Sponsored: A look at "Fasting"

Ask Leah! The Ingles Dietitian

Sponsored: A look at "Fasting"

Different forms of “fasting” seem to be in the news a lot lately from “time-restricted eating” (TRE), to intermittent fasting (IF) and circadian rhythm eating (CRE).

What they have in common is typically limiting the amount of time you eat to certain times of the day or days of the week. Important note: For some individuals this type of restriction is definitely NOT advisable, e.g. during pregnancy, individuals with Type 1 diabetes, people with a history of eating disorders, a person taking medications that need to be taken with meals in a certain time period.

Positives of fasting: It may make you more conscious of hunger and satiety (fullness) cues and decrease the overall number of calories you eat because you aren’t snacking or grazing throughout the day. Weight loss in some individuals may improve blood sugar control, lower cholesterol, and lower blood pressure.

Negatives of fasting: There is seldom any emphasis on the nutritional quality or types of foods eaten in non-fasting times, so some may feel that this is permission to eat whatever they want when they are not fasting. Lack of calories due to skipping meals may cause dizziness and inability to concentrate and not having energy to exercise. If you are fasting, you may not be able to participate in family or social occasions around food.

Bottom Line: Most of us already fast overnight for 8 or more hours and then break that fast at BREAKFAST. If you have a tendency to snack and graze throughout the day, especially on high calorie foods, setting limits to when you eat may be helpful if your goal is to help control or decrease the calories you consume. Always talk to your family physician to make sure this type of diet/eating pattern is advisable given your medications and medical history