1.5 Why fasting is the right approach for weight management

1.5 Why fasting is the right approach for weight management

There are two trends in fasting that seem to be prevalent today, intermittent fasting and time restricted eating. There are some difference between the two approaches, but the main goal for each of these approaches are about managing your insulin levels.

Insulin and our diet

Dr. Sarah Hallberg, an obesity doctor talks about insulin resistance as a early form of 'pre-diabetes'. She refers to insulin as the primary hormone involved in fat storage. When the insulin levels are high, the body can develop insulin resistance. Based on our diet, we can reduce our sugar levels, which will intern reduce our insulin level. According to Dr. Hallberg, our diet can be divided into three categories as there are only three forms of macronutrients:

1. Carbohydrates 
2. Proteins 
3. Fats

Carbohydrates as a macronutrient causes Glucose/Blood Sugar/Insulin to go up the most. Proteins have a more favorable insulin response. Fats do not cause insulin to go up at all. She said that it is not important to go carb free, but it is important to significantly reduce the carbs in the diet. More importantly the majority of our diet should consist of Fat, followed by Protein, followed by Carbohydrates.

Avoid GPS (Grains, Potatoes, Sugars)

Accessing our bodies fat for nutrients

When you fast, you utilize nutrients from the fat stores of your body. This process is called Lipolysis. The byproduct of this process is ketones.

Dr. Jason Fung, a kidney specialist, refers to the benefits of fasting as a mechanism to lower the insulin levels naturally. Since insulin is the fat storage hormone, it is a barrier to being able to access the fat stores in your body for nutrients. In order to get your body to burn fat, your insulin levels need to be low. Dr. Fung, refers to the body as a two compartment system.

1. The Fridge - Nutrients derived from our meals 
2. The Freezer - Nutrients derived from our fat

If the fridge (stomach) is always full, there is no need to go to the freezer (fat stores). In order to reduce our insulin levels to the point where we can access the freezer, Dr. Fung proposes fasting. A period of time where we do not eat. When the body fasts, our hormone levels drop and the body is able to turns to the fat stores for nutrients. Your body enters a state of ketosis as it converts fat to energy, the body produces ketones to excrete from the body.

Fast to reduce your insulin levels

How Long to Fast

There are a lot of prescribed diets that tell you how long to fast. Generally, they say the easy method is to fast for 12 hours, the hard method is to fast for 16 hours. The real answer is that your hormones start to change their levels at 12 hours. Your body starts to draw from the fat stores at that point, the longer you preserve the fast, the longer you draw from the fat stores. I personally try to attain a 14 hour fast.

Magic happens at the 12 hour mark

When to fast, our Circadian Rhythms: Time restricted eating

If you accept that we are Nocturnal creatures and that there are certain response in our body that are triggered by day light and the first meal of the day, you will believe that the best time to fast is at night. After all, the word breakfast is literally break fast.

Dr. Rhonda Patrick, doctorate in biomedical science, says that our circadian clock has evolved for us to rest at night. This includes our digestive processes. As a species we will function best if we consistently observe this pattern. Rather than intermittent fasting, Dr. Patrick uses a time restricted eating schedule. It is a small distinction, but restricting calorie intake to a specific window allows the entire body to rest at the same time.

I personally do not start eating until 8am and I stop by 6pm. I consume all my calories in that particular window of time. As Dr. Patrick indicates, you can cheat up to two times a week. I have found that life dictates that I need to cheat on occasion. Unlike intermittent fasting, the only thing you can consume during a fasting period is water.

Consume your calories during the daytime

Fasting & Working Out

Many athletes use fasting as a mechanism to gain muscle. When you combine fasting with a workout and break your fast after the workout, your body converts the calories into muscle. This is done as a mechanism to replenish the nutrients in the muscle tissue.

This can be very difficult as you will be exercising without a set of base fuel. George St-Pierre (GSP), Mixed Martial Artist, has said that he trains on an empty stomach. He has found that his performance and creativity has improved.

I have found it difficult to fast and perform a vigorous workout. This might only be a circumstance for me as I tend to work out in the evening. I have been able to do a light workout in the morning on a empty stomach.  Much like GSP, I have found myself to be more creative and productive first thing in the morning.  I have also found that my initial energy levels are better. I have not been able to get to one meal a day, nor have I tried. When I go to sleep for the night, I find that I sleep deeper and have very vivid dreams. This is a good indicator of REM sleep. This was not something that I observed when I would eat later at night.

Workout in the morning before breakfast

Low Insulin levels without fasting, a Keto diet

Essentially, the foundation of a keto diet is low carbs and high fats to prevent the insulin levels of the body from rising. This forces the body to stay in ketosis and use fats as a fuel source instead of carbohydrates. This sounds like a plan, but there are a couple words of caution.

Dr. Andy Galpin, a PhD in Human Bioenergetics, warns that if we tune the body to only consume one side of the spectrum of fuel (Fats), we run the risk of desensitizing our bodies to the other side of the spectrum (Carbohydrates).

I tend to agree with Dr. Galpin, I believe that there are differences in the quality of the Carbohydrates. Mainly the difference between simple carbs (breads/grains), and complex carbohydrates (yams/quinoa).

Carbohydrates are a good fuel source in moderation, especially complex carbs

I am not a big fan of a keto diet as it preserves ketosis by keeping insulin levels low by avoiding carbohydrates and sugars.  This promotes a unbalanced diet, plus the sweeteners used for keto are not really that good for you. Also, this is a difficult lifestyle to maintain.  However, if you are interested in a keto diet, please take a look at the following video for a list of beverages that will not break your fast.

See how I healed my thyroid here.