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Intermittent Fasting for Health, Energy & Weight Loss

If you would like long-term weight loss, better brain function, reduced inflammation, improved stamina & strength, gut health, to address autoimmunity and prevent cancer, diabetes and heart disease, then Intermittent Fasting (IF) may be for you. Growing research supports the age old remedy of cyclical feeding & fasting (not eating) for periods of time (Manoogian & Panda, 2017).

Intermittent Fasting for Health Fitness

Intermittent Fasting for Optimal Health

In fact, the term “breakfast” means to break the fasting period, which is typically done overnight. You are already doing this but you just need to reduce the amount of time you spend feeding versus fasting. It is crucial to realize that fasting is imperative for optimal health, and can be done without detrimental health consequences. Ultimately, fasting allows your body to burn fat. Body fat is basically energy reserves, meaning when you fast your body gets energy from burning your body fat.

Fasting is Safe & Healthy

Intermittent Fasting: Feeding vs. Fasting

Just as you have a sleep & awake cycle to physically rest your body, you need an appropriate length of rest for your digestive system and its hormones. Your body has only two states. A fed state and a fasting state. For absolute health benefits you want your fasting state to be longer than your fed state.

Less Feeding, More Fasting

Intermittent Fasting: Excess Feeding Causes Fat Gain

In our fed state, the food we eat can either be used for energy or stored as fat. The insulin hormone is what allows us to store our food energy (glucose). Insulin signals the liver to store sugar as glycogen. Because there is limited space in the liver, excess sugar is converted to fat by the liver. Most of the fat is stored in other parts of the body, but excess fat in the liver can cause Fatty Liver.

Feeding State —> Blood Sugar High Increases INSULIN Hormone —> LIVER stores Sugar Glycogen + LIVER makes FAT from Excess Sugar

Fasting State —> Blood Sugar Low Decreases INSULIN —> LIVER releases Sugar lasts 24-36h –>  BODY FAT burned for Energy Ketones

Intermittent Fasting Prevents Fatty Liver

Intermittent Fasting: Initial Fasting Burns Carbs

In our fasting state, not eating causes the reverse process. Insulin hormone levels drop, the blood sugar is low, which signals the body to use glycogen reserves in the liver for energy. But this only lasts 24 – 36 hours so thereafter the body fat is burned for energy.

Sugar Stored in Liver is Short Lived

Intermittent Fasting: Burning Fat for Fuel

The purpose of Intermittent Fasting is to provide enough time for the body’s glycogen reserves to deplete so that body fat can be burned. The window can be anywhere from 12-16 hours of fasting. Eating consistently from waking to bedtime defeats this purpose, as you are continually storing fat, exhausting your digestion, immunity and reparative mechanisms.

Intermittent Fasting Window 12-16 hours

Scientific Benefits of Intermittent Fasting

Intermittent Fasting causes many cellular, genetic & molecular changes. Fasting creates a stress on the body similar to exercise that provokes the body to improve in function for survival. There has been a lot of research discussing the benefits of Intermittent Fasting, which include:

Intermittent Fasting & Anti-Aging

Intermittent Fasting promotes cell repair & regeneration, autophagy (recycling), reduces cell damage & inflammation, optimizes metabolism while improving cell protection. Through all these mechanisms, Intermittent Fasting prevents cellular aging while reducing age-related diseases (Longo & Mattson, 2014). Intermittent Fasting has shown to improve aging through reducing oxidative stress, improving metabolism (Wegman et al., 2015), and gene expression to advocate longevity & prevention of disease (Zhu, Yan, Gius, & Vassilopoulos, 2013).

Intermittent Fasting & Autoimmune

Intermittent Fasting has powerful researched effects on those with Autoimmune Diseases including Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA), Lupus, Scleroderma, Polymyositis, Mixed Connective Tissue Disease (MCTD) and Multiple Sclerosis (MS). 

