Introduction to Intermittent Fasting
The following are a collection of the best posts for explaining my specific approach to Intermittent Fasting:
Introduction to Intermittent Fasting My Philosophy of Intermittent Fasting Beyond Intermittent Fasting How to Approach Intermittent Fasting What will fasting do for you Intermittent Fasting – Setting the Record Straight Intermittent Fasting and Acne Intermittent Fasting and Depression
Fasting for Weight Loss – etting the !ecord traight by "!#$ PIL%&
Paleo eating and 'egan eating are the EA!" SA#E "HI$%& This is why any and all research on Paleo diets can be used for (egan diets) and 'ice 'ersa* It+s also why any personal experiences people ha'e had with a (egan diet can be directly applied to what you will probably experience with the Paleo $iet and 'ice 'ersa* I mean) after all, they+re both -eating+ right. I hope this sounds cra/y to you) because this is 01#2TL3 how I feel when people tal4 about different types of fasting* -Fasting+ or -Fasting for weight loss+ is a 'ery "!%#$ description of a style of -not eating+) 5ust li4e -0ating+ or -0ating for weight loss+ can co'er 5ust about any diet in existence*
All fasting is $'" the same( )ust li*e all styles of Eating are not the same& o) I+d li4e to gi'e you my own way of clarifying this apparent confusion* These are my own definitions) but they ha'e ser'ed me extremely well o'er the years,
Long6term fasting: #bstinence from food or calorie inta4e for a period o'er 78 hours* hort6term fasting: #bstinence from food or calorie inta4e for a period of 78 hours or under* %9) so now that we+'e di'ided up fasting based on length) let+s loo4 at much more confusing issue – Intermittent Fasting* Intermittent – %ccurring occasionally or at regular or irregular inter'als, so really %ccasionally; Fasting – Ta4ing a brea4 from eating
more accurately described as Intermittent Feeding* &ow) the benefits are 'ery similar – simple) easy fat loss) no loss of muscle mass etc* The techniAue is similarB $on+t eat for a period of time* #nd they) along with most other 4inds of IF probably share about C?D of the supporting research* "ut there are also some ma5or differences that I feel is what merits this new definition – specifically the amount of time you are -allowed+ to eat) and because the -eating windows+ are different) you also ha'e to approach your eating differently* The more -extreme+ the Intermittent Feeding) the short the eating window) the more you must eat with -purpose+ during that window* 0ach style shares some pros and cons) but also ha'e other uniAue pros and cons* ometimes there is research that applies to #LL types of fasting) sometimes it+s specific to one style or the other* The same goes with personal experience* If someone tells you they had a EgreatE or EhorribleE
experience with IF) it would be best to clarify exactly W#T they were doing – was it IF – Intermittent fasting or IF – Intermittent feeding. $ifferent) but similar* For many people you can use both depending on your current lifestyle) or e'en the season of the year* %ther people may simply find one style specifically wor4s for them and they ha'e no reason to change it* If you tried 0at top 0at and didn+t li4e the lac4 of structure and found it too loose that+s fine) go try LeanGains or the !enegade diet) you+ll li4ely get awesome results* %r perhaps you found 0ean%ains or the Renegade Diet to be a little too much fasting. – That+s fine) try Eat Stop Eat) I bet you+ll lo'e it* $on+t li4e any of them. Fine – go eat** Lot+s of people lose weight eating H6 times per day too* I+d li4e to challenge your current thoughts on what the definition of IF and Intermittent Fasting; means* tarting today add Intermittent Feeding; to your definitions of what it means to ta4e a brea4 from eating and reali/e that Intermittent Fasting; really is a different experience than Intermittent Feeding;* #t the 'ery least) I as4 you to recogni/e that there are multiple forms of Intermittent Fasting) and that
these forms) while similar) cannot always be lumped together* "P P – %f note) anything that is a -fast+ but also contains food you can eat during the fast) or a specific amount of calories you are to eat during a fast is no longer a fast in my eyes* It can be a low6calorie diet) or e'en a -cleanse+ but if you ha'e foods to eat) I don+t see it as being the same as a fast*
