Healthy Byte: The Flexibility of IF

February 3, 2022Róng Róng (榮榮) Leave a comment

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Can Intermittent Fasting Really Help You Lose Weight and Live Longer?

Arricca Elin SanSoneOctober 11, 2021·6 min read

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Maybe you’ve tried intermittent fasting (IF) to shed a few (pandemic!) pounds, since the hope and potential for weight loss is what this eating plan is best known for. And yes, scientists are looking into whether or not it really is effective at helping people slim down. But some studies show that IF—in which you only eat during a specified time period—may have other possible long-term health benefits as well.

“The goal with IF is improving metabolic health, reducing the risk of certain conditions such as diabetes, and increasing longevity,” says Laura Kelly, C.N.S., L.D.N., an advanced genomic nutritionist at Nutritional Genomics Institute. “One theory as to why fasting may be beneficial is that during the fasting period, the body’s cells are under mild stress, similar to exercise. The cells respond to this stress adaptively by enhancing their ability to cope with stress and to resist disease.”

The most popular IF methods include:

Alternate day fasting
5/2 fasting, which involves eating regularly for 5 days, with 2 non-consecutive fast days.
Time-restricted fasting, which limits eating within a certain window of time each day. This method appeals to many people because you can tailor the timing to your lifestyle and schedule, says Kelly. For example, some people may fast from 8 pm until lunch around noon the next day, or they may eat only between the hours of 9 am to 3 pm.

“Intermittent fasting doesn’t have a standard definition or regimen,” says Deborah Cohen, D.C.N., R.D.N., associate professor in the department of clinical and preventive nutrition sciences at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School. “Because of the number of different methods, it’s difficult to study and compare them, and we have limited evidence beyond six months about its benefits. Many of the studies also involve a very small number of participants.”

Because of this, there’s a lot we don’t know yet about IF—but here’s what researchers have found out about the emerging science behind the potential health benefits of intermittent fasting, and answers to your top questions about it:

Is intermittent fasting safe?

For most healthy individuals, it’s fine to follow a fasting regimen. “There’s nothing really harmful in trying it if you have no underlying health issues, such as diabetes,” says Cohen. “And if it promotes weight loss, that can have great psychological benefits, which may spur you on to other healthy behaviors such as making regular exercise part of your life, too.”

Can anyone try intermittent fasting?

Still, most experts agree that some people should steer clear of IF altogether. That includes kids and adolescents because they have higher calorie needs due to ongoing growth and development; women who are pregnant or breastfeeding; people with pre-existing conditions such as diabetes; and anyone with a history of eating disorders, says Cohen.

Can you eat whatever you want when you’re not in a fasting period?

Intermittent fasting isn’t a free pass to eat anything you want, contrary to what you may have heard (or wish were true!). You still should avoid processed foods, eat more whole foods from plants and animals, and get moving for at least 150 minutes per week. “Your eating plan should be something you can follow the rest of your life to promote good health,” says Cohen.

What are the benefits of intermittent fasting?

Here’s what the science says about the ways IF might help you get healthier.

Weight loss

One study with 150 participants for 50 weeks showed IF to be as effective as (though not more effective than) a diet that restricts calories; other small studies have shown that IF will help you lose weight in the short-term. A review of 27 trials found that weight loss from .8 percent to 13 percent of baseline body weight occurred with IF, though the researchers pointed out that larger studies of longer duration are needed. In 16 of the studies that measured BMI, the participants’ BMI decreased by 4.3 percent, says Kelly. Reducing the daily eating window may also decrease caloric intake for the whole day, resulting in weight loss without restrictive calorie counting.

Heart health

There’s some research showing potential benefits to heart health. Short-term studies show IF may be beneficial for regulating blood glucose levels and lipid panels (meaning cholesterol and other blood fats), though those effects may be partially related to the weight loss itself. A small 12-week study showed a decrease in waist circumference and visceral fat in people with metabolic syndrome. In addition, a small short-term study found that following an 8-hour time restricted feeding resulted in a slight reduction in systolic blood pressure (decrease of 7mmHg) over a 12-week period in obese subjects. However, it’s important to remember that while short-term gains are good, if you’re trying to prevent complications with conditions such as blood pressure, it’s important that those gains stick around long term, says Cohen.

Inflammation

Chronic inflammation is associated with a long list of health conditions, including dementia, diabetes, stroke, and heart disease, says Cohen. While mice studies have demonstrated that short periods of fasting (24 hours) show a reduction in inflammatory markers, a small human study showed IF reduced the levels of pro-inflammatory factors such as homocysteine and C reactive protein, which contribute to the development of plaque in the arteries. Another small eight-week study in overweight patients showed an improvement of asthma symptoms including better pulmonary function.

Immunity

Some research has shown that IF induces a process called autophagy, which plays a role in the functions of your immune system, including cell survival, cell defense, and regulation of immune responses, says Kelly. For example, autophagy is necessary for T cell production and survival in fighting off bacterial and viral infections. Preliminary research is exploring how to harness this process as a strategy for treating diseases such as Long COVID.

