Why I Love Intermittent Fasting!
This topic comes up a lot, especially when I am coaching my clients with their nutritional programs and cellular detox protocols. I believe intermittent fasting played a huge role in restoring my health. Before I incorporated intermittent fasting in my lifestyle 3 years ago, I was overweight and pre-diabetic. Because of my poor sugar metabolism, skipping meals would cause me to become irritable, weak and get severe headaches. I had to constantly eat to avoid these symptoms. At the time, I wasn’t aware I had a serious metabolic issue. Intermittent fasting has helped me turned this around, and that is why I love it so much!
Our nation is currently seeing an epidemic of various diseases, referred to as New Millennium Diseases. Rates of these diseases such as diabetes, heart disease, chronic fatigue, ADD, and cancer are increasing. Either you are dealing with one of these conditions or someone you love is dealing with one or more of these devastating diseases. What we are discovering is that there is a connection between these illnesses and chronic cellular inflammation. True healing must occur at the cellular level. Intermittent fasting sets your body up for healing and can play a major role in reducing cellular inflammation.
With intermittent fasting, you can fast for about 18 hours a day and eat during a 6 hour window. Many of you are probably wondering how that is good for you. We are told to eat 3 meals a day and snacks in between. This is completely opposite to what we’re told and I understand that. I have been living that lifestyle for most of my life. I didn’t want to skip my breakfast and I always kept snacks nearby.
When the cell membrane is inflamed, the receptors become blunted and nutrients cannot get into the cell and toxins cannot get out. As a result, you can’t produce sufficient energy in the cell. When you start to do intermittent fasting, along with some essential tools such as true cellular detox, your body begins to become more hormone sensitive and sufficiently burns fat for energy while fasting.
Allow me to explain what I mean by hormones sensitive. For example insulin brings sugar into the cell to produce energy. A lot of people have been told that they are diabetic because their bodies aren’t producing enough insulin, so they are prescribed insulin for their condition. The truth is, when the cells are inflamed, the body isn’t hearing the insulin. The inflamed cellular membrane is unable to bring sugar into the cell. That’s what diabetes is, the inability to hear insulin, not produce insulin!
Another hormone is leptin. Leptin tells the body to burn fat for energy. If the receptors are not working correctly, the body doesn’t hear it. This is what I mean by hormone sensitive, it is about the hormone not functioning at the cellular level. That is the huge benefit of intermittent fasting. It is to help the body become more hormone sensitive so that we can function.
Intermittent fasting must be incorporated with an anti-inflammatory lifestyle. It is not recommended to intermittent fast and eat inflammatory or processed foods. In order for this to work it must be included with an anti-inflammatory diet, exercise, and true cellular detox.
There are other amazing benefits of intermittent fasting. You can expect an increase in energy and focus, weight loss, an increased ability to adapt to stress, improved digestion, less brain fog, more clarity, and overall sense of well-being.
Remember, this isn’t about caloric restriction, it’s about reducing the time you eat to a 6 hour window without calorie restriction. I have found intermittent fasting to be liberating and can easily adjusted into my busy schedule. For example, on the days I work in the office, I don’t begin to eat until I get home for dinner. As I am seeing patients, I am active, I am not hungry, not light-headed, and II am not dizzy. Actually, eating more frequently makes me feel more tired and sluggish.
Let me close by saying that intermittent fasting is a powerful tool that can be used to get your health back and is best done under the guidance of a qualified healthcare professional.
Contact us to learn more health tips and if intermittent fasting is right for you.
