The Intermittent Fasting Pill
If you cannot view this post, please check it out in this doc!
What if I told you there was a pill that you could take that would:
-help you lose weight
-prevent inflammation
-reduce the risks of Alzheimer's, Cancer, and Type 2 Diabetes
-increase brain cell growth and cognitive functioning while also helping to decrease depression and anxiety?
I would pay good money for that pill! What if that pill was free?
Sign me up!
15 years ago I came across the practice of intermittent fasting (IF). It does all of the above, but is not actually a pill. It consists of fasting for a certain amount of time on a daily or weekly basis. Most people try to start at around 12 hours a day; for example not eating from 8pm to 8am, and then bump that to 13, 14, 15, and finally 16 hours a day (eating from noon until 8pm and fasting the rest of the time). And, of course, the idea of fasting for different periods - even days - has been around for thousands of years and is a part of many religions.
Our bodies are either in a fed or fasted state. When we are in a fasted state, the energy that we normally use to metabolize food can instead be used to eat all the bad stuff that accumulates in our bodies. The stuff that causes inflammation, makes us tired, gain weight, and, in general, slows us down. When I fast, I think of a little pac-man eating up the bad stuff in my system (autophagy).
Intermittent fasting is not a high pressure diet. You do not have to count calories or constantly monitor yourself. You can eat all kinds of food. You can also drink water, tea, or coffee while fasting. You just do your best and then when you feel comfortable extend the time that you fast a little longer. If you fail it is no big deal. You just get back on track again.
Also, it takes a little while to get used to this. It is perfectly okay to be cranky or hungry/angry “hangry” for the first several weeks. Again, just be gracious with yourself and give yourself time. If you can only make it 8 hours, then celebrate that 8 hours. Before you know it, you’ll be at 9 and then 10 etc. Remember to be a good coach to yourself :). Here is a very good video that provides more practical details and steps.
I’m now convinced that intermittent fasting is one of the best and most powerful physical and mental health interventions that we can utilize. It takes breaking some bad habits of eating all the time, or overeating, but once you get past that it becomes easier and easier over time. And, as mentioned above, it is free and even saves you money on your weekly grocery bill because you end up eating about 30% less.
What I’d like to launch with this post is an invitation to try intermittent fasting with me. We can post daily what went well with it (a high), what didn’t go well (a low), and something we are thankful for (can be about fasting/food etc. or something else entirely). There will also be a huddle for intermittent fasting as well, so if you are interested, then please sign up here. IF is not appropriate for kids or teens, people struggling with an eating disorder, people that have Type 1 Diabetes or are pregnant.
Let me know if you have questions or thoughts below and I’ll do my best to answer them or try to point you in the right direction. And if you’d like to join me in posting here, then you are very welcome! I’m excited to get this off the ground to see what we can learn!
@GlenM
Ooh this is quite encouraging to hear, and there is a huddle too. Even better to have a group to cheer for you and support you through! 😃
I've been considering for a while hehe, will do a little more research on it before getting ahead with it! Thanks for the insight and video, checking it out now! 🌻
@Sunisshiningandsoareyou awesome! please let us know what you find out from your research. the more info the better :)
@GlenM
Certainly! :)
I know some people who do great with IF.
The list of contraindications listed in the OP is not exhaustive though. I would encourage anyone with any physical health condition or eating disorder or anyone taking medication to check in with a health professional first if they haven't already discussed needs regarding eating times.
@AffyAvo good catch on people with eating disorders. Added!
@GlenM Thanks 😊
@GlenM
I am incredibly interested. Should we join on our member accounts, or are we able to participate on our main/Listener accounts? I signed up but I did want to ask just in case - especially if anyone else might be wondering, too.
@zaatarHoney I think listeners will be able to join this one, but let me check with @soulfullyabutterfly on this.
@zaatarHoney yes, listeners can join. You can participate in the IF/Wellness ones by sharing personal goals and as for other Huddles, you can also join with a support focus while also benefiting from the prompts and other activities.
@GlenM
I wish there was a way to not get notified of posts like these that are extremely triggering for those with eating disorders. And not have them featured on my dash to look at every time I go to the home page and can't close it.
Agree with you @Starlight73. Had to cope a bit after seeing this.