6 ee more at: http:JJbradpilon*comJweight6lossJfasting6for6weight6loss6setting6the6record6straightJKsthash*e7g/pwL!*dpufIn a day an age where science is 0(0!3TI&G) we sometimes forget that philosophy is the -thin4ing of thin4ing+ and needs to play an important role when we discuss how we should eat* #fter all) we shouldn+t confuse data collection with wisdom* The more we simply absorb data without truly critically analy/ing its meaning) the more we can potentially fall 'ictim to many of the diet and nutrition scams that are so pre'alent in today+s world* We ha'e an unbelie'able amount of data) and than4s to our lo'e affair with the -sound bytes+ that come from science we ha'e all but abolished philosophy as a discipline) sa'e for the Auotes that occasionally appear on a person+s Faceboo4 update status* "ut philosophy is of critical importance if we are to truly understand how and why we eat* It+s been said that philosophy calls us when we+'e reached the end of our rope* The insistent feeling that something is not right with our li'es and the longing to be restored to our better sel'es will not go away* I+d be willing to guess that ‘end of our rope’ ‘somethings not right’ and ‘restored to our better selves’ would accurately describe how many feel about nutrition and deciding what to eat* We become philosophers to disco'er what is really true and what is merely the accidental result of flawed reasoning) rec4lessly acAuired erroneous 5udgments) and the well6intentioned but misguided teachings of experts and gurus* In this sense) philosophy and the scientific collection of data aren+t really opposites but rather necessary components of the whole -picture+* &o mater what nutritional beliefs you hold true) you will probably agree when I say that we simply cannot eat e'erything that is a'ailable to us on any gi'en day* food is simply too abundant) too a'ailable and too cheap for us to li'e in a constant state of eating a t raw impulse* nless you are impo'erished) the fact is there is more than enough food a'ailable to you – emphasis on more than enough* If you were to eat on impulse you would Auic4ly become obese* We don+t need any more data collection to support this concept) but we do need to in'estigate what stops us from eating in this manner* Why we don-t all ,ecome o,ese ,y our tenth ,irthday& In order to not gain an unbelie'able amount of weight during our li'es we must practice some form of restraint* In other words we as4 oursel'es) either consciously or subconsciously) “What is the right thing to do now – Eat, or not eat?” The balance and proper use of this Auestion is largely what determines whether or not we eat enough to gain weight* This is the basic most fundamental philosophy behind intermittent fasting* If you consider Intermittent Fasting to be the a bility to practice patience when it comes to the act of eating 6 a conscious polite restraint when it comes to food inta4e) then the philosophy is simply 6 we do not ha1e to eat all the time( therefore we are free to choose when we eat& Intermittent fasting also in'ol'es minimi/ing the importance you place on large grandiose nutritional choices) instead) allowing you to concentrate on the small but significant inner food choice we ma4e multiple times though out the course of any single day – should you eat or not eat. In much of the world) how, what, and when we eat is a matter of habits* abits that are learned) then reinforced o'er and o'er on a day6to6day basis* #nd while it is difficult) the truth is it I possible to brea4 old habits and it I possible to create new ones* 3ou can thin* yourself lean and muscular* owe'er) this is no easy tas4* The first step is to separate yourself from the mob and decide to be extraordinary* #s ridiculous as it sounds) simply accepting the concept that we do not ha'e to eat all the time and therefore we are free to choose when we eat) is enough to already separate you from the way the ma5ority of the population thin4s about food* tart with this fundamental belief then add in some concept of physical wor4) remembering that tentati'e efforts lead to tentati'e outcomes* 3our physical wor4 doesn+t ha'e to be complicated but it does ha'e to in'ol'e a high degree of effort* Finally) be careful of slipping bac4 into old habits* %nce we fall) howe'er slightly to immoderation) momentum gathers and we fall right bac4 into our old habits* This is one of the areas where Intermittent fasting can be extremely helpful* # brea4 from eating can ser'e as a -reset+ when bad habits begin to creep bac4 into our li'es* It+s a way to practice patience and to reinforce the understanding that it+s %9 to wait to eat* 3ou can wait for something better) or a better time) or a better person to eat with* 3ou simply do not ha'e to eat all the time* My belief is that you can be a lean) muscular) healthy person without being obsessi'e about your food choices* 3ou can accomplish this by being the type of person who reali/es that since we do not ha'e to eat all the time and we are free to choose when we eat) and by understanding the importance of physical training in this process* That is my philosophy of Intermitent Fasting) and it+s the basis of 0at top 0at