Longevity

Decades of research has shown that rodents on fasting diets live longer. Human research also is exploring how fasting may influence circadian rhythms to increase longevity, says Kelly. Circadian rhythms, which affect physiological functions such as sleep and metabolism, are regulated by clock genes. These genes may become disrupted by age, illness, and environmental factors such as poor diet and stress. Studies have shown that fasting may optimize and “reset” these clock genes.

All of these studies show that scientists are on the hunt to figure out the real benefits of IF, whether the potential benefits last long-term, and which people would get the most out of trying out this way of eating. As the research continues, we’ll learn more about how IF may be one more useful tool for helping us live longer, healthier lives.

Healthy Byte: Weight Loss vs Weight Maintenance

January 27, 2022Róng Róng (榮榮) Leave a comment

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The Best Way to Lose Weight and Keep It Off Long Term, According to Experts

Jessica BallOctober 28, 2021·7 min read

There are many indicators of health, and weight is just one of them. That said, weight loss is a popular goal for many people trying to improve their health. There are several benefits associated with losing a few pounds through healthy methods, like better blood sugar control, healthier blood pressure and lower chronic disease risk. And even though you’ve probably heard that good nutrition and physical activity can lead to weight loss, it’s easier said than done.

Your whole lifestyle plays a part in getting to and maintaining a healthy weight. When it comes to diet and exercise, you can’t really have one without the other. But they might be more valuable at different times in your weight loss journey. So what’s the best formula to lose weight and keep it off? We took a look at the research and spoke with weight loss dietitian, Lainey Younkin, M.S., RD, LDN (follow her at Lainey Younkin Nutrition) to find out.

How Is Weight Loss Different Than Weight Maintenance?

Weight loss is often thought of as “calories in, calories out”, but it’s not quite that simple. How many calories you need in a day is influenced by many factors, including age, activity level, body composition, illness, injury and more. The amount of energy (aka calories) our body uses each day is also known as our metabolism. Aside from calories we burn during exercise, there are three ways our body burns calories: basal metabolic rate (how much energy is needed to keep your heart pumping and lungs breathing), thermic effect of food (the energy it takes to digest what we eat) and non-exercise activity thermogenesis (think of walking to work or going up stairs). The vast majority of our body’s energy is spent on our basal metabolic rate.

Losing weight can actually slow down our metabolism a bit (think: a smaller body requires less energy to heat than a larger one). That isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but it does mean you might need to be a little more strategic when trying to lose weight. Let’s break down what your primary focus should be for weight loss and weight maintenance, and how they differ.

The Most Important Thing for Weight Loss

There are many ways to lose weight, but one of the most common ways is by establishing a calorie deficit. This means consuming fewer calories than your body burns per day. “Research shows that exercise is not the way to lose weight. A calorie deficit is required for weight loss, but studies show it is easier to create and maintain a calorie deficit through changing your diet rather than exercising,” advises Younkin. So, when you’re first starting out, try to focus on what’s on your plate rather than constantly hitting the gym. Lucky for you, we have a variety of weight-loss meal plans that please any palate.

However, going on a restrictive diet is not a way to lose weight for good. “Going on a diet is not the way to sustainably lose weight. Instead of drastically cutting calories and dropping a bunch of weight quickly, you want to create a small calorie deficit that you can keep up with over time,” shares Younkin. “This can be done by eating smaller portions, increasing vegetable and protein intake and reducing intake of simple carbohydrates, sugar and alcohol.”

The Most Important Thing for Weight Maintenance

“After you’ve lost five to 10 percent of your body weight, research suggests maintaining that weight for six months before trying to lose again (that is, if you still have weight to lose). This is how you can permanently move your set point—the weight range your body likes to stay in—down over time,” says Younkin. But maintaining weight loss is notoriously challenging. In fact, a study in BioPsychoSocial Medicinefound that nearly 70 percent of people were unsuccessful in maintaining a 10 percent weight loss for two years. This might make it seem like the odds are stacked against you, but actually weight maintenance can be successful with a change in focus from weight loss habits.

Research has found that exercise might be more important than diet when trying to maintain weight loss. The number one thing that people have in common who have lost weight and kept it off is daily moderate to vigorous exercise. In fact, a study in the journal Obesityfound that people who lost an average of 58 pounds and kept it off, exercised for around 40 minutes per day. This exercise didn’t have to be consecutive, and could include 10-minute bouts throughout the day, too.

But why is exercise more important than diet if diet helped you lose weight in the first place? It all comes down to a balance of calories. While weight loss requires a calorie deficit, weight maintenance requires a calories balance—no deficit but also no excess. Daily exercise allowed people to burn more calories throughout the day and, in turn, eat more without having an excess of calories.

