Intermittent fasting - is it the right choice for you?
‘Fast Like a Girl’ by Dr. Mindy Pelz is one of my favourite women’s health books!
You see, I used to be anti-fasting. I tried it at the age of 20, lasted about half the time that I was supposed to, and broke the fast with a feast of pancakes and jam.
Second time around
I got into intermittent fasting by accident, after I had children, as I always prefer eating an early dinner with my children (which means plenty of time to digest the food before bedtime).
This means that for the past 10 years I’ve had dinner between 5-6pm, followed by breakfast at 7am (i.e. this means 13-14 hours of fasting).
You will have probably seen this in writing as 14:10 (i.e. 14 hours of fasting with a 10-hour window to eat in). I know some people prefer to have a later dinner and skip breakfast too, which is fine if it works for you.
Why I think the book works
But I still didn’t think I was into fasting until I read Dr Mindy Pelz’s excellent book. What I like most about it:
It talks about how to fast differently throughout the menstrual cycle. This was such a missing piece of information for me as I knew it was important to eat (as well as not eat) differently throughout the month. This is such a game-changer as women need to fast (and eat) very differently to men. Of course, this can be different again during the perimenopuse, when cycles are often changing.
It highlights that blood sugar balancing is essential when you do eat (and this is how you’re able to fast better and for longer as the body gets all the nutrients that it needs from food). I already knew that, so I’m so glad it was mentioned in the book. In fact, it was what sold me on it, as so many other proponents of fasting don’t talk about how important it is to eat the right foods in the right way in order for fasting to work for you.
It talks about how to fast when you’re exercising a lot. This was really important to me as I move a lot and I didn’t want to fast at the expense of burning important muscles and tissues. There is more to this though: if you’re exercising a lot, you’re stressing your body so the focus may need to be on replenishing it and focusing on more rest and sleep first. It’s impossible to give advice to suit everybody but when in doubt, listen to your body.
It suggests how to ease your way out of a longer fast with lots of helpful suggestions of what to eat, when and in which order. This is a big one. If I think back to my experience in my 20s, where I overdosed on pancakes and jam as I was ravenous, I can see how a gradual and targeted approach is much-needed in order to benefit from the fast.
It has a ton of helpful food choices and recipes for those who need it.
The benefits
The benefits of fasting are numerous:
Healing of the cells (called autophagy) as they get a much-needed break from being constantly bombarded with food.
Shedding of stubborn weight, especially around the midline.
Clarity of mind.
Reduced anxiety.
And much more.
An important point about fasting
I’ve mentioned in previous blogs and posts that the body benefits best from fasting, especially the longer ones, when it’s already in balance:
You’re blood sugar balancing during the day.
You’re moving your body.
You’re sleeping well.
Your stress levels are manageable.
You’re generally content with your life and the people in it.
This still stands and in fact, it’s an important one to take note of before you start fasting.
If your stress levels are very high, your body may already be full of cortisol and increasing inflammation. To be in a fasting state may be too much at that point in time.
The way I think of fasting is a bit like cold-water swimming: it’s a super helpful intervention but probably not the first one to try if you’re concerned about your health.
Get your foundation in place first, e.g. good nutrition, sleep, daily movement, reasonable stress levels and good relationships.
In my perimenopause coaching sessions, we dive into nutrition including intermittent fasting in detail to find a way of eating that suits you, your body and lifestyle. Get in touch for more info or why not book your complimentary 30-minute health and energy mini-review.
