What is intermittent fasting?
Intermittent fasting: Chances are that you have already heard of it. Whether you are naturally not a breakfast enthusiast, or you have previously tried the various IF methods, there is no denying the interest around intermittent fasting.
Intermittent fasting is not a diet in the traditional sense, but rather an eating pattern that cycles between periods of eating and fasting. The emphasis does not necessarily lay on what you eat, rather on when you eat. There are several popular methods of intermittent fasting, including the 14/10 method, where one fasts for 14 hours and eats during a 10-hour window, or the 6:1 method, involving regular eating for six days and significantly reduced caloric intake for one day. These two methods are found in our new Intermittent Fasting program - reNEW.
Our reNEW program is for those who are interested in fasting, but not able to commit to our 5 day program. You can read all about reNEW here.
Intermittent fasting can come with a range of health benefits:
1. Weight loss and management
Research has continuously proven that IF could be an effective weight loss and weight maintenance tool (Klempel et al., 2012). This is because eating windows are shortened, leading to individuals more accurately following their hunger cues and consuming fewer calories.
Reducing your calories will result in an overall calorie deficit, which can result in weight loss. With our reNEW program, you can naturally decrease your overall calorie intake, which can lead to sustained and effective weight loss. For some, reducing your calorie intake for just one day might be easier than reducing your calorie intake on a daily basis.
Lastly, considering the well-established link between obesity and various health conditions like type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, and heart disease, adopting intermittent fasting becomes not just a weight management strategy but a holistic lifestyle measure against these health risks.
2. Cognitive function
Studies have shown that intermittent fasting may have neuroprotective effects, potentially reducing the risk of neurodegenerative diseases and improving cognitive function. Fasting can have direct and indirect influences on the brain, and can improve cognitive function and the prevention or progression of brain-related disorders (Gudden et al. 2015)
With intermittent fasting, one can improve their insulin sensitivity. Enhanced insulin sensitivity can improve the brain's ability to adapt and reorganise itself, and provide protection against oxidative stress, which is a factor associated with various neurological conditions (Rahmani et al., 2019, Mattson et al., 2018).
3. Heart health
Intermittent fasting might also benefit cardiovascular health by reducing blood pressure, improving cholesterol and triglyceride levels, improving lipid metabolism disorder, diabetes and reducing inflammation (Kempel et al., 2012, Dong, 2022). Intermittent fasting exerts its effects through different pathways such as reducing oxidative stress, improving circadian rhythms and inducing ketogenesis (Dong, 2022).
4. Gut health
Gut health is an important indicator of our overall health. Intermittent fasting can positively influence our gut health, because it gives gut bacteria time and rest for repopulation (Ahsan, 2023). Furthermore, intermittent fasting has the potential to reshape the human gut microbiome by nurturing diversity and also changing the composition of microbiomes in your gut. Overall, intermittent fasting can create positive changes in both your functional capacity and composition of your gut microbiota (Teker & Ceylani, 2022).
Some individuals find it challenging to stick to a strict eating schedule, leading to inconsistency and potential frustration. This is why we created reNEW, to help you stick to your healthy habits.
With methods like the 14/10 and 6:1, intermittent fasting accommodates diverse lifestyles, emphasising meal timing over food restrictions. Created for those interested in fasting, reNEW integrates six days of regular healthy eating with one curated calorie-restricted day. Beyond weight management, intermittent fasting offers many holistic health benefits such as cognitive function enhancement, cardiovascular health improvement, and improving gut health.
We recommend consulting a doctor or dietician if you have specific concerns. By understanding the potential benefits and drawbacks, and by listening to your body, you can embark on an intermittent fasting journey that aligns with your unique needs and goals.
Sources
Ahsan, M. (2023). The Effect of Intermittent Fasting on the Gut Microbiome. News Medical. Retrieved from https://www.news-medical.net/health/The-Effect-of-Intermittent-Fasting-on-the-Gut-Microbiome.aspx
Bouter, K. E., van Raalte, D. H., Groen, A. K., & Nieuwdorp, M. (2017). Role of the gut microbiome in the pathogenesis of obesity and obesity-related metabolic dysfunction. Gastroenterology, 152, 1671–1678.
Dong, T. A., Sandesara, P. B., Dhindsa, D. S., Mehta, A., Arneson, L. C., Dollar, A. L., Taub, P. R., & Sperling, L. S. (2020). Intermittent Fasting: A Heart Healthy Dietary Pattern? American Journal of Medicine, 133(8), 901-907.
Gudden, J., Arias Vasquez, A., & Bloemendaal, M. (2021). The Effects of Intermittent Fasting on Brain and Cognitive Function. Nutrients, 13(9), 3166.
Klempel, M. C., Kroeger, C. M., Bhutani, S., et al. (2012). Intermittent fasting combined with calorie restriction is effective for weight loss and cardio-protection in obese women. Nutrition Journal, 11, 98.
Mattson, M. P., Moehl, K., Ghena, N., Schmaedick, M., & Cheng, A. (2018). Intermittent metabolic switching, neuroplasticity and brain health. Nature Reviews Neuroscience, 19, 81–94. doi: 10.1038/nrn.2017.156.
Rahmani, J., Kord Varkaneh, H., Clark, C., Zand, H., Bawadi, H., Ryand, P. M., Fatahi, S., & Zhang, Y. (2019). The influence of fasting and energy restricting diets on IGF-1 levels in humans: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Ageing Research Reviews, 53, 100910. doi: 10.1016/j.arr.2019.100910.
Sergeev, I. N. (2016). Vitamin D-cellular Ca(2+) link to obesity and diabetes. Journal of Steroid Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, 164, 326–330.
Teker, H. T., & Ceylani, T. (2022). Intermittent fasting supports the balance of the gut microbiota composition. International Microbiology. Retrieved from https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10123-022-00272-7