I'm sorry it affected you too @tifaxemmisuem :( sending support
@Starlight73 very good point - I'll connect with the product and engineering team on this and update you. Thank you for bringing up this solution.
Thank you for listening @GlenM
@GlenM
Hi, Glen,
During the fasting hours, are you only allowed to drink, water, tea, or coffee? During the non-fasting hours, am I allowed to drink alcohol?
Thanks.
@purpleTree4652 yes to all of the above - you can drink water, coffee, tea during fasting and you can also drink alcohol when not fasting.
@GlenM
Ok, then I'll give it a try.
@GlenM
I see you added in there it's not safe for people with a variety of issues, including but not limited to, pregnancy, ED, type 1 diabetes etc.
I'm glad you added that because my first concern was health issues that could be caused or worsened by IF and the possibility of it enabling eating disorders. The little warning is still a bit hidden though and I feel it should be more easily visible and eye catching.
I also want to touch deeper into the ED concern. I think it is great to want to open a space for people to consistently support each other in this journey if they choose to participate. But how can we be sure a warning is good enough? People with an eating disorder are not going to avoid something because of a warning. If they were to do that, eating disorders wouldn't exist.
This seems like a potentially dangerous thing to deep dive into considering the high number of people who have some sort of eating disorder, since we cannot actually see what is going on for the people involved. I just find a lot of concerns come to my mind when this is being discussed. The first thought I had was how IF has personally enabled me in terms of my struggles with food and eating.
I hope safety precautions have been put into place when creating the idea of a huddle for intermittent fasting. If so I'd be curious as to what those are and if not I can think of a few but they definitely are not fool proof. I just worry and want to be sure this is going to be a safe activity for 7cups.
@AcatalepticShadow thanks for sharing these concerns. What happens with most groups is people go through a screening (and that happens with huddles too) where they cannot participate if it is inappropriate. e.g., in the case of huddles, all of the types of users indicated above would not be allowed to participate.
@GlenM
I'm glad there is sort of a screening process but how do we know that someone isn't being less than truthful? How are we sure the people participating are surely safe from having something negative reinforced or enabled? I can say for sure that I haven't always been truthful about their struggles?
I can say for sure I haven't always been truthful about struggles I've had in life to avoid missing out on something I wanted to participate in. May I ask what this screening process looks like? And what will be implemented if in the future it has found out that this huddle is causing more harm than good for a participant?
I hope I don't sound argumentative, this just makes me quite concerned.
@GlenM I have been trying it for a week now. I could see some changes. But how long does it normally take to see changes visibly. I mean in weighing machine. Also during the eat time, can we eat anything that includes even junk/fast foods ?
@SpreadPeace20 Did a quick google search. Is this helpful? https://familydoctor.org/intermittent-fasting/#:~:text=Additionally%2C%20it%20will%20take%20your,see%20or%20feel%20any%20results.
@GlenM I have been doing this since 2015. It is effective. I never thought it had so many other benefits other than weight-loss, though. No wonder my mood also improved. I wanna join the Huddle! If Listeners are not supposed to join, kick me out and I will join with my Member account! 😄
@amiableVision1813 I think listeners will be able to join this one, but let me triple check with @soulfullyabutterfly on this.
@GlenM
While intermittent fasting is a popular dietary practice for some individuals, it is important to debunk some of the inaccurate information presented in this post. Firstly, it is crucial to emphasize that there is no magical pill or quick fix solution for weight loss, inflammation prevention, or reducing the risks of serious health conditions such as Alzheimer's, Cancer, and Type 2 Diabetes. The claims made in this post oversimplify the complex nature of these health issues.
Furthermore, promoting a diet regimen on a mental health support site, where individuals are particularly vulnerable and often struggling with their health issues, is both dangerous and inappropriate. Engaging in such practices without consulting a healthcare professional is risky, as individual needs and circumstances vary greatly. It is essential to seek guidance from a qualified healthcare provider before embarking on any dietary changes or fasting routines.
Additionally, it is worth noting that the benefits attributed to intermittent fasting are still a subject of ongoing research, and the evidence supporting its long-term effectiveness and safety is limited. While some studies suggest potential health benefits, it is crucial to approach any lifestyle change, including dietary modifications, with caution and a comprehensive understanding of one's unique health profile.
