My experience with intermittent fasting

I do not think we are well informed about nutrition, calories, or how to eat to live. In medical school we were taught several ideas that can safely be debunked.
The first idea is that, "A calorie is a calorie" not necessarily. It's the calories' impact on insulin that makes the difference. Obviously, calories derived from carbohydrates especially sugars and grains, and the subsequent release of insulin has a different metabolic impact than calories derived from protein and fats. Protein promotes a slower release of insulin, and fat promotes NO release of insulin! That is the reason high fat diets create weight (body fat) loss. Insulin tells our cells to absorb glucose, excess glucose is stored as fat. So the maxim of, "A calorie is a calorie" is not valid.

Another idea is, "You can get what you need from a balanced diet and supplements create expensive urine". This comment which dissuades the use of dietary supplements e.g., vitamins and minerals is deeply ingrained. Besides the issue of what is a balanced diet, which promotes lots of carbohydrates; some good such as vegetables, and some not so good (anything made from flour). By the way do you realize our bodies do not have a need for carbohydrates? We need fats and protein, but there is NO requirement for carbs! However, they can be tasty, and provide fiber and nutrients that are required. The point is the dietary guidelines want many of the calories to come from carbs. However, we need a variety of vitamins and minerals that are either processed out or not available in the depleted soils they are grown.

Take the B Vitamins as an example, the paradigm used to be we had an abundance of them stored in our liver. However, many are deficient in those necessary cofactors to our biochemical pathways. Most adults are also deficient in Magnesium, and the hormone vitamin D which was thought to be easy to acquire. The point is, supplements are likely a good idea! As for the idea is all they do is create expensive urine; did you know that urine used to be blood before it is filtered by the kidneys?

Another idea is if you are active, and using a lot of calories, you can eat practically anything with impunity. This is wrong, yes can keep the body mass you desire, but if you are still ingesting foods that create insulin resistance in the cells, and inflammation in the body you are exposed to potential harm.

Another idea is that you need to eat constantly in order to stimulate your metabolism. This is a nice segue into the topic, intermittent fasting.

The idea has been, "If you miss meals, you slow your metabolism".

Let's see if that makes sense. After a meal, your glucose blood sugar rises. It is the primary fuel put into cells via insulin. After Eight to twelve hours your glycogen is used and your body starts using stored energy, fat, for fuel until insulin releasing food is consumed. Insulin in the blood stream stops the fat being used for fuel.

If you 'graze' or eat meals every few hours you are not allowing your body to go into the fat burning mode. That is the reason we tend to maintain or gain weight, particularly adipose tissue (fat). We keep insulin levels elevated; this creates the insulin resistance of our cells, and the creation of type two diabetes.

For the past thirteen months, I have been using intermittent fasting for at least ninety percent of days. I find, in my case, I can go anywhere from 16-22 hours since the last meal. If I feel hungry or not determines the length. I then eat in a window of time usually up to four hours. I still make good food choices, and feel no hunger pangs. I have graduslly lost weight and inches, as the fat is used for fuel!

I continue to supplement vitamins and minerals, because no diet, due to reasons discussed earlier, is likely to provide them.

Perhaps, this is an option for you in your quest to find health. Perform your due diligence, and look for information from a variety of view points. We are responsible for our own health choices.