We are born with miraculously integrated bodies and minds. Our lungs draw in vital oxygen, essential for producing energy. Our hearts ceaselessly pump blood through vast networks of vessels to all of our tissues and organs. Raw materials are transformed into fuel by our digestive systems. Our muscles and bones propel us through the world, allowing us first to stand, then walk, then play and work.

Each day our brains take in a barrage of new information, filtering it, selectively storing it, and adapting their way of working accordingly. At the end of each day, we recharge and reset our systems by sleeping. All of us come equipped with a self-contained set of tools that, properly used, may allow us to live 100 years, or maybe even longer.

Beginning early in our lives, though, our genes, our environment, our culture, and our own free will conspire to test this marvelous organism—sometimes to the breaking point. There are people who maintain their health and live long, fruitful lives, sustaining minimal wear and tear. But others—perhaps most of us—push our bodies to the limit. Instead of eating the way our bodies were designed to eat, we indulge in foods filled with sugars and other refined carbohydrates, trans fats, and unhealthy food additives. Instead of walking to nearby destinations, we drive our cars. We sit most of the day. Some of us smoke. Some of us drink too much. Many of us allow negative feelings and stress to rule our thoughts. Not many of us get adequate sleep. The wrong choices trap us in a lifestyle that actually endangers our lives.

The effects of these poor choices compromise every system that keeps us well, and the damage is not pretty. After years of a diet high in refined carbohydrates, arteries become narrow and clogged with plaque, raising the risk of cardiovascular disease and heart attack. We find ourselves on the unhealthy path to metabolic syndrome, type 2 diabetes, osteoarthritis, and cancer. Eating too much of the wrong foods and getting too little exercise allows fat to build up around our organs and beneath our skin. Smoking fills our lungs with toxins, damaging our health in myriad ways. Not getting enough sleep worsens our memories and disrupts an important hormone cycle that prevents us from overeating. And too much stress compromises our body's natural immune system, the very tool that would help us combat much of the other damage.

Return to the Path of Good Health

Fortunately, we have the ability to choose.

That’s where our series of HealthJournals on Wellness come in. Our Wellness series will show you how to completely change your lifestyle to a healthy and sustainable one that will restore your vitality and reverse chronic medical conditions. It will provide you with innumerable health benefits. It will lessen dangerous abdominal fat, lower chronic inflammation, and reduce the threat of other chronic diseases. Your risk of getting heart disease, cancer, diabetes, and autoimmune diseases will be greatly reduced. You will be likely to live longer, too. What’s more, your systems and organs will be provided with all the nutrients they require, so that your hunger will be satisfied, and your body brought into homeostatic balance.

This wellness information is based on real science that refutes current mainstream medical notions of what we should be eating. In this series, we explain the most natural way to eat—so that fat melts away and the body’s hormonal systems rebalance themselves. In doing so, we turn popular notions of a “healthy diet” on their head. Moreover, we give you all the leading science on other aspects of wellness in your life—including how to break your bad habits, the benefits of sleep, how to de-stress, and the real benefits of exercising.

It’s rarely too late to make changes that can reverse damage to your abused organs and tissues. Even people who are sensitive to carbohydrates, and therefore genetically predisposed to putting on weight, can get back on the path to good health. By eating the right foods, exercising, modifying your negative habits, quitting smoking, sleeping well, and celebrating life, you can reverse many chronic conditions—and increase your enjoyment of life immeasurably.

We hope that you will continue to explore the miracle that is your body, knowing that the good choices you are making will enable you to enjoy a life full of activity and fulfillment. You have the power to keep your body and mind healthy, strong, and alive. You can live longer and live better.

To life!

Wellness and Nutrition – Prevent and Reverse Chronic Diseases with the Right Diet

In the series of HealthJournals on Wellness and Nutrition, learn which foods work to burn fat, which work to keep fat on you—and why. Learn about nutrition, including the macronutrients and micronutrients that your body does and doesn’t need. Learn to make the necessary changes to your diet while we provide you with the necessary tools to be successful with your new way of eating. Finally, learn about intermittent fasting and how it can help with weight loss and the reversal of chronic diseases.

Intermittent fasting (IF) is a pattern of eating and is more about when you eat than what you eat. It is the voluntary avoidance of food for a period of time, from a few hours up to a few days. Research shows that IF is effective for weight loss, and in some instances, can prevent and reverse chronic diseases such as type 2 diabetes. Keep reading to learn about how IF works and some different methods for getting started.

Simply put, intermittent fasting allows your body to use its stored energy by burning off excess body fat. This is a very normal process and humans have evolved to fast for short periods of time, hours or days, without any health consequences. In fact, fat has been stored in your body for this exact purpose – to provide energy when no food is available. But how does it work?

When you eat, you’ll generally consume more food energy than can be immediately used, and so, some of this energy must be stored. Insulin is the main player that will drive this storage.

