You’ve heard this recent buzzword, but like all things in the health space, you’re probably wondering: is there any merit to intermittent fasting? Before we uncover this and provide resources for additional information, let’s discuss what fasting entails.
What Is Intermittent Fasting?
Biology has shown us that humans can go without consuming food for many hours or days at a time. With this information, intermittent fasting has been thought to be impactful for weight management and blood-sugar control, as well as boosting energy levels, the ability to focus, heart health, and metabolic flexibility.
Let’s operate under the assumption that a person eats every 3 hours from 6am to 9:30pm, and takes a break from consuming food from 10pm to 6am, regularly. That’s considered a 16:8 fast — where food consumption occurs for 16 hours of the day and the fast occurs for 8. Now let’s say this person wants to become more metabolically flexible and increase their fasting window to 9:30am–9:30pm, becoming a 12:12 eating/fasting window. Would this person be “hangry” or feel “hungry” by 9am?
Autophagy: Cellular Clean-Up
It’s a possibility — however, we must point out that feelings of hunger are often the body’s cells getting rid of unneeded damaged material, which is called autophagy. This essentially means that when your stomach growls during a longer fast, it’s not necessarily telling you to eat more. While the study of autophagy is new(er), fasting has been linked to this process and induced cell clean-out.
Metabolic Flexibility
As the name suggests, metabolic flexibility means that your body’s metabolism is flexible and can use whatever fuel is available to it — whether that’s fuel from food you consume or fuel already stored in your body. If you’ve eaten a snack or meal recently, your body will metabolize that food for energy. But if it’s been a while since you last ate, your metabolism can switch over to burning fuel that’s already in your body, like fat and sugar stores.
Scientists refer to these fuel-burning processes as fat oxidation and glucose oxidation.
How to Start a Fasting Routine
Let’s assume autophagy and metabolic flexibility are the keys to cell clean-out, increased energy levels, potential weight loss, and enhanced concentration. How do you begin your journey of intermittent fasting?
Talk to your medical doctor first before embarking on a fasting journey. This is a recommended, general guide to begin fasting for those without identified health issues:
- Identify your current food consumption habits — how long do you typically fast for, and how often are you eating throughout your “eating window”?
- Aim for an increased “fasting window” without food by 2–3 hours for 7 days, then increase that by 2–3 more hours for an additional 7 days. Assess your energy levels and determine a course of action accordingly.
- Stay hydrated during fasting windows — water, black coffee, and unsweetened tea don’t break a fast.
Research-Backed Benefits
Intermittent fasting has worked for millions of people. One study published in the New England Journal of Medicine revealed a range of health benefits associated with the practice, including:
- Thinking and memory — Studies show intermittent fasting boosts working memory and verbal memory in adults.
- Heart health — Improved blood pressure and resting heart rates as well as other heart-related measurements.
- Physical performance — Young men who fasted for 16 hours showed fat loss while maintaining muscle mass.
- Diabetes and obesity — In animal studies, intermittent fasting prevented obesity. Six brief studies showed obese adult humans lost weight through intermittent fasting.
- Tissue health — In animals, intermittent fasting reduced tissue damage in surgery and improved outcomes.
Supporting Your Fast with IV Therapy
Extended fasting can deplete electrolytes and certain nutrients. IV hydration therapy is an effective way to replenish magnesium, sodium, potassium, and B vitamins without breaking your fast. Many of our clients use IV hydration to support longer fasts or to recover after extended fasting periods.
Contact our team to discuss how IV therapy can support your fasting goals.