Intermittent fasting

[lizbar]

I have become really interested in IF(intermittent fasting) and was wondering if anyone here has or continues to do IF. I do the master cleanse, but find it overwhelming at times and would like to incorporate IF into my lifstyle. Any input or suggestions would be great.
Happy Fasting and Cleansing!!
liz

[missyc]

Liz- I have done IF in the past, but at that time I was a low carber. I didn't realize at that point in my life that my body could not handle the high protein/fat so even when I incorporated IF, I did not lose weight that way. I could probably do better now that I have changed my diet, but I have not tried it again. Due to low blood sugar issues, even when I juice fast, I have slices of avocado every few hours to keep my blood sugar stable, so I don't think IF would work that well for me unless I used avocado slices for that as well. For myself, I would probably lean more towards alternate day fasting using juice.

IF may definitely be worth giving it a try for yourself, though. You never know if you don't give it a try. Everyone is different and you may find great success doing it. There is a lot out there about it, so I'd say to research all you can and then give it a shot. If it doesn't work, at least you have tried it and know. If it does work, all the better... and you would be able to help others as well with your experiences on it.

Best to you!

[Aleesha Sattva]

I know of people who have done it... but never did it myself. I find that doing day one over and over and over again is torture LOL I'd rather get day one out of the way and move on to day two, three, four, five...

But that's me.

[lizbar]

Thanks for your replies. I am going to give it a shot and try for dinner around 6 and then fast until dinner next day and see how it goes. I am going to try to fast on kombucha and master cleanse lemonade because it really keeps me full.
Thanks again and i will let you all know how it goes.
liz

[Stina]

Thanks for your replies. I am going to give it a shot and try for dinner around 6 and then fast until dinner next day and see how it goes. I am going to try to fast on kombucha and master cleanse lemonade because it really keeps me full.
Thanks again and i will let you all know how it goes.
liz

I personally get wired on kombucha. It's certainly not something I'd choose for a healing phase, but everyone is different.

[Aleesha Sattva]

stimulating items (like kum) are not recommended while fasting... although you aren't really fasting... since you are consuming solids daily. [but a fast is what you make it so this is YOUR fast]...

but ya... i'd drop the kum. green teas and coffee. (if you are doing any of these)

[Aleesha Sattva]

and one more note... our bodies are more in the zone to eat/digest in the morning rather than night... so to be more in tune with your bodies needs... eating in the morning and then nothing but M/C until the next morning would be more gentle.

putting a meal into your resting digestion every evening will make your body work waaaaaaaaaaay harder and IMO cause strain to your system. which is not the point of fasting.

also... if you are doing this for healing... you won't really get much healing doing this protocol (again in my opinion). fasting for an entire day... (after dinner all the way through the next day and beyond to the following morning) is a healthier choice.

[Stina]

My job is downright grueling. I'd really like to do fasting one day a week to refresh myself, I think it's a great idea. Dr. Weil is a proponent of it.

[lizbar]

Thanks again for all the replies. I think I may leave out the kombucha. What my new goal is (after reading the replies) is to fast from dinner to dinner one day and then go from dinner to breakfast two days later. I just want to detox, but when I try to do an extended fast I seem to fail.
I thought maybe if I adjust my body slowly to fasting, i may succeed.:rolleyes:
Thanks you all for your help on this. I'll keep you all posted on my journey. whos knows maybe i'll join you all for an extended fast
liz:)

[missyc]

Your plan sounds very reasonable. You'll have to keep us posted on your progress. Once you get past the first few days, it will start to become a normal routine and will get easier and easier. :)

[Stina]

and one more note... our bodies are more in the zone to eat/digest in the morning rather than night... so to be more in tune with your bodies needs... eating in the morning and then nothing but M/C until the next morning would be more gentle.

putting a meal into your resting digestion every evening will make your body work waaaaaaaaaaay harder and IMO cause strain to your system. which is not the point of fasting.

also... if you are doing this for healing... you won't really get much healing doing this protocol (again in my opinion). fasting for an entire day... (after dinner all the way through the next day and beyond to the following morning) is a healthier choice.

Most sources I've read believe that later in the afternoon is when our digestion power is at its peak and hence suggest that the heavier meals be eaten well into the afternoon or early evening. For example, 811 followers eat their fat in the last meal of the day. My experience confirms this but of course every individual is different and you have to experiment to see what works for you. And eating at breakfast but fasting for the rest of the day is a sure way to get myself hypoglycemic. I just stick with the traditional method, which ends up being a36 hour long fast.

[missyc]

Stina- I have to agree on the time of day eating. When I break fast early in the day, all I want to do from then on is EAT! I tend to have low blood sugar issues, too. I don't know if it has to do with that or not. I have to really keep after myself not to go nuts. If I wait till later in the day, it's so much easier for me for some reason. I guess cause I can go to bed and get away from food and the thought of it...

[Aleesha Sattva]

i find the same when i break a fast, but this wouldn't be breaking a fast per say... the fast is a mere 23 hours (as one hour would be eating)...

here's some more info on what i was sharing:

http://www.timelessspirit.com/MAR08/raw.shtml

but... it is up to you what you choose to do. all the best to you on your journey.


Our Internal Body Rhythms
with Melissa Gilbert (http://www.timelessspirit.com/MAR08/raw.shtml)

One evening a few months back, my husband David and I were discussing the food we eat. We are Raw Vegans, so we consume raw fruit, vegetables, seeds and nuts. We have been living the raw lifestyle for quite awhile now and although our bodies feel so much better than they ever did eating cooked food, there was still something wrong. Yes, we do feel light, healthy and beautiful but…

So we began reflecting back to our childhoods and how our Great Grandparents lived their lives. They all seemed so healthy and strong; they truly enjoyed their lives. They never stressed over anything and were always happy, at least that's what they told us.