Fasting induces many mechanisms that reduce the immune attack on your body. Just taking a break from eating gives your body a rest from digestion & combating inflammatory, allergenic foods. These mechanisms that fasting uses to combat autoimmunity include autophagy, reducing inflammation and repairing your leaky gut.

All disease stems from inflammation; the degree of inflammation dictates how severe your autoimmunity is. Intermittent Fasting decreases pro-inflammatory cytokines (cells that make the disease worse) (Choi et al., 2016) and overall inflammation, while improving resistance to stressors that aggravate autoimmunity.

Leptin, a hormone made by fat cells to reduce hunger, is also a pro-inflammatory cytokine. This and other proteins from your fat cells influence inflammation, thereby promoting the onset and progression of autoimmunity. Intermittent fasting has shown to dramatically reduce Leptin in autoimmune patients, including Diabetes Type 1, Hepatitis, Lupus, Multiple Sclerosis, Psoriasis, and Ulcerative Colitis (Hutcheson, 2015).

It makes sense that obesity is associated with many autoimmune diseases. The excess fat secretes excess pro-inflammatory proteins that start & prolong autoimmunity. Intermittent Fasting stimulates fat burning to reduce excess fat and resulting inflammation.

Ketosis also increases glutathione levels in your cell’s powerhouse, the mitochondria. Glutathione is your most powerful antioxidant and protects your DNA from damage (Jarrett, Milder, Liang, & Patel 2008). Patients with autoimmunity tend to have very low levels of glutathione. This is because chronic inflammation causes weakened antioxidant defences, leading to oxidative stress. Glutathione is the main component of your antioxidant defence system, and its lowered levels cause chronic degenerative diseases, such as inflammatory or autoimmune related (Perricone C, Carolis, & Perricone R, 2009).

Intermittent Fasting & Autophagy

The fasting state triggers a natural process called autophagy, which is your body’s cleanup crew. Autophagy is when cells recycle their damaged parts and remodel them into new, healthy cells. This adaptive response to stress promotes survival and delays aging. Autophagy helps prevent cancer & chronic disease (Alirezaei et al., 2010).

Intermittent Fasting & Asthma

Intermittent Fasting improves lung health by reducing oxidative stress & inflammation in the lungs. Patients noticed their asthma-related symptoms & quality of life markedly improved (Johnson et al., 2007).

Intermittent Fasting & Blood Pressure

Blood pressure is lower in those who practice Intermittent Fasting (Dewanti, Watanable, Sulistiawati, & Ohtsuka, 2006). A new study published in the Journal of the American Society of Hypertension found that Intermittent Fasting causes a significant reduction in blood pressure at the office & in motion (ambulatory), with a greater variability in blood pressure. This variability was higher in those who ate before sunrise, and lower in those with a high body mass index (BMI). The study also found that twenty-four hour urinary sodium excretion decreased, which reflects lower blood pressure and less damage to the kidney’s arteries (Erdem et al., 2018)(Huang et al., 2016).

Intermittent Fasting for Blood Sugar

Whether you’re diabetic or overweight, Intermittent Fasting does a wonderful job of improving fasting blood sugar, insulin resistance, and metabolism, resulting in body fat loss (Aly, 2014). In fact, fasting has shown to help weight loss and prevention of Diabetes Type 2 for ten years (Knowler et al., 2009).

Intermittent Fasting for Brain Function

Rat studies show that Intermittent Fasting is quite effective for improving brain function through:

• Improving Insulin Sensitivity (Anson et al., 2003)
• Increased Resistance to Brain Neuronal Damage (Anson et al., 2003)
• Reducing Age-Related Dementia including Alzheimer’s (Halagappa et al., 2007)
• Protecting the Heart & Circulation: reducing blood pressure, increased insulin sensitivity, improved adaptation to heart stress, reduced oxidative damage, increased cellular stress resistance (Mattson & Wan, 2005) similar to physical exercise due to the same mechanisms

Intermittent Fasting for Cancer

Chronic inflammation has been linked to various cancers (Coussens & Werb, 2002). Obesity & Diabetes have both been linked to Breast Cancer. Intermittent fasting lowers overall inflammation, improves insulin resistance and promotes weight loss. Intermittent Fasting, eating more frequently, and reducing evening calories has been studied to show lower systemic inflammation which reduces Breast Cancer risk (Marinac et al., 2015).

