By Emma Slattery, Student NutritionistDietary fads regularly fall in and out of fashion. Juice cleanses, South Beach Diet, Atkins, and other similar diets all have their moment in the spotlight before nutritional science catches up, runs some studies, and proves the harmful aspects of a dietary pattern. The newest fad, one I hear about from several of my friends, is intermittent fasting. What it is: Short answer: a specific {restrictive} eating pattern. Long answer: There are several kinds of intermittent fasting. The easiest type and the type I encounter most commonly is eating for an 8-10 hour window of the day and fasting for the rest of the day. So eating between the hours of 9-5 and eating nothing else during the rest of the day. It's also referred to as 16:8 eating since you fast for 16 hours and eat for 8 hours every day. Another popular pattern is consuming ~500 calories one day and then eating unlimited calories on the following day. Then you repeat a restrictive "fasting day", continually cycling your days between fasting and eating. There are many more variations of restrictive windows as well that all fit under the umbrella term of intermittent fasting. The appeal: Intermittent fasting is ultimately supposed to have the same effect as a calorie restrictive diet since you're total calories per day decreases. Typical restrictive diets have many small meals and intermittent fasting has a few larger meals- that is the main difference. Some of the studies conducted and testimonials from individuals intermittently fasting boast health effects such as increased insulin sensitivity, an increased ability to burn fat stores, and weight loss and link it due to metabolic changes that occur when in a fasting state. Why I don't fast (even intermittently): It really comes down to one word: HUNGER. Hunger is why I cannot fast for extended periods of time. When we go long periods of time without food we get hungry, logical right? The twist is that when you're hungry, it is your body's response to crave foods that are high in fat, high in sugar, and large in portion. It's not a lack of willpower that makes you crave a cake, it's biology. Fat is the most efficient source of energy energy, sugar is the quickest source of energy, and when you're low on energy your body will naturally gravitate towards those kinds of foods - and a lot of them. Even as a nutritionist, when I skip breakfast all I want for lunch is a burrito and french fries. And even if I were to work hard on choosing great food choices despite my hunger, it would not be sustainable. Fasting wouldn't be a long-term diet because there would be a day when stress mixed with exhaustion mixed with hunger would override any will power I have to choose a salad. The idea of intermittent fasting is great when it can be executed properly. Appropriate intermittent fasting is making healthy food choices of moderate portion during periods of eating. Intermittent Fasting is not starving for a day or even a morning, and then binging on foods high in fat and high in sugar. It is not uncontrollable eating that alternates with restriction. It is not for everyone.
Additionally, fasting interferes with the hormonal regulation of the body, particularly in women. Lucky for us females, so much about our body function is regulated by hormones. Fasting for extended periods of time manages to create a cascade of hormone changes in the body that can impact stress levels and reproductive cycles. For a complete explanation, watch this video by my favorite blogger, Robyn, who explains hormonal regulation much better than I could ever dream to. Now while I am probably the largest advocate for eating small meals throughout the day, some people work differently. Some people like having the few large meals or cycling their days between light and heavy eating- and are able to manage portion sizes and food choices within their meals. If that works best for you then by all means go on ahead! And if it doesn't work for you (it doesn't work for me) take a different dietary approach. Everyone is different and there is no one diet that will work best for every person. If you have a particular eating pattern that works best for you, please share it in the comments! Also comment with any other diets or dietary habits you might like to hear more about from your team of student nutritionists.
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