Our discussion turned from what they ate to the time of the day they ate their meals. They went to bed as the sun set after a long day of work and they rose when the sun rose each and every day. They ate their largest meal of the day at breakfast and never ate past 3 pm in the afternoon, 4 pm was the latest they would ever eat a meal. They ate the food they grew or raised throughout their lives and lived on what our Mother Earth provided for them. Well, being as inquisitive as I am, I began to wonder what was so different back then, than in today's world. The following is what I have found in my research into why they ate a certain times during the day, and why they were so healthy and active, it all makes so much sense now. I hope after you read my column it will resonate within you.

Practitioners of oriental healing and medicine believe there are twelve major energy meridians in our bodies. They run from the top of your head, through your fingers and down to your toes. Meridians are channels which carry subtle energy through your body. These twelve meridians are when our internal body rhythms, or internal body clocks do their work.

The rhythms of our bodies and the meridians which are active are as follows:

1:00 - 3:00 am Liver
3:00 - 5:00 am Lung
5:00 - 7:00 am Colon
7:00 - 9:00 am Stomach
9:00 - 11:00 am Spleen/pancreas
11:00 am - 1:00 pm Heart
1:00 - 3:00 pm Small intestine
3:00 - 5:00 pm Bladder
5:00 - 7:00 pm Kidney
7:00 - 9:00 pm Circulation
9:00 - 11:00 pm Thyroid/thymus
11:00 pm - 1:00 am Gallbladder
The liver meridian, is the most active from 1:00 and 3:00 am. The liver is the key organ in toxic elimination. It filters the blood, and is very active at night when we are sleeping. When we move, our blood moves; when we are still, our blood returns to the liver. The liver rebuilds the body during the night, when we should be still (sleeping). It is beneficial to consume no food during this time. Abstinence gives this hard-working organ the chance to do it's job.

The stomach meridian is active between 7:00 and 9:00 am in the morning. The best time to feed our body the largest meal of the day is between these hours, when our stomach is most active. Your internal body rhythm has prepared your stomach to receive food now. Your stomach empties 50 percent faster after breakfast than after dinner.

The spleen/pancreas meridian is active between 9:00 and 11:00 am, just after breakfast. It is the pancreas that completes the job of breaking down protein, carbohydrates, and fats using it's digestive juices from the intestines. It manages enzyme production for digestion and metabolism. It secretes hormones which affect blood sugar levels. You want the pancreas to be most active when you have just eaten a large meal, since the pancreatic failure in the production of enzymes causes food to digest poorly.

Another benefit to having your largest meal at breakfast is the spleen can readily transform food into energy. Upon doing much research on this topic, I have found western science agrees with oriental healing and medicine in that individuals who consume the majority of their calories in the morning have more energy and are able to maintain their optimum weight more easily, whereas those who consume the majority of their calories in the evenings tend to be sluggish and gain weight.

The heart meridian is most active between 11:00 am and 1:00 pm. The heart is the "Boss" of all vital organs. The heart regulates other organs by controlling blood circulation. The heart works as a pump to send oxygen-rich blood throughout your body. Blood contains oxygen and nutrients needed by every cell in your body. How hard your heart has to work is strongly connected with digestion. Blood pressure also rises in the morning and stays elevated until late afternoon. Then it drops off, marking it's lowest point during the night, when our bodies are still. Not eating at night will alleviate the burden on your heart.

The small intestine meridian is most active between 1:00 and 3:00 pm. The small intestine is the doorway for absorption of virtually all nutrients into the blood. The small intestine is also the place where the most chemical digestion takes place. In the small intestine, proteins are changed into amino acids, fats into fatty acids, and carbohydrates into sugars. This could be the best time for your second or last meal of the day.

As a child growing up, my Great Grandparents only ate 2 meals a day, their largest meal was at breakfast and their second meal, dinner was never after 3:00 in the afternoon. They always said if they ate later than that, they would feel too sluggish the next day and had trouble working the farm. Back then people led slower lives and paid a great deal of attention to what their bodies were telling them. I often wonder what has happened to us today?

The kidney meridian is most active between 5:00 and 7:00 pm. The hours when we, in the western world would traditionally eat our dinner. Since this is a organ of elimination, it should be doing it's job of cleansing instead of dealing with a heavy meal. The kidneys are the most important reservoir of energy, essential for the body.

The five organs of elimination and detoxification are the colon (large intestine), kidneys, liver, lungs, and skin. Your skin is always eliminating, however the rest are active either at night or in the latter part of the day. In order for these organs to do their job of elimination properly the body ideally should not be fed during this time.

Knowing and respecting the rhythms of your body, will help you coordinate your body to achieve maximum performance from it, without over working it.

In Health and Light
Melissa

[missyc]

That is very interesting and informative! Thank you!

[Aleesha Sattva]

you are very welcome!

[EscapeArtist]

I tried this form of fasting a year ago (Before I even knew about raw food). Because it was on a SAD diet... there really wasn't much point at all. But, from my experience, It's a good type of fasting for beginner fast-ers or people who can't handle longer term fasting... I'm the kind of person who can't go over a day of fasting at a time otherwise I end up reverting back to SAD, and completely binging, after the fast. So 1 day at a time suits me, could suit you, might be better just for practice fasting.
Oh by the way, I personally did not release any weight when I did IF simply because my body always needed me to make up for it the next day, and because I couldn't exercise on the fasting days. Beginner faster here... I believe I did it every 2nd day for 2 weeks and then slowed it to once a week, and then just gave up.

[Stina]

What I like about fasting one day a week is that it keeps food addiction at bay. After I fast I'm so eager to eat healthy food.