“If you can’t keep eating a certain way forever, then you won’t see the results forever. So you will have to keep up whatever changes you made to your diet in order to maintain weight loss,” suggests Younkin. This explains why restrictive dieters tend to gain the weight they lost back (and then some). It’s just too hard to maintain those restrictive eating habits. On the other hand, healthy habits like the ones Younkin outlined above—eating smaller portions, increasing vegetable and protein intake and reducing intake of simple carbohydrates, sugar and alcohol—are much more realistic to maintain. “Once those changes are habitual, focusing on exercise can help you continue to get results.”

Tips for Maintaining a Healthy Weight

“Often, people have unrealistic weight loss goals. If you are restricting food intake, over-exercising or thinking about food and your body all the time in order to maintain a certain number on the scale, then that is not the healthiest weight for you,” says Younkin. Any changes you make in an effort to lose weight should be habits you can keep up for the long haul. Luckily for us, little changes that you enjoy can add up to big accomplishments over time.

Younkin has specific tips for those trying to eat in a way that aligns with their weight loss goals: “Aim to eat every 3-4 hours to keep blood sugar balanced, plan healthy snacks and don’t feel guilty when you eat something you feel like you shouldn’t. Aim to follow the healthy plate method about 80% of the time throughout the week and don’t worry about the rest.” The healthy plate method refers to filling half your plate veggies, a quarter with whole grains and the last quarter with lean protein. This strategy makes portion control easy, without the need to tediously measure everything. And, adds Younkin, “Be conscious of sugar and alcohol intake can help too, as those ’empty’ calories can add up over time”.

When it comes to exercising, find something you actually enjoy. It will make it easier to be consistent. “Start small though and don’t be all or nothing with exercise. Something is better than nothing,” encourages Younkin. If you don’t have 45 minutes for a long workout, do 20 minutes or even a 10 minute walk and try to build in more active time later. If you feel stuck or at a plateau, try mixing up what you’re doing or try something new.

Lastly, accountability can be a big help when sticking to your healthy lifestyle changes. Younkin suggests including a friend, hiring a dietitian or working with a personal trainer, so you don’t have to do it all on your own.

Bottom Line

Weight loss can be hard, but small lifestyle changes that you can keep up with will help you find success. “Dieting is not only unsustainable because it’s too hard to keep up with restrictions over time, but also it wreaks havoc on your metabolism and your mental health,” says Younkin. “Don’t get caught up in daily and weekly fluctuations on the scale. Even if you only lose one pound per month, that’s 12 pounds down at the end of the year!” Losing weight and keeping it off is a long term journey, but a little know-how and support can help set you up for success.

Healthy Byte: Intermittent Fasting – Beyond Weight Loss

October 13, 2021Róng Róng (榮榮) Leave a comment

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7 Intermittent Fasting Benefits That Aren’t Weight Loss

Jeff CsatariMon, August 30, 2021, 7:11 AM·5 min read

Most people try fasting with one goal in mind: losing weight.

But science has also discovered health benefits linked to whole-day, alternate-day, and time-restricted fasting, says Carolyn Williams, Ph.D., the registered dietitian that helped develop the new book The Men’s Health Guide to Intermittent Fasting.

Scientists speculate that the benefits of short-term fasts may come from the structured break they provide to around-the-clock eating.

“Even if you don’t change the content of your diet, by controlling the time period in which your calories are consumed, you give your body a pause from a constant onslaught food,” says Williams.

Maybe you’re skeptical. But Williams says that, at first, she was too.

She studied the research. She looked at the data. She even tried a time-restricted fast herself. “I expected the fast to affect my blood sugar because I’m prone to low blood sugar and I know how I get without eating,” Williams says.

But Williams says she was surprised to find that she had no trouble going 16 hours without eating. Her method: She stopped eating after dinner and fasted from 7 p.m. to 11 a.m., following the popular 16:8 intermittent fasting pattern, which leaves an 8-hour-long window for eating.

“I find I’m really not hungry; in fact, sometimes I have to remind myself to eat lunch,” Williams says.

While more research is needed to determine if fasting is effective for long-term dieting, there’s no debate that it works in the short-term.

By refraining from eating for at least 12 hours (ideally 16), your body starts burning through glucose and can begin tapping fat for fuel, explains Williams. Studies show that you can expect to lose between 3 and 8 percent of your bodyweight in as few as three weeks.

Compared to calorie-restriction diets, intermittent fasting tends to trigger more belly fat loss, the research suggests. Anecdotally, Williams says she senses greater energy and improved clarity of thought.

Here are some other potential upsides of intermittent fasting, each supported by research.

Intermittent fasting may help maintain muscle.

Whenever you restrict calories and lose weight, some of that weight comes from a reduction in muscle mass. That goes for intermittent fasts as well as traditional calorie-restriction diets.

However, at least one study conducted by the Department of Kinesiology and Nutrition at the University of Illinois suggests that intermittent fasting may be more effective for retaining muscle mass.

The study compared overweight and obese adults who followed a calorie restriction diet with similar-weight subjects who restricted calories through intermittent fasting. After 12 weeks, the researchers found both diets to be equally effective in trimming body weight and fat mass, but less muscle was lost by the group that fasted.

