Have you ever tried Intermittent fasting ?  For some intermittent fasting has become part of a normal week.  Wake up in the morning not hungry? perhaps you ate late the night before or simply haven’t been particularly active. Regardless, why would we force ourselves to eat breakfast if we’re not hungry.  Use this to your advantage & try a fasting day.

The most important point to remember, in my opinion, is to ensure whatever you do eat throughout the day/week/month is full of good nutrients providing the body with the very best fuel for function.  Including protein, good carbs (so greens & root veg, pulses and wholegrain rice) & good fats. Hydration too.  Thirst can sometimes be mistaken for hunger so it’s important to get that 2-3 litres in a day.

So what is intermittent fasting? In simple terms its leaving the body for a period of time without eating.  An intermittent fast is normally around 15-18 hrs from your last meal before you eat again.   There can be many benefits to fasting. Here are some of them:

• Weightloss – Fasting encourages the body to burn through fat cells more effectively using fat cells as primary source of energy instead of sugar.  The most obvious being a reduction in your daily calorie intake.
• Improves insulin sensitivity – Several studies have found that fasting may improve blood sugar control. This could be especially useful for those at risk of diabetes.
• Speeds up metabolism – By resting the digestive system this energises your metabolic system to burn more calories.  It can also regulate digestion and promote healthy bowl function.
• Promotes Longevity – The metabolism is more efficient in our younger years so as we go through the ageing process, hormones shift and systems slow down. We need to focus on ways to re-boot the system. Fasting being one of those.
• Improves Hunger- Fasting is like a reset button. If you eat 3 meals a day how can you expect to experience hunger. Fasting helps regulate hormones so your body learns to become fuller quicker
• Brain function – Fasting boosts mental cognition and can leave you feeling energised and alert. It literally can re-boot your whole system physically and mentally.
• Self Enlightenment – The digestive system is one of the most energy absorbing systems in the body so by allowing it time out can leave us feeling more alert (brain fog lifted) and connected giving us more energy both physically and mentally.
• Skin – Ageing is an inflammatory process, as is acne. By fasting and improving the health of the gut and its critically important microbiome, inflammation is reduced and the health of the skin can be dramatically improved.

Give it a go …….