Last week’s article on intermittent fasting got me another invitation to discuss the same topic on a TV breakfast show. Although I have not honoured the invitation due to my busy schedule, I will still do so. It gives me joy that the awareness about intermittent fasting will spread more.
This week, the discussion on intermittent fasting continues but I will like to share something with you before I proceed. Sometime last month, a researcher from Africa’s first independent fact-checking organisation, Africa Check, contacted me. She wanted to confirm if the claim that residual water from boiled corn truly treats digestive disorders. I told her it is a false claim. It is corn silk tea that is good for digestion. Corn silk, known as, irukere agbado in Yoruba, is the shiny thread-like, weak fibres that grow as part of the ears of corn (maize). While on the Medicines in Unlikely Plant Parts series, I discussed it. Fortunately, corn is in season now; it is easy to get corn silk and use it to make tea.
Like I always say, not all ethnobotanical claims are right. If there is an ethnobotanical claim, ours is to find out what studies say about it. If there is no scientific study backing it up, we will not uphold it.
Let us get down to business. Some scientists feel there is no scientific evidence that fasting can detox the body, but Dr Joel Fuhrman, an American physician who has supervised hundreds of patients’ fasts for medicinal purposes, disagrees. He maintains that fasting allows the body to effectively remove waste products. He explains that the body is designed to fast; we do it every night. When you go without eating for more than a day or two, the body enters into ketosis. Ketosis occurs when the body runs out of carbohydrates to burn for energy, so it burns fat. “The fat is where the body stores many of the toxins it absorbs from the environment,” Fuhrman says.
In his practice, Fuhrman tells WebMD he has seen fasting combined with improving diets before and afterwards eliminating lupus, arthritis and chronic skin conditions like psoriasis and eczema. He went further to say he has also seen fasting heal the digestive tracts of those with ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease.
Fasting may yield psychological benefits as well. “I use very brief fasting with my patients to help them cope with stress and depression,” says Agnese Barolo, a life coach in contemplative practices in New Rochelle, New York. “I start them with just a few hours a day so they learn to say no to food. It is the first step in taking control of their lives. Many are so encouraged that they try longer fasts,” she says
Let us see some tips that can help you with intermittent fasting:
- Stay hydrated
Take lots of water. Do not forget that sugar and milk must not be added to your coffee and tea. Coffee is a dietary source of caffeine which is a natural stimulant and when taken in excess, it may cause side effects like difficulty in sleeping, an increased heart rate and more. So, do not go overboard with it.
2: Avoid thinking about food
Plan plenty of distractions during your fasting window to avoid thinking about food.
3: Rest and relax
Avoid strenuous activities during your fasting window, although light exercise may be beneficial.
- Select filling yet low-calorie and nutrient-dense foods
During your eating window, focus on eating a healthy diet with lots of fruits and vegetables and maintaining portion control.
- Start small
The 12-hour intermittent fasting method involves eating all your meals within a 12-hour window and then fasting for the remaining 12 hours that day. For example, if you finish dinner at 7pm, you do not eat breakfast until 7am the next day. But if you are a night owl who loves to eat late, you can try a fasting window that starts at 9:30pm and runs till 9.30am when you will break your fast. This method is a perfect intermittent fasting plan for beginners.
- Be patient
Give yourself enough time to see how your body responds to intermittent fasting. This will benefit you in the long run.
Who should steer clear of intermittent fasting? :
- Children and teens under age 18.
- Women who are pregnant or breastfeeding.
- People with Type 1 diabetes, who take insulin. While an increasing number of clinical trials have shown that intermittent fasting is safe in people with Type 2 diabetes, there have been no studies in people with Type I diabetes. Mattson said, “Because those with Type I diabetes take insulin, there is a concern that an intermittent fasting and eating pattern may result in unsafe levels of hypoglycemia during the fasting period.”
- Those with a history of eating disorders.
- People who must eat before taking their medications.
Research shows that intermittent fasting periods do more than burn fat. Mattson explains, “When changes occur with this metabolic switch, it affects the body and brain.”
Let us see more benefits:
1: Intermittent fasting is a very effective tool to lose weight and visceral fat (abdominal fat).
- Fasting triggers a metabolic pathway called autophagy, which removes waste material from cells.
- It can reduce insulin resistance, thereby lowering your risk of Type 2 diabetes.
- It can reduce oxidative damage and inflammation in the body. This should have benefits against aging and development of numerous diseases.
- It can decrease numerous risk factors for heart disease, such as blood pressure, cholesterol levels, triglycerides and inflammatory markers
6: It has been shown to help prevent cancer in animal studies and some human studies. Research shows that in humans, it can help reduce the side effects of chemotherapy.
- It may have important benefits for brain health. It may increase the growth of new neurons and protect the brain from damage.
- It may improve sleep quality.
- According to studies in animals, it may help you live longer.
A study titled, ‘Impact of Intermittent Fasting on Health and Disease Processes’ by Mattson et al, concludes that intermittent fasting can protect against metabolic syndrome and associated disorders, including diabetes and cardiovascular disease.
A study titled, ‘Chronic Intermittent Fasting Improves Cognitive Functions and Brain Structures in Mice’ by Liaoliao Li, concludes that intermittent fasting improves brain functions and structures.
A study titled ‘The Effect of Intermittent Fasting on Cancer Prevention: A Systematic Review’ by Giannakou et al concludes that Intermittent fasting with calorie restriction appeared to have an anticancer effect in animal experiments.
A study titled, ‘Effects of Intermittent Fasting Diet on Glucose and Lipid Metabolism and Insulin Resistance in Patients with Impaired Glucose and Lipid Metabolism: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis’ by Xiaojie Yuan et al, concludes that intermittent fasting is an effective therapeutic option for patients with impaired glucose and lipid metabolism and may improve glucose and lipid metabolism, as well as achieve significant weight loss and improve insulin resistance.
Let us start using fasting as a modality to heal instead of popping pills all the time.
