Intermittent Fasting Q&A
Here’s a conversation that was started by a question from one of our members in The Whealth Club on intermittant fasting.
Member- Hello! Some things I wanted to know on this topic:
- What do you do when your body is hungry outside the feeding window? I am glad where I am with my relationship with food, mentally and physically and intuitive eating (regular meals and snacks) works pretty well for me. However, the anti-inflammatory and health benefits of fasting does appeal to me. But I think I would struggle mentally with the 'food rule' in regards to not eating during certain times.
- I do my workouts usually in the morning and teach bodybalance classes some evenings. This means with IF that I would do physical activities after my last meal and then next morning would have to do a fasted workout. What is healthy there?
Shiloh- Great questions. Let's start with the first one. The thing that has helped me the most is having amazing zero-calorie beverages. Often times when I feel hungry outside of my eating window, I need hydration and electrolytes. I use LMNT electrolytes mixed in water (there are around 5 different flavors which helps the taste buds) LMNT also makes a chocolate version that is a really nice hot chocolate treat at night, In the mornings, I take athletic greens to get in my micronutrients, probiotics, prebiotics, and other goodies (I've actually started craving this first thing in the AM as my breakfast and rehydration), similarly, herbal teas provide great variety, health benefits, and flavor! I also have black coffee with a bit of stevia from 10-11 AM. All of this is to say that giving yourself plenty of Options help to keep you hydrated and provides flavor. All of that being said, our relationship with food matters. I personally found through testing that I have more mental energy and clarity when I'm fasting, as a result, I've put my fasting window earlier in the day. For you, it may be more beneficial to eat first thing to provide you energy for your workout. The bottom line is that providing the digestive system time where it can rest and recover is beneficial so even going from a 12-hour fasting window to a 13-hour fasting window is a good start. Continue to listen to your body. Developing the ability to eat intuitively is valuable. Your use of IF or TRF also depends on your goals. If you want to live vitally and maximize daily energy for physical activity, then snacks may be a part of that recipe. If you are maximizing for longevity, then shortening the eating window and reducing meal frequency will likely be helpful. If your goal is somewhere in between, then the strategy will likely be mixed. One option that can work for many is scheduling monthly, quarterly, or yearly extended fasts (with oversight/insight from a healthcare professional). This can help you to promote autophagy, remove senescent (aging) cells, and give your gut time to rest and recover while still following your intuitive eating on a regular basis. Regarding the end-of-day meal after your night class, it can be beneficial for this to be a lighter meal focused on fat and protein with a light emphasis on carbohydrates. In many, this distribution can help you sleep better, thus promoting better recovery and readiness for the next day. I hope this helps! Keep me updated on how things are going for you and I'd love to keep the conversation going. Also let me know if there are any other questions or topics you'd like me to dive into in future blogs, coaching calls, or newsletters.