New research shows that Intermittent Fasting protects normal cells from cancerous metabolic conditions, decreasing cancer formation. Fasting slows tumor growth and improves the efficacy of chemotherapy drugs for certain cancers. This is due to the Sirtuins, a family of proteins associated with longevity, metabolism and the stress response. Fasting activates the Sirtuins to improve insulin effectiveness, antioxidant defence & glycogen (sugar stored in the liver) breakdown into energy. The anticancer effect of Sirtuins act by shifting the metabolism to less active & less prone to oxidative stress (Zhu, Yan, Gius, & Vassilopoulos, 2013).

Intermittent Fasting for Cholesterol

Intermittent fasting improves cholesterol by weight loss, lowering bad cholesterol (LDL), fasting blood sugar (FBS) & blood fat (triglycerides TG), while increasing good cholesterol (HDL) (Rothschild, Hoddy, Jambasian, & Varady, 2014). Research has shown that the beneficial effects of intermittent fasting come from two mechanisms – less damage from oxidation (cellular process) and improved cellular stress resistance. Intermittent Fasting has the same effects as physical exercise as they share the same mechanisms (Mattson & Wan, 2005), improving cardiovascular risk (Brown, Mosley, & Aldred, 2013).

Intermittent Fasting for Cravings

A common battle when dieting is cravings. Intermittent Fasting causes hormonal changes that combat cravings by decreasing ghrelin, the hunger hormone, improving leptin sensitivity so that you feel more full & satisfied, while increasing your brain’s dopamine levels (Bastani, Rajabi, & Kianimarkani, 2017). Additionally, Intermittent Fasting stabilizes blood sugar and stimulates ketosis, which reduces appetite and carbohydrate cravings, as your body adapts to burning fat for fuel.

Intermittent Fasting for Diabetes Prevention & Treatment

Whether you’re diabetic or overweight, Intermittent Fasting does a wonderful job of improving insulin resistance and metabolism, resulting in body fat loss (Aly, 2014). In fact, fasting has shown to help weight loss and prevention of Diabetes Type 2 for ten years (Knowler et al., 2009). Intermittent Fasting showed greater improvements in insulin sensitivity & weight control than calorie restriction (Harvie et al., 2013).

Intermittent Fasting for Epilepsy

Intermittent Fasting triggers a fat burning state called Ketosis. Ketogenic diets are ways of eating to maintain the fat burning state, ketosis, and have been used historically for patients with epilepsy with proven benefit (Levy, Cooper, Giri, & Weston, 2012).

Intermittent Fasting for Fat Burning (Ketosis)

In our fasting state, not eating causes insulin hormone levels to drop as the blood sugar is low, which signals the body to use glycogen (sugar) reserves in the liver for energy. But this only lasts 24 – 36 hours. Thereafter the body fat is burned for energy.

The purpose of Intermittent Fasting is to provide enough time for the body’s glycogen reserves to deplete so that body fat can be burned. The window can be anywhere from 12-16 hours of fasting. It is then that fat burning or ketogenesis begins. A KETO state is when your body burns fat for energy instead of carbs (sugar). Ketones are produced from this state hence the name “ketosis”.

Intermittent Fasting for Fibromyalgia

An Intermittent Fasting study showed that a significant reduction in the severity of fibromyalgia symptoms occurred in the fasting group (Michalsen et al., 2005). Newer clinical trials shows that intermittent fasting improves chronic pain syndromes, with increased alertness and mood enhancement.

