, and still work efficiently. We can negatively affect that process by stuffing ourselves with food when it’s not needed or wanted. You are actually training your body to become hungrier. Eating frequently does not increase the metabolism. Intermittent fasting makes you more productive. One study found that healthy young adults who ate as little as 3. Other research has found that long- term calorie restriction may improve memory in older populations. Intermittent fasting reduces your glucose/sugar levels. When trying to lose weight and burn fat, lowering your blood sugar is important to avoid pre- diabetes, diabetes, insulin resistance and most importantly becoming overweight. The norm in the fitness industry is that by eating 5 to 6 frequent meals a day you would regulate blood sugar levels. This has been proven to do the exact opposite. By fasting you could decrease your sugar input by anywhere from 1. This improves your ability to burn fat and improve your insulin sensitivity. Intermittent fasting increases fat oxidation. Fat oxidization refers to your body’s ability to use stored fat to produce energy. A process that normally happens during exercise. When using IF you are increasing your body’s ability to use your stored fat as energy. This means that when you are burning calories more of those calories will come directly from fat. Intermittent fasting is the fastest way to eliminate waste from the body and lower inflammation. Short term fasting actually helps you eliminate waste in your body and can speed up the healing process by lowering your inflammation levels. Metabolic inflammation is the inappropriate activation of your immune system, which can disrupt many of your body’s systems and can have severe effects on weight retention and weight gain. This is important because nearly half of Americans have metabolic inflammation without even knowing it. Intermittent fasting helps unleash the power of growth hormone. This is the biggest benefit that you will give yourself when adopting an IF lifestyle. You increase your ability to stimulate your fat burning hormones in an optimal level. Here, the biggest player is growth hormone (GH). Growth hormone is a protein- based hormone that is produced by the pituitary gland. It stimulates growth of cell reproduction and regeneration in humans and animals. GH is research- proven to be the best fat burning, anti- aging and muscle building hormone your body produces. Growth hormone incinerates your fat and denies fat cells from ever forming. Growth hormone helps you build muscle and helps make you look younger. Intermittent fasting helps you never feel hungry again. The hormone Ghrelin is another very important piece of the fat loss puzzle. As we all have experienced, hunger is one of the hardest parts about eating correctly. Many people also experience irritability and mood swings if they don’t eat. Ghrelin also affects these feelings. Every time Ghrelin is secreted in your body it creates a hunger response. The more times you delay your hunger response you train your body to handle the hunger inducing the effects of Ghrelin. Increased production of Ghrelin also means you increase more growth hormone in your body as well. The more you are able to delay your hunger response and incorporate periods of short term fasting into your lifestyle, the more growth hormone and Ghrelin we’ll have pumping in our bodies. So why have you not tried IF yet? You have nothing to lose, so give it a shot! About the author: Justin Grinnell is a strength coach, personal trainer, nutrition enthusiast and owner of State of Fitness in East Lansing, Michigan.
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