Intermittent fasting may target belly fat.

Overweight people who could choose any 10-hour timeframe to eat as long as they refrained from eating the other 14 hours of the day saw a reduction in waist circumference and visceral abdominal fat after 12 weeks, according to a report in the journal Cell Metabolism.

Intermittent fasting may reduce diabetes risk.

The study in Cell Metabolism referenced above also demonstrated the potential of intermittent fasting to reduce risk of metabolic diseases, such as type 2 diabetes and heart disease.

All the participants in the study were diagnosed with metabolic syndrome, a cluster of health conditions—including high blood sugar, excess abdominal fat, high blood pressure, and abnormal cholesterol or triglycerides levels—that occurring together boost the risk of type 2 diabetes, stroke, and heart disease.

After 12 weeks, every participant experienced improvement in all of the common markers of metabolic syndrome.

A similar study in the journal Translational Research found that alternate-day fasting, in which participants restricted calories by 75 percent on a “fast day,” followed by a “feed day” without calorie restriction, resulted in clinically significant reductions in blood sugar and insulin resistance.

Intermittent fasting may lower high blood pressure.

A study published in Nutrition and Healthy Aging demonstrated that participants who practiced 16:8 intermittent fasting without calorie counting significantly reduced their systolic blood pressure compared to a control group after 12 weeks.

Intermittent fasting could fight inflammation.

Inflammation is your body’s natural way of fighting off infection, illness, and injury. But there’s another type of inflammation, a chronic inflammation that can silently trigger heart disease and diabetes.

Smoking, mental stress, and a regular diet of fatty, fried, or sugary foods are common causes. Several studies have shown that intermittent fasting may induce an anti-inflammatory effect that reduces risk of those metabolic diseases—and even improve pulmonary function in people with asthma.

What’s more, a reduction in inflammation due to short-term fasting appears to protect the brain from memory disorders and depression, according to a study in Obesity.

Intermittent fasting may reduce oxidative stress.

Even when you don’t lose weight while on an intermittent fasting routine, your cells may benefit from extra protection, according to a study in Cell Metabolism.

The study assigned men with prediabetes to either a 6-hour early eating period, where they could eat only from 8 a.m. until dinner before 2 p.m., fasting the rest of the day, or a 12-hour feeding period.

At the end of five weeks, the researchers found that the men on the early time- restricted fast improved blood pressure and insulin sensitivity (as expected), but also improved resistance to oxidative stress, where unstable molecules called free radicals can damage proteins and DNA.

Intermittent fasting may help you live longer.

Rodent studies suggest that intermittent fasting, which is much easier to maintain than extreme calorie cutting, may boost lifespan, too. In one study comparing rats who were given unrestricted access to food to rats who were fed every other day, the rats who fasted lived 83 percent longer than those who gorged themselves.

Healthy Byte: It All Adds Up

September 29, 2021Róng Róng (榮榮) Leave a comment

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Study: Sugar-reduction initiative could lead to reduction of heart disease in millions across the U.S.

Nada Hassanein, USA TODAYMon, August 30, 2021, 9:31 AM·3 min read

Slashing sugar from packaged food and drinks could prevent disease in millions of people and potentially cut billions from health-care costs, especially among people of color, a new study suggests.

Researchers conducted estimates by creating a model that projects future impacts from a proposed “sugar-reduction policy” by the U.S. National Salt and Sugar Reduction Initiative. The regulation would push food and drink companies to decrease sugar in their formulas.

Cutting sugar from a fifth of packaged food and 40% of drinks could prevent more than 2 million strokes, heart attacks and cardiac arrests, according to the study, published Friday in the American Heart Association’s journal, “Circulation.” The researchers also estimated a dramatic impact on health-care costs: The U.S. could save more than $4 billion in total health-care costs and more than $118 billion across the current adult population’s lifetime.

Even if companies didn’t fully comply, the regulation could lead to “significant health and cost savings,” the authors wrote.

Dietician Dana Hunnes, a community health sciences adjunct professor at the University of California, Los Angeles, said the findings shed light on the far-reaching effects food regulations can have.

“It’s important to have a monetary value on these things, in addition to a health value” for policymakers, she said. “The sheer volume of health-care costs that can be saved, and basically life productivity and life in general that can be protected, is really quite astounding.”

Lead author Dr. Siyi Shangguan, an attending doctor at Massachusetts General Hospital, argued such regulations would have a greater impact on reducing adult sugar consumption more than a sugar tax, labeling added sugars or banning drinks in schools.

Due to a number of structural inequities, including lack of access to healthy food and a history of targeted marketing, sugar consumption is highest among Black Americans, poorer people and those with less education. But policies like this could help, the authors found.

Health and health-care cost improvements “were most prominent among younger adults, Black and Hispanic Americans, and Americans with lower income and less education. The policy was estimated to consistently reduce health disparities among different races/ethnicities, income and education levels,” wrote Shangguan and her colleagues, who included scientists from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts University.