This is supported by experimental research that found fasting increases your brain’s availability of serotonin, endogenous opioids and endocannabinoids. Fasting also activates the neurological hormones and a mild stress response in the cells that improves mood (Michalsen, 2010). There is a link between mood disorders and fibromyalgia (Hudson, Arnold, Keck, Auchenback, & Pope, 2004)

Intermittent Fasting for Gut Health (see Leaky Gut)

Intermittent Fasting extends lifespan through various mechanisms to improve gut health. Increased resistance to starvation, oxidative & external stress occurred after intermittent fasting. In fact, forty days after fasting, a reduction in age-related diseases and improved gut barrier function occurred, as well as reduced bad bacteria in the microbiome. The best part is that early Intermittent Fasting induces profound long term changes (Catterson et al., 2018).

Lowered inflammation from Intermittent Fasting improves gut conditions such as Irritable Bowel Syndrome, Ulcerative Colitis, & Crohn’s Disease.

Intermittent Fasting for Heart Disease

Intermittent fasting reduces heart disease risk by improving weight loss, lowering bad cholesterol (LDL), fasting blood sugar (FBS) & blood fat (triglycerides TG), while increasing good cholesterol (HDL) (Rothschild, Hoddy, Jambasian, & Varady, 2014). Research has shown that the beneficial effects of intermittent fasting come from two mechanisms – less damage from oxidation (cellular process) and improved cellular stress resistance. Intermittent Fasting has the same effects as physical exercise as they share the same mechanisms (Mattson & Wan, 2005)

Intermittent Fasting for Insulin Resistance

Whether you’re diabetic or overweight, Intermittent Fasting does a wonderful job of improving insulin resistance and metabolism, resulting in body fat loss (Aly, 2014). In fact, fasting has shown to help weight loss and prevention of Diabetes Type 2 for ten years (Knowler et al., 2009). Intermittent Fasting showed greater improvements in insulin sensitivity & weight control than calorie restriction (Harvie et al., 2013).

Intermittent Fasting for Immunity

Intermittent fasting normalizes immunity, stifling autoimmune responses. This may be due to fasting minimizes allergic inflammation & immune dysfunction from food allergies. Stress can trigger immune dysfunction. Intermittent Fasting regulates your body’s response to stress to minimize its negative effects.

Intermittent Fasting for Inflammation

All disease stems from inflammation; the degree of inflammation dictates how severe your disease is. Chronic Inflammation can lead to:

• Autoimmune Diseases (Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA),Psoriasis/Psoriatic Arthritis, Multiple Sclerosis, Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (Lupus), Inflammatory Bowel Disease, Addison’s Disease, Graves’ Disease, Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis)
• Bone, Muscular & Skeletal Diseases
• Cancer
• Diabetic Complications
• Heart Disease & Stroke
• Inflammatory Diseases (Asthma, Eczema, Colitis, Arthritis)
• Metabolic Disorders
• Neurological Disorders (Parkinson’s & Alzheimer’s)

Intermittent Fasting decreases pro-inflammatory cytokines (cells that make the disease worse) & overall inflammation, while improving resistance to stressors that aggravate diseases.

Intermittent Fasting for Ketosis (Fat Burning)

The purpose of Intermittent Fasting is to provide enough time for the body’s glycogen reserves to deplete so that body fat can be burned. The window can be anywhere from 12-16 hours of fasting. It is then that fat burning or ketogenesis begins. A KETO state is when your body burns fat for energy instead of carbs (sugar). Ketones are produced from this state hence the name “ketosis”.

Ketogenic diets have been used historically for patients with epilepsy with proven benefit (Levy, Cooper, Giri, & Weston, 2012). Ketosis also increases antioxidant (glutathione) levels in the cell’s powerhouse, mitochondria and protects it from damage (Jarrett, Milder, Liang, & Patel 2008), explaining its prevention of autoimmunity.