Insulin levels rise when you eat, especially in response to carbohydrates, and helps you store the excess food energy in two different ways. First, carbohydrates are broken down into their individual glucose units and then are relinked into glycogen chains that can be stored in the liver and muscle. Because there is limited space to store glycogen, the remaining glucose will be turned into fat by the liver in a process called de-novo lipogenesis. Some of this new fat will be stored right there in your liver, but most of it will be shipped out to be stored in various fat deposits found all over your body. Unlike the glycogen stores in the liver and muscle, there is no limit to how much fat can be created and stored.

The reverse is true when you don’t eat. With no incoming food, your blood sugar levels will be low, which in turn means insulin levels will also be low. Your body will be signaled to start burning stored energy, first from the glycogen stores in your liver and muscles, and then secondly from your stored fat deposits. While fasting, glycogen stores will generally last 24-36 hours before your body moves to breaking down fat for energy.

Therefore, the body can exist in two states. The one where it’s storing food energy or the one where it’s burning food energy. Having these two states balanced is the key to maintaining weight.

If you want to gain weight you would keep your body in the energy storage state by eating frequent meals high in carbohydrates.

If you want to lose weight the opposite is true. You want to reduce carbohydrate consumption and have longer periods of time between meals so that your body has time to access your body fat and use it for fuel. That is intermittent fasting!

Intermittent Fasting and a Ketogenic Diet

Eating a low-carb or ketogenic diet can provide additional benefits when fasting. Since you’re already keeping your carbohydrate levels low you may already be fat adapted, in that you’ve already used your glycogen stores and are using your own body fat for fuel. Fasting will only enhance this and make you a more efficient fat burning machine!

Intermittent fasting offers plenty of flexibility. You can fast for as long or short as you like, but for fasts that are longer than 48 hours, always check with a health care provider to ensure you are not at risk for fasting complications. Generally, shorter fasts are done more frequently.

There is also no single best method that you should follow. People’s experiences with IF can vary widely depending on their age, sex, health level, support available, and culture. Your best bet is to choose a method to start with that you think is attainable and see how you fare, making changes along the way if necessary.

The 16:8 Method

The 16:8 method involves fasting for 16 hours and restricting your daily eating window to 8 hours within a day. It’s most effective when done every day.

Within the 8-hour eating window, you’ll eat all your meals, whether it be one, two, or three, and any snacks you might want. The easiest way to follow the 16:8 diet is to choose a 16-hour fasting window that includes the time you’ll be sleeping, but some people may want to experiment to find the best eating window for their lifestyle.

Doing this method of fasting can be as simple as not eating anything after dinner and skipping breakfast. For example, if you finish your last meal at 8 pm and don’t eat until noon the next day, you’ve fasted for 16 hours. Many breakfast-skippers instinctively eat this way already.

In summary, to begin 16:8 intermittent fasting, choose an 8-hour window during the day and limit your food intake to that time span. Keep your carbohydrates under the number you’re aiming for depending on which stage of the diet you’re in.

The 20:4 Method

This method is the same as the 16:8 method, but you restrict your daily eating window to just 4 hours each day.

The 5:2 Fast

This fast involves eating regularly for five days of the week and fasting for two. On each of the two fasting days, you’re allowed 500 calories that you can eat at any time. The two fasting days do not have to be consecutive.

Alternate-Day Fasting

This is similar to the 5:2 fast, however, in this version you fast every second day instead of only two days of the week. You don’t have to eat anything but are permitted 500 calories on the fasting days if needed.

24-Hour Fast or OMAD (One Meal a Day)

A 24-hour fast involves fasting from a meal one day to the same meal the next day. For example, if you eat dinner on your first day, you would then skip breakfast and lunch the next day and eat dinner again on the second day. Since you’re only eating once each day, this method is also called OMAD (One Meal a Day). This method is usually done 2-3 times per week.

36-Hour Fast

When you do a 36-hour fast you’re essentially fasting for one and a half days. For example, you would eat dinner on day 1, fast the entire second day, and then eat breakfast on day 3. This is generally done a couple of times per week.

Prolonged Fasts

Always check with your doctor before doing a fast longer than 48 hours. They can ensure you won’t suffer any complications and can prescribe any supplements that might be helpful, depending on the length of the fast.

You can drink water, unsweetened carbonated water or mineral water, unsweetened coffee and tea, and other zero-calorie beverages during the fast, which can also help you feel less hungry. Don’t add sugar to your coffee or tea but a small amount of cream might be okay.

During your eating windows, you want to make sure you eat enough food, but it’s important to keep your carbohydrate levels low and make healthy choices. Intermittent fasting won’t work if you negate its positive effects by eating a lot of processed foods or refined carbohydrates.

Intermittent fasting’s greatest benefit is weight loss, but research shows that intermittent fasting periods do more than just burn fat.