Dr. Neel Chokshi, a cardiologist and associate professor at the University of Pennsylvania’s Perelman School of Medicine, said such upstream efforts are important because medical professionals can only do so much by the time a patient needs their care.

“In general, diet is probably the biggest contributor to long-term cardiovascular disease, but it is the most difficult for us as physicians and clinicians to intervene upon, because it has so many variables,” Chokshi said. “By the time they’re seeing a cardiologist, usually they’ve developed some sort of cardiovascular disease or have developed a cardiovascular risk factor.”

Healthy Byte: Day 3045

May 9, 2021Róng Róng (榮榮) Leave a comment

ORIGINAL CONTENT

DISCLAIMER: I am not a nutritionist or a trainer of any kind. The following is simply my opinion from what has been true for me on my weight loss / long-term maintenance journey. I have completed extensive research from credible sources, however, the information below is my interpretation of that information. So read with a grain of salt.

It has been 3,045 consecutive days since I have been logging my nutritional choices on MyFitnessPal which calculates to a little over 8 years of logging.

I read an article recently on Intermittent Fasting (“IF”) and it was an interesting read. Intermittent Fasting dictates the number of hours of fasting verses the number of hours of eating within a 24-hour period or week – depending on the version. The theory is that by prolonging the period of no food consumption, it forces the body to burn through the calories consumed during the last meal and begin burning fat. There are also research which shows that the period of fasting not only induces Human Growth Hormone levels which benefits fat loss and muscle gain, improves insulin levels, impact gene functions related to protection against disease, but also allows the body to initiate cellular repair because it is not burdened with processing food. Please see Healthline & Hopkins for additional details.

Over the years, I have had to continue to adjust both my nutritional and fitness plans in order to maintain – it’s just what it takes as we get older. I had followed the 80/20 Rule (eating on plan 80% of the time) for years but since I’ve hit the half-century milestone I noticed that the impact on regulating my weight was decreasing. So I transitioned to IF and found that 14:10 works best for me and my schedule. IF has made a noticeable difference in easing long-term weight management but it also has alleviated my angst in extensive meal planning.

Article Summary: The writer had been on 16:8 IF for years but was experimenting with a new version of IF called the “Warrior Diet.” The Warrior Diet consists of fasting for 20-hours and limiting eating to only 4-hours a day which I thought was utter madness. However as I read on, she explained that by only eating 4-hours a day, she was liberated to eat larger quantities and whatever she wanted which relieved a lot of the stress related to counting calories and feeling deprived. She also claimed that eating only 4-hours a day essentially eradicated the possibility of overeating which for her, helped reduced her sugar cravings and feeling bloated. The writer seemed to have success with the Warrior Diet after trying it for 2-weeks.

My Perspective: What stood out to me was her mention of bloating and admitted struggle with it. In reviewing a sample day of foods she consumed,

” … tofu kale salad … a bowl of roasted tofu, sweet potatoes, and red peppers … banana, raw almonds or cashews, black-bean burritos, avocado pasta with Trader Joe’s Meatless Meatballs and steamed broccoli, lentil soup and bread, or veggie burgers with roasted veggies. If I felt like it, I’d eat a little dessert after. Sometimes it was some trail mix and fresh fruit, and sometimes it was a vegan brownie sundae”
https://www.popsugar.com/fitness/warrior-diet-1-week-2-weeks-43966339

I can’t help but to think that perhaps she maybe is FODMAP intolerant.

As I had incrementally phased out nutrition-poor food options, for the first time in my life I made the decision to incorporate vegetables with each dinner meal. Not being a vegetable person, I defaulted to the four vegetables I didn’t mind eating – green beans, carrots, mushrooms, and broccoli. I was so proud of myself for eating lean protein and vegetables but after a few weeks, my waistline increased, I gained weight, had severe constipation, and was constantly uncomfortably bloated – sometimes so painful that all I could do was curl up in the fetal position until the pain passed. I was very upset, frustrated, and couldn’t understand what I was doing wrong.

Around the same time, one of my dearest friends was diagnosed with Celiac. Her unfortunate diagnosis gave me the idea that perhaps I had some form of gluten or carbohydrate sensitivity. After hours of research, I had concluded that I was FODMAP intolerant. FODMAP stands for Fermentable Oligosaccharides, Disaccharides, Monosaccharides And Polyols and unlike Celiac, FODMAP intolerance is not an immune reaction but an intolerance to certain types of foods. High FODMAP foods are short-chain carbohydrates (sugars) that the small intestine absorbs poorly which can result in the large intestine retaining too much water causing sometime unbearable bloating. Please see Cleveland Clinic; Healthline; Hopkins for additional details.