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ere+s a random thought on 0at top 0at style Intermittent Fasting) mostly brought on by Auestions I get on my faceboo4 page* It has a lot to do with people posting as4ing about 'arious ultra6minutia nutrition Auestions) usually brought on by the latest contrarian nutrition guru, o and so says brea4fast is the most important meal is it true.; o and so says always eat at night,what should I do.; o and so says I ha'e to ta4e 1 supplements, do I.; When I see Auestions li4e these I always wonder if the person as4ing the Auestion has ac tually read Eat Stop Eat* With 0at top 0at your fasting is flexible* This is an extremely important part of the o'erall philosophy* 3ou want to eat dinner e'ery single day) fine) it+s completely doable* 3ou want to ha'e brea4fast e'ery day. Fine,you can do that too with 0at top 0at* If you want to wor4out during your fasts, that+s %9* If you don+t want to wor4out during your fasts, that+s %9 too* Truthfully) I+m 5ust happy you are wor4ing out, #nd if you want to 4now the 'ery best time to wor4out the answer is simple: The best time to wor4out is when you ha'e your best wor4outs* ere+s the thing – I+'e made a li'ing out of researching intermittent fasting* From my re'iew of the a'ailable research the style I li4e best is the style I wrote about in 0at top 0at* o yes) there are hundreds of different ways to fast
If you+re worried about building muscle while still fasting, you ha'e @@ hours of eating that you can play with e'ery wee4* If you are !0#LL3) !0#LL3 worried about it) then don+t fast* "ecause no one is saying you ha'e to fast* It+s an option* that+s it* If you are ha'ing problems managing your fasts and your post6wor4out nutrition goals) you are either wor4ing out too often or fasting too often* "e smart N 4now your goals) then build your fasting and training around those goals* I thin4 sometimes people get a little to caught up in what is right and wrong) instead of what+s possible when you 4eep it flexible and ad5ust it to your own life* $% W#T W%!9 F%! 3%* Ma4e sure you are trac4ing metrics so you 4now whether or not something is actually wor4ing*
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o) what do we really 4now about #cne. Well for one) we 4now that it+s a common human s4in disease characteri/ed by red sc aly s4in) blac4 heads) white heads and other forms of -blemishes+* We also 4now that the idea that acne is generally expected to spontaneously regress during the late teenaged or early adulthood years; is a complete and utter lie, at least in &orth #merica* There are many people still suffering from acne in their O?s) @?s and beyond* #cne affects more than CHD of adolescents and) as many of us ha'e noticed) often continues will into adulthood iQ* $espite this 4nowledge the truth is there are relati'ely few studies in the literature that address adult acne* #nd) while acne may seem li4e a mild incon'enience to some
We+'e long 4nown) or at least speculated) about the lin4 between diet and acne* From chocolate to pi//a grease) 5ust about e'erything -bad for you+ has been lin4ed to acne at one time or another* This includes the consumption of dairy foods* Interestingly) the lin4 between acne and dairy was recogni/ed as early as CCH and dairy
#s you probably 4now I+m not a big belie'er in super foods) but since your experimenting you may as well see if including any of these into your diet helps* Personally) I+d bet on the fasting o'er the super foods "P P – I 4now there is a small subset of people out there that are going to loo4 past all of the acne info and only see the -mT%! is bad+ part,) which is entirely untrue* It+s not bad) it 5ust doesn+t need to be on #LL T0 TIM0* Let it ta4e a brea4 e'ery once in a while*
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$epression isn+t fun* It is typically described as a state of low mood but is really much) much more than that* We all go through ups and downs in our mood* #nd adness is a normal reaction to struggles) setbac4s) disappointments and losses that are a part of human life* o while many people use the word depression; to explain these 4inds of feelings) it+s important to note that depression is much more than 5ust sadness* $epressed people may feel sad) anxious) empty) hopeless) worried) helpless) worthless) guilty) irritable) or restless* ome people describe depression as li'ing in a blac4 hole; or ha'ing a feeling of impending doom* owe'er) some depressed people don+t feel sad at allSthey may feel lifeless) empty) and apathetic) men in particular may e'en feel angry) aggressi'e) and restless* It turns out that depression is much more complicated than simply feeling -sad+* We 4now that some people seem to be genetically predisposed to depression and that certain stressors ca n bring on or exasperate a depressi'e episode* These e'ents can include personal conflicts or disputes with family members or