Instead of endorsing unproven methods, it is advisable to focus on a balanced and varied diet, regular physical activity, and consulting with healthcare professionals who can provide personalized guidance. It is vital to prioritize one's overall well-being and mental health, rather than pursuing quick fixes or unsupported claims.
@Mya000
You are absolutely right.
@Mya000 thanks for bringing up these points. I think the research support behind Intermittent fasting is robust. I wouldn't have brought it up in such a positive way if I didn't think there was a significant amount of research supporting it. I'm not sharing this response to be disagreeable (😊 to show my feeling ), but to instead highlight that I think healthy dialog is good and encouraged!
I had linked the John Hopkins post above because it was a helpful summary. Here is the New England Journal of Medicine (arguably top journal in the medical space) summary of his work. Here is a google scholar search on meta-analysis (studies of studies) review of IF. And here is a more accessible article titled, "10 Evidence-Based Health Benefits of Intermittent Fasting" that provides links as footnotes to each of the 10 benefits they highlight. I hope this helps!
@GlenM
Thought I'd write a bit here about risks of IF for anyone who may consider trying it out. I see others have written about it too, so I guess I'll add on some more info.
(Tw eating disorders)
Like most diets, IF can be really harmful for both mental and physical health, especially for those with eating disorders. I'll circle back to this later.
GlenM mentioned in this post that you might feel hangry, and encouraged to normalise this feeling for a few weeks (after which you'll get used to the consistently hangry mood).
Hunger is the body's way of asking you for food, an essential need. Anger is a response to unmet needs, in this case food.
Prolonging this physiological state can adversely affect long term mental and physical health. This is because our bodies literally need food as fuel to survive, and denying this need (specifically, glucose supply) will slow down metabolism. This is because the body will go into "physiological stress". I'll explain that with an example-
If you have less money, you'll be inclined to use less money even if what you want to buy is a necessity. If possible, you'll try not to buy it. Similarly the body will try to reduce metabolism, which can have health impacts. Slowed metabolism can result in symptoms like fatigue, tiredness, depressed mood, frustration/irritability because you just don't have energy (that you were gonna get from food).
Talking a bit more about metabolism - we have two types of metabolism that take place simultaneously. One is called catabolism (breakdown) and the other is anabolism (making larger molecules from smaller ones).
Anabolism is badly affected in diets that reduce food because the body is in "physiological stress" (as I explained earlier), which means the body has limited resources. To ensure survival, the body will try to cut down on necessary processes of growth and repair.
A lack of energy will also result in something @GlenM referred to in their initial post, called "autophagy". This actually translates to "self eating", and refers to body digesting/breaking down itself to somehow get energy. Our body is literally made up of proteins and carbs and fats, which is why we need to eat them. If the body doesn't get energy, this is a last resort. It "might" be something you intend while weight loss, but in the long term it can be severely detrimental. This is commonly seen in anorexia and other restrictive eating disorders.
Things don't stop here.
Once you get back to eating, you'd be really hungry (obviously), which can lead to eating in ways that feel unpredictable, messy and uncomfortable. You might end up bingeing, and even if not, with time you'll feel like you binged because you're not used to the feeling of satiety.
All this is described as called "Loss of Control over Eating".
This can lead to negative emotions after eating, as well as promises to yourself about restricting more in future (which creates a cycle). This can lead to further reduction in the amount of food eaten.
This loss of control over eating is a characteristic experience in eating disorders. Not only can it worsen pre-existing eating disorders, but also cause you to have a new ED in the first place.
Hence, I conclude by saying IF can be really harmful, not just if you have an eating disorder but also if you're healthy, and you can end up developing an eating disorder in the first place. And EDs might be a "mental illness" but they have serious ramifications on your physical health too.
@Starlight73 aw thank you for your response :)
@LavenderHere thanks for pinging me and letting me know you added this information. I appreciate you outlining these points. I agree that IF is not appropriate for anyone with an eating disorder. We'll be sure to screen for that in any huddles and also find other ways of excluding content as @starlight73 has highlighted. See my above response for more details on the health benefits that IF can bring for additional context.
@GlenM Thanks for your response, and thought I'd point out that IF can be harmful for anyone even if they don't have an eating disorder :) Things I explained in my post aren't unique to those with eating disorders.