And to my surprise, many healthy foods are also high-FODMAP foods. Foods like wheat, soft & silken tofu, legumes, lentils, fruits like apples, avocados, ripe banana, and vegetables like mushrooms, snow peas, onion, cauliflower, and broccoli. And sadly, FODMAP intolerance varies greatly from person-to-person, therefore there really is no one-list to definitively identify all high-FODMAP foods for all people. To further complicate things, each person can have a certain persona tolerance to certain high-FODMAP foods. For example, onion and broccoli are both a high-FODMAP foods, but I can consume a small amount with no ill-effects. So it is truly a matter of persistent trial & error with a lot of patience in determining what the trigger FODMAP foods are.

Given the sample of foods the writer listed, there’s a possibility that perhaps all the Warrior Diet accomplished was to reduce her consumption of high-FODMAP foods within her tolerance level like onions & broccoli are for me.

Healthy Byte: 5:2; 16/8; 14/10

April 10, 2020Róng Róng (榮榮) Leave a comment

BLOGGER NOTE: Click HERE for additional details on intermittent fasting variation. Personally in my 6th year of weight-loss maintenance I have naturally adapted to eating intermittently 15/9. Fasting for 15-hours may sound like madness but considering the bulk of the time fasting is spent sleeping, it has come easily for me and worked well in my day-to-day.

Originally Posted HERE

Let’s be honest: The word “fasting” doesn’t exactly bring up delicious thoughts and positive vibes. For plenty of people, it probably conjures up images of starvation and deprivation and makes their stomach start growling.

Yet, intermittent fasting has so many folks going wild right now, raving about how the strict-and-scheduled eating plans helped them lose weight and improve their health. So there must be *some* good in the health and weight-loss fad, right?

Charlie Seltzer, MD, weight-loss physician and certified personal trainer, points out that what most people are doing nowadays isn’t “true” fasting (in other words, eating only one meal per day or nothing at all in a day’s period). Instead, they’re intermittent fasting (duh), meaning they’re taking an approach to eating that involves restricting calorie consumption to a certain window of time each day, like only from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. (so you fast for 16 hours, a.k.a. a 16:8 diet).

The logic behind periodic fasting as a weight-loss approach: “Since you need to have a calorie deficit to lose weight, eating within a window makes it easier to eat less and hit your designated calories,” Dr. Seltzer explains.

Intermittent fasting has some pros beyond weight loss, too, says Dr. Seltzer. It works with a lot of people’s lifestyles, allowing them to skip meals during the day when they’re busy or not super hungry and might otherwise just eat out of obligation. What’s more, following a 5:2 fasting schedule may even improve your heart health; fasting can lower blood pressure and bad cholesterol, according to Cleveland HeartLab.

“True fasting has a large variety of health benefits beyond those that occur with calorie restriction,” Dr. Seltzer adds. “It can cause something called cellular autophagy, where our cells eat themselves [to destroy damaged cells and make way for new, healthy ones].”

That said, intermittent fasting shouldn’t be attempted without some thought as to whether it’s really a good idea for your personality and lifestyle—and not just because it could be challenging to stick to, but because it could be downright bad for some groups of people.

Registered dietitian Barbie Boules of Barbie Boules Longevity Nutrition says the people who should not consider intermittent fasting are:

Folks with diabetes or other metabolic disorders
People taking medications that require food
Anyone with a history of disordered eating
Women who are pregnant or trying to conceive
Children and teenagers

But honestly, anyone who requires a consistent, healthy input of calories throughout the day to be healthy (physically *and* emotionally!) isn’t the ideal candidate to try intermittent fasting. If you’re unsure where you stand, it’s always wise to speak with a medical professional first.

Here are eight potential disadvantages, side effects, and straight-up warnings about intermittent fasting to keep in mind if you’re a healthy adult and thinking about trying it yourself.

1. You might feel way hungrier.

Surprise, surprise: Not eating for 16 hours a day could make you ravenously hungry, at least while you’re in an adjustment period.

In theory, says Dr. Seltzer, intense hunger shouldn’t happen while intermittent fasting using a plan such as the 16:8 method; if you’re fasting correctly by filling up on protein at the end of the day, you shouldn’t be hungry first thing in the morning. (Your appetite wouldn’t kick in until later on the following day.)

In other words, only eating within a short window is not a free pass to set up camp at the all-you-can-eat buffet for eight hours, which would defeat the purpose of fasting. And this can be a huge challenge for many people who are used to eating much more regularly and who may not be totally in tune with their body’s hunger cues.

2. It might make you feel sick or fatigued in the morning, especially if you work out first thing.

Committed to your 6 a.m. workout? Intermittent fasting might not be a great choice. “I think it’s a terrible idea to exercise on an empty stomach,” says Boules. “We benefit from a little glucose before and some protein after.”

If you’re interested in experimenting with fasting periods and workout a ton, consider talking to a sports nutritionist or MD to assess your workout schedule and level of rigor. You might be okay fasting for a specific amount of time on days you don’t exercise, for instance. But if you’re, say, training for an endurance event, fueling your body around the clock and getting substantial calories is going to be much more important than trying to force fasting into your routine when your body is already being taxed by your training.

