INTERMITTED FASTING

Intermitted Fasting

Breakfast – Break your fast?

How to eat healthy, what to eat? When to eat, how often to eat? Questions, you may ask yourself. In this article we will talk about intermitted fasting. Its history, benefits, science background and fasting techniques. Most of the information in this article is retrieved from the teachings of Luca Sonzogni, nutritional therapist from the College of Natuopathic Medicine in London. The main challenge of intermitted fasting is will-power. Being organized and having some background information, could increase this will-power. To be successful in any subject, some scientific background, history, facts and experiences could be useful.

History of fasting

Believes

Breakfast, the healthiest meal of the day, isn’t it? Who knows. Mister Kelloggs that sells breakfast products introduced this believe. You may know the feeling of not being hungry in the morning and forcing yourself to eat something for any kind of reason, for example following the clock, and routines that we have learned from the surroundings we live in. In the history, however there were times of “feasting” and “fasting”. Eat and celebrate, when food is available, and fast when there is no food available. Or go hunt before eating, in other words, skip breakfast, workout, and then eat 😊

Religions and spirituality

In many religions fasting is or used to be a common practice. We may all know the still practiced: “Ramadan” once a year in the Islam. Fasting is or used to be a yearly practice in Christianity, Buddhism, Judaism, Taoism and Hinduism as well. Not to be dependent on food and drinks so much, can make us grow spiritually. Intermitted fasting is nothing new, it has been practiced and is still practiced since a very long time. Quote from Socrates: “If you are sick, instead of medicine, try fasting for a day”.

Health benefits

The advantages of fasting, is not comparable with any other diet. A popular diet currently is for example the: “Keto diet”. In this diet, the goal is that the main source of energy switches from glucose to fat, which in turn should stabilizes insulin levels, and activate detoxifying mechanisms in the body. Fasting has similar effects, and may even have more benefits as the keto-diet. A big advantage of fasting in comparison to many diets is that it is simple, you just don’t eat, below some benefits of fasting:

The growth hormone is stimulated.
Insulin levels become stable.
Your gut gets some rest and can start to clean itself.
Natural process: “autophagy” is stimulated.
Stem cell creation is stimulated.
The body profits from anti-inflammatory effects.

The science of fasting and nutrition

There are different types of carbohydrates. High quality low glycemic carbohydrates and low quality high glycemic index. High glycemic means that the body turns the food into glucose very quickly. Which will result in a sugar high, and too much glucose in the bloodstream. The pancreas releases insulin, which stimulates cells and the liver the produce energy. Eating often, and eating high glycemic food, can be toxic, and can stimulate inflammation in our bodies.

Four hours after eating, the energy requirements are fueled by the food we had in our meal. After four hours, the energy production is taken care of by the liver, which has stored glucose, which is called glycogen. After not eating for a while, the body starts to produce energy from fatty acids and amino acids. After fasting for a prolonged time, the body does not like to make glucose from scratch anymore. In turn the body starts to produce energy from ketones, which are made from fat. Internal fat reserves are used. This can also be beneficial for fat/weight- loss. With fasting, we allow the glycogen stores of the body to be depleted and allow the body to use fat for our energy production.

Diabetes & Weight loss

Diabetes type 2 diabetes is unfortunately quite common in the world. It is often caused by our unhealthy lifestyle. Too much glucose is constancy present in the blood stream. It deals with glucose, by secretion of the pancreas. Insulin is rushed, to take out the glucose from the blood and it is put it in the cells. Over time, the body is not responding well to insulin anymore, it becomes resistant to insuline, due to the constant overload. The cells are less and less sensitive to the insulin signal. And the cells don’t want to deal with access of glucose anymore. It will create all kind of problems, like diabetes type 2. It often also goes hand and hand with devloping a cardiovascular diseases Intermitted fasting is a great way to cut back on the glucose spikes, and restore the insulin sensitivity, and make the cells more willing to respond to the insulin hormone again.

Whenever the insulin hormone is high in the body, the body knows there is glucose in circulation. And the body will not tap into the fat reserves for energy production. Obesity can be seen as consuming too many calories, or also through the lens of hormonal health. Healing the insulin response, can make weight loss easier. The old fashion cure of weight loss is small meals and calories restriction, which often makes the relationship with food unhealthy. Intermitted fasting is a great tool to lose weight, due to the healing of the insulin response, and use fat as the main energy source, and reduce the intake of calories.

Leptin

Leptin is the appetite suppressing hormone. After a meal, the hormone leptin is high. Insulin resistance can be reserved during intermitted fasting, so can leptin resistance. When we fix the insulin problem, we likely solve our leptin problem, that impacts our hunger. Then we will feel more fulfilled and satisfied after each meal we eat.