Some of the other potential health benefits of intermittent fasting include:

• Lowered blood insulin and sugar levels with the potential reversal of type 2 diabetes
• Improved mental clarity and concentration
• Increased energy
• Improved blood cholesterol profile
• Reduced risk of heart disease, cancer, and other diseases
• Reduced inflammation
• Potential for a longer life

In addition, intermittent fasting is easy to implement and makes your day simpler. There are less meals to plan and cook, which also means you’re more likely to stick with it!

Intermittent fasting can have some unwanted side effects:

Hunger

This is the most common side effect of intermittent fasting. The good news is that if you’re consuming a ketogenic or low-carb diet you will likely feel less hungry because you’re not spiking your blood sugar with refined carbohydrates.

Headaches

Headaches are quite common while fasting initially, but luckily, tend to disappear after the first few times fasting.

Digestive Issues

You may experience various digestive issues such as constipation or diarrhea while intermittent fasting. The reduction in food may cause constipation which can be exacerbated by dehydration. That’s why it’s important to stay hydrated while intermittent fasting.

Irritability and Fatigue

If you’re not used to fasting you might initially feel irritable or have low energy. This is usually due to low blood sugar. However, when you’ve been eating a low-carb or ketogenic diet your blood sugar will naturally be lower over time, which means you should have less side effects when intermittent fasting.

Refeeding Syndrome

This is a more serious side effect that generally only happens with extended fasts of more than 5 days and when someone is undernourished before fasting. When someone undernourished has just finished an extended fast and begins to eat again, they can experience a sudden shift in the balance of electrolytes and fluids in their body. This can lead to serious complications and even death. Some of the symptoms of refeeding syndrome include weakness, confusion, difficulty breathing, irregular heartbeat, and seizures.

Other possible side effects of intermittent fasting can include dizziness, heartburn, and muscle cramps.

Most of the side effects you’ll experience during intermittent fasting should be mild and shouldn’t mean you have to stop fasting. If you truly feel unwell, and have more severe symptoms, then break your fast.

People may try intermittent fasting for different reasons. Some for weight loss, some to reverse chronic conditions, and for others, both. But intermittent fasting isn’t necessarily safe for everyone, which is why it’s important to talk with your primary care physician before trying it, particularly if you’re in one of the following groups:

• Children and teens under age 18
• People that are underweight or malnourished
• Those with a history of eating disorders
• People on prescription medications
• People who are pregnant or breastfeeding
• People with diabetes or blood sugar problems
• People with serious medical conditions such as liver, kidney, or heart disease

Keep in mind that intermittent fasting will have different effects on different people. Talk to your doctor if you start experiencing any unusual symptoms after you start intermittent fasting.

Will I lose weight?
Most likely, yes. If you have excess fat and weight to lose then it’s very likely that fasting should help with this. It is possible to indulge and overeat when you’ve stopped fasting, which in the long run will negate your fasting efforts, but it’s more likely you will be eating less overall and will see your weight go down. This is truer still if you’re already following a ketogenic or low-carb diet when not fasting. You’ve already tapped into burning your fat for fuel and fasting should just accelerate this process.

Isn’t it unhealthy to skip breakfast?
No. Skipping breakfast will keep you fasting longer, which gives your body more time to burn your fat for energy. Since hunger is lower in the morning it will likely be the easiest meal to skip.

Will fasting cause muscle loss?
No. While fasting, the body will first break down glycogen stores into glucose, followed by fat stores. Any excess protein that is consumed will also be used for energy, but your body will not burn muscle for fuel unless it absolutely has to.

Can I work out while fasting?
Yes, working out while fasting is fine. Feel free to continue your normal activities as your body will use your stored glycogen and body fat as fuel.

Will I experience extreme hunger?
You will be hungry at certain times during fasting, but the important thing to understand is that hunger is like a wave and will always pass. Hunger doesn’t continue to build but instead comes and goes. Try to ignore it or have a glass of water or tea when hunger peaks.

Will intermittent fasting put my body into starvation mode or decrease my metabolism?
No. In fact, many studies actually show that intermittent fasting increases metabolism.

How should I break my fast?
Generally, the longer the fast the more gently you should break the fast. Start with a small meal and add more food over time if you continue to feel well. If you eat a large meal right after a fast you may feel ill.

I’m diabetic, should I try intermittent fasting?
If you have Type 2 Diabetes, you'll likely benefit from intermittent fasting. However, it's very important that you have proper monitoring from a physician. You're doctor will likely look at how well your blood glucose is controlled and what medications you’re on. The biggest risk for diabetics while intermittent fasting is hypoglycemia, particularly those on diabetes medication. Because there is no food intake and blood sugar levels are remaining low, some diabetes medications may further lower blood sugar to dangerous levels. This is why it’s important to work with a primary care physician that can work with you to alter your medication while fasting.