And even if you’re not a morning exerciser, not eating until, say, noon when you’re used to waking up and having breakfast at 8 a.m. may leave your stomach churning. In turn, you may feel off, a little lightheaded, or nauseous as you get used to the new schedule.

3. Fasting diets are rigid and rule-based.

Both Dr. Seltzer and Boules describe intermittent fasting as very individualized, meaning it could work well for some people and turn into a total disaster for others depending on a number of lifestyle factors.

Boules says that people who “like rules” might respond to the diet’s restrictive calorie window. But for others—like people who travel five days a week, changing time zones or schedules frequently—the diet will bring more stress than weight loss or other potential health perks. If the idea of watching the clock for permission to eat sounds unappealing to you, sit this one out.

4. It doesn’t always play nice with other diets.

Boules says intermittent fasting is often combined with other restrictive diets, like keto, which can cause double-trouble if either of those approaches—or heaven forbid both—aren’t right for you.

Adopting a diet plan that means you can only eat lean protein and vegetables between the hours of 1 and 9 p.m. every day doesn’t exactly set you up for winning any popularity contests with your friends and family (not to mention the mental fatigue that comes with jumping through meal-planning hoops on the regular), Boules points out.

But hey, your diet choices are your own, and if you are up for the challenge of navigating an intense and strict food routine and your personal life, that’s entirely your decision.

5. You may deal with low blood sugar.

This is why people with diabetes should steer clear of fasting. Low blood sugar, or hypoglycemia is a side effect of diabetes and insulin medication, but it can happen to non-diabetics, too (if you have thyroid disease, for example).

Not eating enough and skipping meals are common triggers for hypoglycemia. So, “people prone to hypoglycemia might feel dizzy or have nausea or shaking,” warns Dr. Seltzer.

Other symptoms of mild to moderate hypoglycemia include headache, blurred vision, sweating, fatigue, and paleness, according to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.

6. The research is minimal.

Look, we all know the internet is full of so-called health claims made by “experts” about the best diets. And while the field of research on intermittent fasting isn’t empty, Boules is hesitant to jump on the bandwagon based on what she’s seen so far.

“Despite a deluge of articles citing studies, solid evidence in support of intermittent fasting as a superior approach to eating just isn’t there yet,” she says.

What studies is Boules referring to? Well, most of the more compelling ones were actually performed on rodents. Human studies have not shown the same scope of evidence.

A few examples: A 2018 study published in Nutrition and Healthy Aging showed weight-loss results after 12 weeks of 16:8 intermittent fasting—but the sample size was only 23 people. A 2017 study in JAMA Internal Medicine showed that a fasting group of 100 participants lost more weight over a 12-month period than a non-dieting group, but not more than a group that cut calories overall.

There also remains debate about whether the actual fasting is responsible for the health benefits, or if it’s simply the reduction in calories.

This isn’t to say that better, more conclusive research won’t ever become available, but as Boules said, we’ve got a ways to go before we understand everything about intermittent fasting.

7. It doesn’t help you create mindful eating habits.

While Boules admits that intermittent fasting can be a great strategy for curbing mindless late-night snacking, it can totally work against mindful eating, too. Rather than thinking about whether or not you’re truly hungry, you’re simply eating by the clock.

“I encourage my clients to [evaluate their hunger] on a daily basis and act accordingly,” she says. “Every day is different for sleep, exercise, stress, hormones, and schedule, which all affects appetite. It’s one of many reasons I don’t believe it’s healthy to apply ‘rules’ to your food philosophy.”

8. You can take it too far.

Even in dieting, moderation is key; no diet is sustainable if you’re unable to adapt it to your lifestyle as needed. For example, Dr. Seltzer reiterates that many athletes need a morning meal and see better results when they eat before training. Sticking to a strict intermittent fasting schedule in that example precludes that.

Boules agrees: “I [have seen] people not consuming anything but water prior to a challenging morning workout and for several hours after—this is simply not a good idea.”

Ultimately, if you’re just not sure how to feel about intermittent fasting, don’t hesitate to hash it out with a pro, like an RD or doc you trust.

At the end of the day, if you’re a healthy adult, intermittent fasting probably won’t do damage (even if it turns out to not be a good fit for you personally). Dr. Seltzer and Boules both acknowledge the control it teaches, though they remain on the fence about whether the potential side effects outweigh the benefits.

“Please understand this will not work for everyone and is not required for good health,” Boules says. “While I’m watching the research and will own it if I’m proven wrong, I think it’s yet another example of a fad approach to wellness.”

Healthy Byte: Post Workout Refueling

April 3, 2020Róng Róng (榮榮) Leave a comment

Originally Posted HERE

High intensity interval training – otherwise known as HIIT – is a firm favourite among gym-goers. It’s efficient, it forces you to work hard, and it targets the whole body in each calorie-blasting session.

To get the most out of your HIIT classes, you want to make sure you’re doing it right – and that includes your food intake before and after the session, too. But it can be hard to know what’s best; is it better to eat immediately before a high intensity workout? Or should you do it on an empty stomach in a bid to burn more fat?