friends) berea'ement) mo'ing) losing a 5ob) di'orce) stress) retirement) menopause) social isolation) and social re5ection* &ot only can genetics and life e'ents cause a person to be more susceptible to depression) but certain medications are 4nown to cause depressed mood in a significant number of patients* $epression has become much more common affecting almost 7D of the population* It is more pre'alent in women) closing in on the in H mar4* In fact) nipolar ma5or depression is the leading cause of disease burden among women ages H and older world wide,how messed up is that. I+'e found stats saying it+s the @th leading cause of disability worldwide and that mood disturbances including depression will lead to an epidemic of disease in the 8st century in the western world* It+s clear that depression needs to be addressed more often than it currently is in the mainstream and health and fitness media* I find depression particularly interesting because of the connection with inflammation* 0le'ated inflammatory cyto4ines are a ma5or ris4 factor for depression* Thus - "he !yto*ine "heory of Depression+* $epression seems to in'ol'e changes in 'arious aspects of immunity) particularly those ha'ing to do with the inflammatory cyto4ines* People with rheumatoid arthritis) systemic lupus <L0= and other forms of autoimmunity are often depressed* While it is unli4ely that depression is a primarily -inflammatory+ disorder) there is e'idence to suggest that inflammation may play a role in its pathophysiology* Most of the e'idence that lin4s inflammation to depressions comes from some consistent obser'ations: #= %ne6third of those with ma5or depression show ele'ated mar4ers of inflammation) e'en in the a bsence of a medical illnessB "= Inflammatory illnesses are associated with greater rates of depression 2= Patients treated with cyto4ines are at greater ris4 of de'eloping ma5or depressi'e illness* $= # meta6analysis of 88 antidepressant treatment studies found inflammatory cyto4ines decreased in response to therapy) along with a reduction in depressi'e symptoms* #nother interesting connection is that adding Low dose testosterone to treatment of depression helps impro'e scores of mood " and ">2 it doesn+t mean #>2) but together all of the research suggests that this is more e'idence that there may be a benefit to fasting beyond 5ust the way you loo4) as it also might affect the way you feel* 0at Less) mo'e more) stress less) sleep more) and don+t be afraid to brea4 a sweat e'ery onc e in a while* or perhaps the saying Sharp Body( Sharp #ind would be more fitting*
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Reading Comprehension - Benefts o Fasting Develop your reading skills. Read the ollowing text on the benefts o asting and do the omprehension !uestions "ealth Benefts o Fasting Fasting is part and parcel of the practices of many religions including, I slam, Judaism and Christianity. Today many are trying to dig up the benets of fasting. Some people fast for spiritual reasons while others fast as a way to physically discipline the body. Whateer reasons one might come up with, it has been scientically proed that fasting has tremendous health benets.
First, fasting is said to play an important role in the deto!ication of the body. "eto!ication is a normal body process of eliminating or neutrali#ing to!ins through the colon, lier, $idneys, lungs, lymph glands, and s$in. This process starts when
fasting. Food no longer enters the body and the latter turns to fat reseres for energy. These fat reseres were created when e!cess glucose and carbohydrates were not used for energy or growth, not e!creted, and therefore conerted into fat. When the fat reseres are used for energy during a fast, it releases the chemicals f rom the fatty acids into the system which are then elimi nated through the body organs, leading to the cleansing of the whole body.
%n other $nown benet of fasting is the healing process that is obious in the body during a fast. When fasting energy is dierted away from the digestie system due to its lac$ of use and towards the metabolism and immune system. The healing process during a fast is made easy by the body&s search for energy sources. %bnormal growths within the body, tumors and the li$e, do not hae the full support of the body&s supplies and therefore are more susceptible to disappear.
Fasting also leads to a feeling of re'uenation and e!tended life e!pectancy. This m ight be due to the deto!ication e(ect of fasting. % study was performed on earthworms that showed the e!tension of life than$s to fasting. The e!periment was performed in the )*+s by isolating one worm and putting it on a cycle of fasting and feeding. The isolated worm outlied the other worms by )* generations, while still maintaining its freshness and youthful physiological characteristics.