Intermittent Fasting for Leaky Gut

Intermittent Fasting extends lifespan through various mechanisms to improve gut health. Increased resistance to starvation, oxidative & external stress occurred after intermittent fasting. In fact, forty days after fasting, a reduction in age-related diseases and improved gut barrier function occurred, as well as reduced bad bacteria in the microbiome. The best part is that early Intermittent Fasting induces profound long term changes (Catterson et al., 2018).

Intermittent Fasting improves leaky gut (intestinal permeability) by improving resistance to stressors including food allergies, improving gut bacteria balance, and reducing inflammation at the gut level which causes leaky gut in the first place.

Proper immunity towards food relies on the intestinal permeability of the gut to regulate passage of nutrients and restrict larger molecules. This regulation relies on complex physical, chemical & immune mechanisms. In predisposed individuals, when food allergies develop they cause allergic reactions & inflammation damaging the gut lining, increasing intestinal permeability. This intestinal barrier dysfunction means more allergens enter through the leaky gut, triggering more inflammation, which perpetuates the vicious cycle including the development of more food allergies, per Perrier, 2011.

Autoimmune damage occurs from an impaired gut barrier, leaky gut, wherein the tight junctions are damaged or inflamed (Fasano, 2012). Intermittent Fasting induces many mechanisms that reduce the immune attack on your body. Just taking a break from eating gives your body a rest from digestion & combating inflammatory, allergenic foods. Mechanisms that fasting uses to combat autoimmunity include autophagy, reducing inflammation and repairing your leaky gut, by sealing the tight junctions.

Gut bacterial balance (microbiome) plays a critical role in regulating intestinal permeability per Kelly 2015. Negative microbiome changes can cause Leaky Gut Syndrome, and leads to overgrowth of bad bacteria, yeast & fungi which can enter the body through the leaky gut causing systemic yeast infection (Candidiasis).

Intermittent Fasting for Longevity & Disease Prevention

Rat studies show that Intermittent Fasting is quite effective for disease prevention and improving longevity through:

• Improving Insulin Sensitivity (Anson et al., 2003)
• Preventing Breast Cancer (Cleary et al., 2002)(Berrigan, Perkins, Haines, & Hursting, 2002)
• Protecting Against Prostate Cancer (Bonorden et al., 2009)
• Increased Resistance to Brain Neuronal Damage Alzheimer’s & Parkinson’s (Anson et al., 2003)
• Reducing Age-Related Dementia including Alzheimer’s (Halagappa et al., 2007)
• Protecting the Heart: reducing blood pressure, increased insulin sensitivity, improved adaptation to heart stress, reduced oxidative damage, increased cellular stress resistance (Mattson & Wan, 2005) similar to physical exercise due to the same mechanisms
• Improving Lifespan: fasting mice survived much longer than fed mice despite the fasting mice being a heavier body weight. Even autoimmune-prone mice had prolonged life-span with intermittent fasting (Sogawa & Kubo, 2000)

Intermittent Fasting for MCTD Mixed Connective Tissue Disease

MCTD Mixed Connective Tissue Disease is an autoimmune disease that combines Lupus, Scleroderma, Polymyositis. See Autoimmune.

Intermittent Fasting for Multiple Sclerosis (MS)

Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is an autoimmune disease where the coating of nerves are destroyed by the immune system, causing the nerves to degenerate, muscle function to slow down, ultimately leading to disability. Studies show that Intermittent Fasting regenerates and reduces autoimmunity, completely reversing symptoms in 20% of mice with Multiple Sclerosis. This is due to the fasting effects of reduced inflammation, preventing nerve damage; normalized immune cells, reducing autoimmune reactions; and reduced pro-inflammatory T cells, preventing autoimmunity (Choi et al., 2016).

Intermittent Fasting for Muscle Gain

Intermittent Fasting increases Human Growth Hormone (HGH) up to 5X which accounts for muscle gain. Less muscle mass was lost with intermittent calorie restriction compared to daily calorie restriction, making Intermittent Fasting more affective for changing body composition, with loss of body fat & visceral fat while maintaining lean muscle (Varady, 2011).

