Should you be Intermittent Fasting?

Let me guess…you’re hearing about intermittent fasting everywhere and wondering, “Should I do it too? Should I be fasting right now? Is it bad NOT to fast?”

If you’re here, if you resonate with my content and message, I am going to highly suggest that you take a beat before following the trend. And yes, I am going to label it as a trend because even though fasting (and I will discuss the different varieties below) has been around for a long time, unfortunately I see more people blindly following the trend (due to Instagram or Youtube influencers) vs. researching, understanding the methodology of fasting and deliberating if it’s a good move for them or not (based on history, lifestyle and their relationship with food/body). And this isn’t OK. 

Why? Because, like I mentioned if you follow me, most of us have been on or are currently on and trying to break free from dieting/restrictive diets. While IF can be therapeutic, it can also be restrictive, being that most people end up under-eating due to the nature of literally eating less meals or less often when you fast, and eating in a way that it is based on rules, rigidity, and strict structure — all anti-intuitive. I personally am not a fan of any way or style of eating that takes you farther away from tuning in and listening to your own body. Because while IF can be a helpful tool (periodically) understanding how to listen to your body is a priceless gift you’ll have forever.

We have to keep in mind that following any diet or style of eating puts us in a box, under a label, and sets us up to try to be perfect or always on. The issue here is that perfection does not exist, and you never know when you may have an off-day out of your control due travel, stress, family, mood, etc. Because we’re so used to being black & white from dieting (on the wagon/off the wagon) when we fall off or mess up we think we’re “bad” and beat up on ourselves. This leads to punishing ourselves with more restriction and deprivation, further rules, over-exercise and many other damaging “course-correction” habits. This is the disordered eating cycle. One that can only be broken free from through less restriction, rules, forgiveness, compassion and mindset. This is my 2-cents (big time!)

We also have to consider the fact that while we know very well we’re fasting, how does our body? How is it crystal clear to our bodies that we’re fasting, and not just not eating? Skipping meals and eating less (unless you are truly in a long-term fat-adapted state and have great hormonal health) is straight up stressful. To our cortisol, our adrenals, and our metabolism. Physically, but mentally and emotionally as well. How does your body understand you are fasting for health or therapeutic reasons and not out of deprivation and the desire to lose weight? We have to take this into serious consideration! And again if you have ever dieted and you are looking to break free and create a healthy relationship with food, you must treat your body with respect. Through honoring hunger, nourishing yourself and simply — eating! Not, not eating. Doesn’t that make sense?

Ok so what even is intermittent fasting?

Intermittent fasting, also know as cyclical fasting, is essentially eating within a certain time period, whether that be hours of the day or days of the week. Like I mentioned above, IF is currently super trendy, but it has actually been around for centuries when food was not as abundant and accessible as it is today. The concept of IF is to give your body a break from constantly digesting your food (which takes a lot of energy and output) in order to repair and rebuild in a few different ways. 

The most common type of intermittent fasting is time-restricted eating, usually ranging from 12 to 16 hours (although some people go 24-36 hours too) when you are not consuming calories. For example, if you finish eating at 8pm at night, and you are fasting for 12 hours (which includes sleep time) you wouldn’t eat again the next morning until 8am. Or if you finish eating at 8pm at night, and you are fasting for 16 hours, you wouldn’t eat again until 12pm, the following day. 

There is another method called 5:2 where you eat normally for 5 days of the week, and have a reduced-calorie intake for the other two days. I’m not as familiar with this type and personally as a nutritionist I wouldn’t recommend it because for most people that will simply be under-eating which can cause all sorts of issues. 

Who would be a good candidate for IF?

A good candidate for this eating method would be someone who has a strong relationship with food and their body. Someone who is not using IF for weight loss or to restrict their intake of food, but purely for health reasons, experimentation and to gain information about what works for their individual body. Since food is so abundant to us, and many people are snacking multiple times a day, giving your body and digestion a longer break in between meals can be a really good thing. That’s why I would suggest IF to a client who struggles with digestive issues like bloating, diarrhea or constipation, to see if this helps. Or someone who has issues with energy and fatigue, mood, or concentration and focus. Another good candidate for IF could also be an individual with hormonal imbalance such as insulin resistance, in order to bring the body’s hunger hormones and response triggers back into balance. And even for the person who is on-the-go, travels and flies often, and struggles with finding time to sit down and eat, this could be a really good tool for them to keep in their back-pocket.

Who isn’t a good candidate for IF?

Unfortunately I see a lot of people using IF as just another diet, or a way to control their calorie intake and restrict food. Because your eating window is much shorter than usual, you’re likely going to be consuming less overall. This becomes an issue when you tax the body by under-eating, or reduce nutrients, vitamins and minerals simply because you’re eating less. It can be a way to control food, that isn’t so obviously disordered, which is many cases can therefor fuel disordered eating (a really common thing I see in my practice). When practicing IF we have to be flexible enough to stray from the “rules” if we’re hungry outside our feeding window. This gives us the room and space to have a healthy and balanced relationship with food, instead of being too closely regimented and structured that you go against your body’s needs and cravings.

If you are a chronic dieter, or struggling with disordered eating now is not the time to try IF. It’s not the only way to work on gut-health, digestion, or optimize your health overall. There are a lot of things you can add into your diet — like bone broth, collagen, probiotics and probiotic-rich foods, colorful fruits and vegetables, and healthy fats that can soothe the gut and promote strong digestion. And let’s not forget about sleep, stress-management, self-care, relationships and connection, restorative movement, and mindset as hugely impactful ways to improve your overall health, that also have nothing to do with rules or restriction.

At the end of the day you have to do what’s right for YOU. But I want you to actually take some time to consider that, and consider the pros and cons. I don’t know about you but I love breakfast. I love the ritual of the mornings — including some nourishment and warm drink. I love looking forward to that meal, and that is OK, more than OK — great. Food can be celebratory.

I promise working towards a healthier relationship with food (which takes time and isn’t as simple as a diet) will serve you best and best for the long run.