Is Fasting Beneficial?
This is a question that has come up several times in the office lately, so I thought a video might be helpful.
Yes, indeed! Extremely beneficial.
However, here lies the problem: most people can’t do it.
Intermittent Fasting entails going 18-24 hours without eating.
For many, this is nearly impossible due to their wonky blood sugar levels. It's too difficult, it’s not fun, and causes considerable suffering. For 90% of the patients in my practice, going even a few hours without food can lead to low blood sugar symptoms such as headaches, irritability, and cravings.
So, here’s a Pro-Tip: get into ketosis first.
Ketosis involves reducing carbohydrate intake to under 20 grams a day while increasing fat consumption. The remarkable thing that occurs is a decrease in appetite and cravings.
When you’re in ketosis, your body begins to burn your body fat as an energy source (instead of glucose), which most people cannot do well due to their current diet style. As you begin accessing the fat stores in your body, particularly in areas like your butt and belly, it becomes easier to extend the time between meals.
Entering ketosis and 'training' your body to burn fat will take a few weeks, but once achieved, it becomes effortless to extend the duration between meals.
And then you are off and running, easily able to intermittent fast and obtain all the benefits without the agony.
It's simple!
So, YES, intermittent fasting is an excellent and worthwhile idea.