September 11, 2018
Intermittent Fasting: How To & Why it’s Good For You
Intermittent fasting has quickly become one of the most popular recent health and wellness trends although it has been practiced throughout all of human history. Whether you are looking for the physical benefits or the mental benefits, intermittent fasting seems to cover it all.
How it Works:
Intermittent fasting consists of restricting your daily food consumption to a limited “eating window” of time. The most common method is the 16/8, meaning that you fast (don’t eat or drink anything besides water) for 16 hours and then eating your total daily caloric intake within the 8 hour “eating window”. If you are just beginning you may extend your eating window to 10 hours and decrease your fasting period to 14 hours.
Why it’s Good For You…
Physical Benefits:
- Increases energy
- Increased cellular turnover & repair
- Weight loss
- Reversal of type 2 diabetes
- Detoxifies, cleanses and purifies the body
- Increased human growth hormone
- Reduced inflammation
- Clears skin
Mental/Emotional Benefits:
- Improved mental clarity, focus & concentration
- Helps to mirror your relationship with food
- Balances cortisol levels (the stress hormone)
- Allows you to move through any emotions you may cover up with food
- Increases self awareness
If you have never done any form of fasting before, expect the first few days that you do this to be somewhat difficult. Remember to drink a lot of water, have a journal handy and take rests as needed.
Enjoy!