Cosmopolitan asked Alexandra Cook – aka The Sports Dietitian, who’s working in partnership with nutritional supplement brand Lift – what her advice is when it comes to fuelling and re-fuelling for a HIIT workout.

“If you want to have a good session, being well fuelled is important,” Alexandra says. “Ensure you eat regular meals balanced with carbs and protein throughout the day, and well-timed snacks before and after training.”

The Sports Dietitian’s rule of thumb is to eat “a balanced meal 3 hours before exercise, and then a high energy snack an hour before to make sure you are powered and good to go.” If you’re not the meal-prepping type, a high energy snack in your gym bag will suffice.

For professional athletes who are training intensively, and often more than once a day, it’s important that they eat within 30 minutes of finishing training. For us mere mortals, the dietitian reassures us that the rules are more lax.

“Ensure you have a carbohydrate and protein based snack or balanced meal within 1-2 hours of finishing training, and then continue to ensure you have adequate carbs and protein throughout the rest of your day to meet individual training needs,” suggests the dietitian.

Alexandra’s recommendation for a quick, on-the-go refuel is a smoothie “mixing 1 banana, 30g of oats, 1 tbsp nut butter and 350-500mls of milk.”

Eating swiftly after your HIIT session is advisable because “the muscles are thought to be primed to accept nutrients immediately after exercise,” explains the expert. “This

will make sure you have a good balance of carbs and protein to start the recovery process.”

And what better way to help repair the damage of 50+ burpees than with a tasty snack?

Healthy Byte: 20 Vegetarian Recipes for Meatless Mondays

March 20, 2020Róng Róng (榮榮) Leave a comment

ORIGINALLY POSTED HERE

The best part about vegetarian meal-prep recipes is…where do we even begin? Easy to whip up and inexpensive (like, sometimes $1.50 a serving), they’ll wait in the fridge for you all week long. Here, 20 options so tasty that even non-vegetarians will swoon.

View photos

Meal-Prep Vegetarian Quinoa Burrito Bowls

You’ll have five days’ worth of food in less than 20 minutes.

Can Intermittent Fasting Really Help You Lose Weight and Live Longer?

The most popular IF methods include:

Is intermittent fasting safe?

Can anyone try intermittent fasting?

Can you eat whatever you want when you’re not in a fasting period?

What are the benefits of intermittent fasting?

Weight loss

Heart health

Inflammation

Immunity

Longevity

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The Best Way to Lose Weight and Keep It Off Long Term, According to Experts

How Is Weight Loss Different Than Weight Maintenance?

The Most Important Thing for Weight Loss

The Most Important Thing for Weight Maintenance

Tips for Maintaining a Healthy Weight

Bottom Line

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7 Intermittent Fasting Benefits That Aren’t Weight Loss

Intermittent fasting may help maintain muscle.

Intermittent fasting may target belly fat.

Intermittent fasting may reduce diabetes risk.

Intermittent fasting may lower high blood pressure.

Intermittent fasting could fight inflammation.

Intermittent fasting may reduce oxidative stress.

Intermittent fasting may help you live longer.

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Study: Sugar-reduction initiative could lead to reduction of heart disease in millions across the U.S.

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1. You might feel way hungrier.

2. It might make you feel sick or fatigued in the morning, especially if you work out first thing.

3. Fasting diets are rigid and rule-based.

4. It doesn’t always play nice with other diets.

5. You may deal with low blood sugar.

6. The research is minimal.

7. It doesn’t help you create mindful eating habits.

8. You can take it too far.

Ultimately, if you’re just not sure how to feel about intermittent fasting, don’t hesitate to hash it out with a pro, like an RD or doc you trust.

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Meal-Prep Vegetarian Quinoa Burrito Bowls

Make-Ahead Aloo Gobi

Lo Mein Meal Prep

Crispy Sesame Tofu with Zucchini Noodles

Tofu Burrito Bowl Meal Prep

Cold Sesame Noodle Meal Prep Bowls

Spring Vegetable Bowls and Meatless Meatball Bowls with Pesto

Quinoa and Kale Quesadillas

Maple Miso Roasted Carrot Meal Prep

Kale and Greek Salad Meal Prep

Healthy Meal Prep Bowls

Meal Prep Veggie Stir-Fry

Vegan Quinoa Fajita Bowls

Vegan Arugula Pesto Pasta Meal Prep

Summer Quinoa Salad Jars with Lemon Dill Dressing

Red Pepper Cashew Pasta with Roasted Cauliflower

Mediterranean Chickpea and Egg Salad Jars

Meal Prep Chickpeas and Grilled Veggies

Vegan Mediterranean Meal Prep Bowls

Mix-and-Match Meal Prep

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THE FACTS

1. Brown fat

2. Beige fat

3. White subcutaneous fat

4. Subcutaneous fat (SF)

5. Visceral fat

SO HOW DO WE LOSE THE BAD FAT?

ALPHA AND BETA

HOW TO EAT TO SHIFT YOUR BAD FAT