Benefits of Fasting

Fasting. The second most people hear the word "Fast" in regards to food they freak out and say, "No way I could do that." We live in a culture that says you're hungry (or you THINK you're hungry) - EAT.

But amazing results can come through fasting. And there are all different ways to fast. Fasting doesn't always mean nothing but water all day. Sometimes fasting is only eating certain hours of the day. Sometimes it's only eating limited calories every other day or 2 days a week. My point is there are options to all day fasting which will still produce great results.

Recently, I listened to a talk given by Dr. John Berardi, of Precision Nutrition. He outlined these amazing benefits of fasting:

Reduced
1. Blood lipids (cholesterol, triglycerides)
2. Blood pressure
3. Inflammation (CRP, IL-6, TNF, BDNF - linked to alzheimers)
4. Oxidative stress
5. Risk of Cancer

Increased
1. Cell turnover and repair
2. Fat burning (fatty acid oxidation later in the fast)
3. Growth hormone (longer fast goes (24-36hr+ 500% increase)
4. Metabolic Rate
5. Mental clarity

Currently, I am following an intermittent fasting program where I stop eating 3 hours before bed and don't eat again until after my workout (which is close to 11:30am most days). On my rest days I often won't eat until after noon. At first it was hard. I'll admit it. But after a day or two I found that my hungry "pains" passed fairly easily after drinking a glass of water. I've lost a few nagging pounds. I can see my ab muscles just a bit better. And in a few months I'll retest my blood to see what benefits have been had in that area.

So, give it a try. Not sure how to proceed with an intermittent fast. Want to talk more about your options? Give me a call. I'd love to help.

Which Diet Should You Choose?

Paleo. Low Carb. Intermittent Fasting. Weight Watchers. Jenny Craig. NutriSystem. DASH. Mediterranean. Ornish. So many diet plans to choose from...how do we pick the best one for us? 

As simple as it sounds, I think the best advice is this: pick a diet plan that you can stick with. Anything too extreme and you're likely to revert back to your old diet pretty quickly. 

Maybe all diet plans feel too extreme. Then try changing only ONE dietary habit at a time. Perhaps you're struggling in several areas such as poor snacking choices, skipping meals, not getting enough protein, too many liquid calories, eating portions which are too large or not eating enough vegetables. Take one habit and exchange it for a good habit. For example, if you're struggling to eat enough vegetables exchange your usual lunch for a salad every day. Or commit to eating vegetables with every meal. It may take a few weeks or it may take a few months but over time you'll find that it gets easier and easier and the norm for your life. And you'll start seeing positive changes in your body. When you're ready, tackle another habit.

Whatever method you choose, whether it be complete overhaul by following a particular diet plan or changing one habit at a time, seeing results takes time. Nothing is a quick fix. Be patient with yourself. Stick with it and the positive changes WILL come.