Autophagy and Apoptosis

Autophagy and apoptosis are natural functions of the cell. During autophagy, components of the cell itself are recycled. And apoptosis is when a whole cell is scraped and completely remade. This process is naturally present in the body. This is greatly enhanced by fasting. Age related diseases could therefore benefit from fasting. The body is regenerated, and aging can be pushed back. The body has some rest, and has time to repair, and remove, old and damaged cells. The body comes in a moment of rest, and then everything that is wrong, broken or damaged is cleaned up, or recycled. This could than for example reduce the risk of cancer, as cancer is originated on cell-level. Cell-repair is a real must.

Stem cells therapy for free

Stem cells are created in the bone marrow. Stem cells are the original cells, which babies have a lot, these are cells that don’t have a faith yet. So, they can become anything, a blood cell, a skin cell, a neuron cell. They use stem cell therapy to treat diseases, as stem cells can add more healthy cells, replenish cells. For example, with organ transplant, to make it more compatible, stem cell therapy can be beneficial.

The main residence of stem cells is found in the bone marrow. These cells have a bit of faith/plan. Bone marrow, is everywhere in your bones. Most in the spine, and tinier have less bone marrow. Longer bones have more.

Growth hormone

The growth hormone is a wonderful hormone. It is building and preserving, lean tissue, and helps the body to grow. It also stimulates the body to use fat for energy production. It is scientifically proven that it builds, and repairs, healthy tissues in the brain, and other organs. It will heal injuries faster, build muscle mass, and boost metabolism. More growth hormone also has a great effect on your skin. The longer the fast is kept, the more the growth hormone is stimulated.

Oxidation

Let’s compare our body with a chemical factory. When a chemical factory is producing its products, there is a waste product/pollution. The same happens in our cells. Oxygen is used for energy production. The free radicals are the pollution/waste of this energy production. Free radicals are slightly damaged molecules that in turn go on, and damage other molecules, and in turn age the cell. To come back to oxidation, the body produces a ton of anti-oxidants. Certain foods have anti-oxidants, such as vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients. They have the ability to give the damaged molecules, an electron back. Which turns the free-radical is a more stable, less damaging molecule. A great way, to deal with oxidation, is intermitted fasting. It is proved to reduce oxidative stress. Reduce damages to proteins, fat and DNA.

Inflammation

Inflammation is a damaging naturally occurring process in the body. The immune system is activated because of a thread. There are two types of inflammation: “acute inflammation”, which is when you cut yourself for example. There will be local pain, swelling and discomfort. The immune system will kill bacterias, get rid of damaged tissue and within a few days, the tissue should be healthy again. The second type is: “chronic/low level inflammation”, this is the real enemy. In this way, the immune system is constantly triggered by different factors, and constantly fights without having a specific or defined target or resolution. No “real” wound to heal. This is caused by toxins coming into the body, all the time, due to a certain lifestyle. Processed food, too much sugar, too much pollution coming through our nose, ears or in general phycological stress can have impact on our inflammation levels. Chronic inflammation is usually painless, and not noticeable, and you can’t feel it for a long time. But the problems associated with it, could show later in life. When we start experiencing the symptoms, the inflammation was already in the body, for years, sometimes decades. In order to prevent and fight inflammation, detox from any kind of junk, and limit exposure to toxins. Certain herbs like curcuma may also help to deal with inflammation.

Intermitted fasting can also help the body with autophagy, the immune system to break down blood cells, mainly white blood cells, which are created during inflammation.

Brain health

Animal studies suggest that intermitted fasting is a good tool, to push back neurological diseases, such as Alzheimer, Parkinson and cardiovascular diseases. It can suppress inflammation in the brain. Many people that did intermitted fasting, say they have experienced more sharpness and a greater ability to focus.

Heart and Digestive Health

Cardiovascular diseases can be seen through the lens of inflammation. Chronic inflammation can lead to all kind of problems throughout the whole body. In the cardiovascular system it can damage the arterial lining, the walls of the arteries can be damaged by chronic inflammation. Junk food cause lots of inflammation in the body, can damage the lines of arteries, and lead to cardiovascular diseases. Dyslipidemia is when there is too much fat in the blood, high cholesterol. Intermitted fasting will deplete our store of sugar and glucose, and naturally, the body will use fat for energy production. Fat is taken out of the blood stream, for energy production directly, or turned into glucose and stored in the liver. This may reduce triglycerides and cholesterol in the bloodstream.