What is the “right” amount of fasting?
This isn’t the first time I’ve heard this question. There are different flavors of fasting out there (like 16:8, ADF, OMAD) and many want to know the “right” amount for them – to achieve their health goals (like burning fat, building strength, detoxing and boosting energy).
You’ll learn more about the “right” amount of fasting soon enough. But first…
Here’s what’s in this update:
[+] The “Right” Amount of Fasting
[+] Thanksgiving and Grubs
[+] Breathing for Weight Loss, Lose Weight during Thanksgiving and more…
[+] The SIMPLEST way to lose weight
[+] Reduce stress, increase immunity and feel amazing
[+] How to achieve your goals – faster
Back to the “right” amount of fasting…
Unless you’re living under a rock, you’ve heard about intermittent fasting and its many reported benefits – like losing weight, burning fat, gaining strength, detoxing the body and boosting energy.
Before you go to bed at night you are fasting until you break your fast with: BreakFast! This fasting period is generally more than 8 hours in duration and, because we see so many benefits from lengthening the fast, people want to know:
What’s the optimal amount of time for a fast?
We’ll attempt to answer that question soon enough. But first you should know:
What is fasting?
Common fasting terms include:
- Intermittent Fasting,
- 16:8,
- Alternate Day Fasting (ADF),
- 5:2, and
- One Meal A Day (OMAD).
What is Intermittent Fasting?
When people say, “intermittent fasting” (or “IF”), what they generally mean is “daily time restricted eating” (TRE).
(Perhaps kinda like when people say they want to “lose weight” what they really mean is “burn fat”. The problem here is that people actually measure their weight for success and, as their body composition improves with more muscle, the weight isn’t dropping and they think they’re not burning fat. But I digress.)
Technically IF and TRE are not the same thing but, because IF is the popular term, we’ll just go with it and generally assume that people mean that they are restricting their food consumption daily (ie, TRE).
16:8 Fasting
Although technically TRE, 16:8 is considered one of the most popular flavors of IF.
This simply means that you fast for 16 hours, eat within a “window” of 8 hours, and repeat.
Are you fasting for convenience?
People often fall into 16:8 fasting simply because it is convenient. All you have to do is skip breakfast. Easy peasy. But…
Are you reaping the rewards? Are you really burning fat, building strength, detoxing and boosting energy?
16:8 doesn’t “work”!
I have bad news for you. That is, if you believe in this recent study showing that 16:8 fasters did no better than people on “3 squares a day” (plus snacking!).
That is, there was no (statistically) significant difference in weight, blood pressure, lipids, glucose, and insulin between the study groups.
What about 18:6 and 20:4?
What’s interesting to note about the 16:8 study was that the group eating 3 meals a day also lost weight and improved their health. This tells me that, by the simple fact that they were part of a study, they improved their diets.
What does this mean for you?
It means that 16:8 will help you lose weight… But you could also be part of a fasting study and you’ll get the same benefits!
Does this mean that fasting doesn’t “work”?
No. It simply means that any dietary change will help – at least at first.
Find your fasting “sweet spot”.
You can try it out and experiment for yourself. If you never go more than 8 hours without food, then maybe 13 hours of fasting would be a good place to start.
Why 13? There’s an interesting study showing significant health benefits. And there are many other studies on fasting showing that it “works”.
Thanksgiving, Elephants and Grubs
We celebrated Thanksgiving last week with a semi-traditional gathering of friends from England, USA, Thai and Germany… Along with a meal that included pumpkin pie, mashed potatoes, gravy, sweet potato casserole, massaman curry, Thai beef salad and, instead of a big turkey, we had many smaller birds: partridge!
In line with my mission to re-unite people with nature and health, I am now the proud caretaker of black soldier fly grubs! I acquired some grubs in a plastic bin so I did some research and built a proper home for them where they can flourish, grow, and, just before their last stage as grubs they climb a ramp and exit the bin into a container.
All of this so that we can feed our chickens tasty grubs…that is when we get chickens again! And I can use the leachate liquid that comes out as a fertilizer.
Oh, and an elephant! I’ve been in Thailand over 2 years and this is my first encounter with an elephant. With a cafe next to the river where they bathe the elephants during the day, it’s quite the tourist trap!
Elephant CafeBreathing for Weight Loss, Lose Weight during Thanksgiving and more…
Are you missing something?
Yes! You are missing something; that is if you haven’t read the last newsletter, click to learn more about Breathing for Weight Loss, Lose Weight during Thanksgiving – and much more!
What is the SIMPLEST way to lose weight?
Although keto is the latest diet trend, after years of personal experience, research, and working with many clients, I truly believe that fasting is the BEST approach to LOSE WEIGHT – in a healthy, simple and effective way – and beyond. Burn fat, build strength, detox and boost energy…
Get your free guide:
The 7 must-know Fasting Tips for Simple, Healthy and Effective Weight Loss
How do you reduce stress, increase immunity and feel amazing?
Do you experience anger, anxiety, pain, depression, grief, or stress?
How can you increase immunity, improve relationships, process emotions, and better understand yourself, all while boosting creativity, confidence and happiness?
Breathwork. That’s right. You can use the simple power of your breath to improve your health and wellbeing when you join one of our live events.
How can you achieve your goals – FASTER?
What if I told you there’s a way to not only clarify your challenges and life goals; but that you can achieve those goals MUCH faster?
As a former Biohacker Tech at Bulletproof Upgrade Labs and a certified Bulletproof Human Potential Coach, I help people like you clarify and achieve their goals – and fast.
If you’re interested in finding out more about how I can help you clarify and achieve your goals faster, send me a message so that we can set up a call to find out if you might be a good fit.
What about you?
What are your thoughts and experiences with the “right” fasting, Thanksgiving, elephants and grubs?
Leave a comment and let me know.