Intermittent Fasting for Obesity

Whether you’re diabetic or overweight, Intermittent Fasting does a wonderful job of improving insulin resistance and metabolism, resulting in body fat loss (Aly, 2014). In fact, fasting has shown to help weight loss and prevention of Diabetes Type 2 for ten years (Knowler et al., 2009). Intermittent Fasting showed greater improvements in insulin sensitivity & weight control than calorie restriction (Harvie et al., 2013).

Intermittent Fasting is a successful option for weight loss  and maintenance by eating less meals & less calories(Johnstone, 2015). Hormonal changes from fasting that promotes fat loss include lower insulin, higher growth hormone & adrenalin. Additionally, your leptin (full hormone) sensitivity increases, while ghrelin (hunger hormone) is stable which prevents overeating. In fact, intermittent fasting increases your metabolism by up to 15% meaning more calories are burned at rest (Zauner et al., 2000).

Intermittent Fasting for Stress

Research has shown that the beneficial effects of intermittent fasting come from two mechanisms – less damage from oxidation (cellular process) and improved cellular stress resistance. Intermittent Fasting has the same effects as physical exercise as they share the same mechanisms. During fasting, the body is under mild stress. The cells adapt to the stress by enhancing their ability to cope with stress and resist disease (Mattson & Wan, 2005).

Intermittent Fasting for Weight Loss

Whether you’re diabetic or overweight, Intermittent Fasting does a wonderful job of improving insulin resistance and metabolism, resulting in body fat loss (Aly, 2014). In fact, fasting has shown to help weight loss and prevention of Diabetes Type 2 for ten years (Knowler et al., 2009). Intermittent Fasting showed greater improvements in insulin sensitivity & weight control than calorie restriction (Harvie et al., 2013).

Intermittent Fasting is a successful option for weight loss  and maintenance by eating less meals & less calories(Johnstone, 2015). Hormonal changes from fasting that promotes fat loss include lower insulin, higher growth hormone & adrenalin (Mansell, Fellows, & Macdonald, 1990). Additionally, your leptin (full hormone) sensitivity increases, while ghrelin (hunger hormone) is stable which prevents overeating.

Leptin resistance is caused by chronic inflammation that affects the receptor sites. Intermittent fasting reduces inflammation, improving leptin sensitivity so the body burns fat for energy. In fact, intermittent fasting increases your metabolism by up to 15% meaning more calories are burned at rest (Zauner et al., 2000).

The effects of intermittent calorie restriction versus continuous calorie restriction on weight loss & metabolic disease risk was examined. Intermittent Fasting was found to improve many health biomarkers including (Harvie et al., 2011):

• Reduce Leptin (full hormone); Improve Leptin Sensitivity to feel more full & satisfied
• Reduce High Sensitivity C-Reactive Protein CRP (inflammation marker)
• Reduce Total & Bad Cholesterol (LDL)
• Reduce Blood Pressure
• Reduce Fasting Insulin & Insulin Resistance
• Increase Sex Hormone Binding Globulin (SHBG)
• Increase Insulin-like Growth Factor (IGF) Binding Proteins 1 & 2 (Low levels linked to Metabolic Syndrome & Diabetes)(Lewitt et al., 2010)

Cautions with Intermittent Fasting

Although Intermittent Fasting sounds wonderful, it may not be for everyone to manage alone. It is best to seek the advice of a licensed Naturopathic Physician in your area for help in overseeing your health endeavours. This is especially true if you suffer from:

• • Autoimmune Disease
  • Adrenal Fatigue
  • Anxiety
  • Digestive Issues
  • Food Allergies
  • Hormonal Imbalance
  • Leaky Gut
  • Peri-menopause
  • Sleep Issues
  • Stress
  • Thyroid Disease
  • Hypoglycemia

Related    Thyroid Disease: The Missing Piece of Your Health Puzzle

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