Intermittent Fasting: Commonly Asked Questions

(photo credit to Snappa.com)

I absolutely love intermittent fasting and what it has done for my health! I believe it is our bodies natural way to rest, repair and rebuild the body at a cellular level! I wanted to take the time to answer some common questions and clear up some misconceptions that some may have about fasting, so people are not afraid to try it for themselves.

Intermittent fasting promotes weight loss, increases energy, promotes cellular repair and autophagy, improves memory and boosts cognitive function, reduces insulin resistance, lowers bad cholesterol, makes cells more stress resilient, reduces cancer risk and, my favorite, makes you LESS reliant on food. Wait, scratch that, what I love most about it is that its FREE and saves me time while healing my body. That's a win-win-win in my book.

Lets dig into some commonly asked questions!

What Liquids can I Drink During the Fast?

Yes. Water, coffee, tea, lemon water, and other non-caloric beverages can be consumed. Alternative sweeteners such as xylitol, erythritol, monk fruit and stevia (without dextrose or maltodextrin) are fine, but artificial sweeteners are a hard no. Coffee, green tea ad lemon not only increase the healing benefits of the fast, but also can blunt hunger. Some will say this is not a "true" fast and they are correct, but you will still reap the benefits. Longer term fasts are when water only becomes more important for massive healing.

(photo credit to Snappa.com)

Isn't It Unhealthy to Skip Breakfast?

No. Historically, before people went away to jobs, people naturally ate a later breakfast and sometimes only 2 meals a day. If we really want to talk about something being unhealthy we should be thinking about what we were taught by companies that had a breakfast product to sell. Cereal and breakfast bars made with GMO corn, sugar preservatives, and synthetic vitamins is healthier than skipping breakfast? I. don’t. think. so.

(photo credit to Snappa.com)

Can I Take Supplements While Fasting?

Yes, but better taken during your meal time for better absorption, especially fat-soluble vitamins. Taking certain vitamins may also inhibit the healing activity that results from fasting because you will turn on nutrient sensors telling the body there is food. Minerals are great during fasting and can sometimes eliminate headaches. I use pink Himalayan salt to consume these trace minerals.

(photo credit to Snappa.com)

Can I Work Out While Fasted?

Yes, fasted workouts are fine and I actually prefer them. While fasting, you increase your human growth hormone up to 5 times, which not only gives you energy, but builds lean muscle and burns fat. Imagine if caveman ran out of food and didn’t produce HGH (what gives kids their unlimited energy) they would just not have survived without having the energy to hunt.This energy not only comes from HGH, but from stored body fat.

(photo credit to Snappa.com)

Will Fasting Cause Muscle Loss?

No. Not if you are getting enough protein and calories to maintain your muscle mass. There is a huge difference between calorie restriction and intermittent fasting. If we look at traditional societies such as the Native Americans or Inuit or tribesmen in Africa we will find they were energetic, not emaciated and weak. Does it make sense that we were designed to store food energy as body fat, but when food was not available, we burn muscle? No.

(photo credit to Snappa.com)

Will I always be hungry during my fasting times?

No, not after the first couple day or maybe weeks depending on your past and current diet. There are ways to minimize the feelings of hunger. While fasting, the body is switching its fuel source from glucose to fat, rather than shutting itself down so you are still eating your stored fat. There is also a difference in hormones. Chronic calorie restriction increases ghrelin, a hormone that makes you feel hungry, where fasting does not.

(photo credit to Snappa.com)

Will Fasting Slow Down My Metabolism?

No. Studies show that short-term fasts, from 12-72 hours actually boost metabolism. Calorie restriction, as practiced on The Biggest Loser, significantly decreases metabolism which is why if you research former contestants, most of them have gained the weight back. And of those that didn’t, many are intermittent fasting.

(photo credit to Snappa.com)

Should Kids Fast?

Children are growing and they need 3 meals a day, but constant snacking and caloric drinks are causing obesity. Period. Children did not eat snacks until around the 1950′s and prior to that some cultures only ate 2 meals a day. Big Food convinced us to add a snack between lunch and dinner so they could sell more food. It worked! On top of eating too much, snacks are often eaten in place of an actual meal. Three meals without the reliance on snacking all day could be a great habit for them to develop into adulthood to prevent disease and increase longevity.

(My son, River :)

Leave a comment below to let me know you were here! Feel free to ask any questions you might have!

Ladies, for more information on intermittent fasting, health tips and support check out my woman only facebook group! Where I strive to give woman the courage to heal their mind, body, and spirit naturally!
https://www.facebook.com/groups/515322495906399/