Intermittent fasting has been a big trend lately and I’m usually pretty wary of trends. But this is something I do myself and I have found it’s worked very well for me. I had no weight I needed to lose, but I was struggling with food cravings and anxiety. Both have diminished hugely for myself since starting this journey, and bowel problems I had have cleared up as well.
But let me make one thing perfectly clear before we start this article. At Little Owl Healing Arts we work with the principle of ahimsa- FIRST DO NO HARM- and that applies to YOU before it applies to anyone else. Intermittent Fasting is not for you if you aim for great severity and austerity, or if you desire to punish yourself and your body. I will not advocate for extreme fasting, especially for beginners. I’m not going to tell you to go vegan and fast from the word go. Listen to you and your body! I still eat meat every day and do not plan to stop anytime soon (as a gym junkie and massage therapist, animal protein is a must!)
Take the story of Gautama Buddha. He was a prince who became a wandering monk, who did all kinds of extreme things to his body and mind. However, over time he began to see that there’s a middle way. A sweet spot. A path that avoids extremes. Which, really, is the best for us according to all healing arts! It’s human nature to push things, but let’s not.
Also please speak to your doctor before trying any of these if you have any history of diabetes, heart condition or eating disorder.
With that being said, let’s get started!
What is intermittent fasting?
Intermittent fasting is pretty much what it says- regularly spaced fasting and feeding periods. This is based around the principle that our bodies are not designed to eat around the clock like we tend to in modern society. Pre-modern humans would only have a meal a day and get a big feed in then. After that, our bodies would be devoted to actually processing that food. The idea is that such a technique is easier on the digestive organs. It is more what they are actually designed for.
There are different kinds of intermittent fasting. I’ll take you through the ones I know about. I recommend you try them according to what best fits your lifestyle.
Intermittent Fasting Type 1: Leangains 16:8
I chose this one to cover first because this is the plan I follow. And damn, I look and feel great!
This is the best plan if you are active, or looking to really build your body, or need to take medication with food every day. What you do in this case is eat for 8 hours, fast for 16. So I will hit the gym at 6AM, breaking my fast on amino acids (BCAAs), preworkout powder, and a whey isolate protein shake. The biggest meal comes immediately after training- at which you really load up on the protein. I’ll go for eggs, mince, sauerkraut, potatoes- all those good things. Then you’re good to eat what you want for the next eight hours. Those sixteen are completely fasted though, no you can’t have milk in your coffee if you are addicted to coffee- learn to live without it! I personally believe we are all better off without caffeine, and indeed as you acclimatize to a fasting regimen you will probably lose the need to boost yourself up with artificial stimulants.
It’s good to snack on things if you are going to need to fast for sixteen hours. I always have a bag of almonds handy, or a jar of peanut butter. I will say that I do avoid gluten, dairy and sugar as well- simply because the latter makes me moody after I crash, and the former two give me a bellyache. Remember that sugar spikes your blood sugar, even if it is simply in the form of fruit- so yes an apple is healthy but it may give you a bit of a comedown. Support that ish with some slower burning fuel!
Here’s a link to the leangains website if you are interested 🙂
Intermittent Fasting Type 2: Eat Stop Eat.
I used to do this one. It didn’t work for me. I would say this is more suitable if you are someone who tends to be less active, or if you don’t have any physical work to be getting into in the weekends. I really do not support this one if you are going to end up fasting before and after gym.
This quite simply involves a 24 hour fast twice a week- and again, fast in this sense means water fast (or zero calorie tea/coffee etc). However when it comes to fasting periods you are actually better off making that a complete water fast, your liver and kidneys need that break too! This will not be for you if you are someone who does not hydrate themselves correctly.
With Eat Stop Eat, there’s less importance placed on needing to eat quite a lot during the feeding periods. With the type previously mentioned there is more need to pack that nutrition in, especially if you are training.
Follow this link to read more about Eat Stop Eat from the man who popularised it.
Intermittent Fasting Type 3: 5.2 Method.
I would say this is a good method for those looking to actually lose weight. On the surface of it it looks easier, but in actual fact I can see this kicking the body into ketosis with more frequency than the other methods. Let’s break it down:
With this diet you follow a standard healthy diet (however that looks for you, unless your standard healthy diet is screechingly bad) for five days a week. The other two, you restrict your caloric intake to 500 cal (for a woman, it’s more for a bloke). That’s not much- something like four slices of bread in one day. Now we all know when the body goes into actual starvation mode, the hunger fades pretty quickly and weight loss will plateau, but while the system is still getting a little something, it will continue to burn that fuel- as the body expends energy through digestion.
I don’t like this method for anyone who has history of control issues around food, as there is a lot of focus around calorie counting and BMI calculation. But you’ll know if this is you or not. Here’s the website, for further info!
Important points to remember!
There’s no one size fits all. Also, healthy living isn’t just about food. Move your body and your mind! Do a crossword, spend time with some decent friends, go for a walk and push some weights in the gym (if you physically can).
Remember that your body is beautiful and awesome even when it doesn’t live up to expectations at times. Love it. Love you.
Extend your arm of kindness to yourself and then to others. Life is short. Hazelnuts are tasty. Live long and prosper!
With Much Love,
-The Little Owl.
Green Lady Astrology 