It has been well researched and documented that time-restricted eating has many benefits, such as:
- Increasing ketones
- Increasing mitochondrial
- health and stress resistance
- Increasing antioxidant profile
- Increasing autophagy (Programme cell clearance)
- Increasing DNA repair
- Decreasing glycogen (glucose stores)
- Decreasing insulin
- Decreasing mTOR
- Decreasing protein synthesis
- If you have a known eating disorder, you must check with your GP before you try this way of eating.
- Pregnancy and nursing is not the time to fast; you need more calories, nourishment and snacking while pregnant or breastfeeding.
- Type 1 and 2 diabetics can achieve great results but check with your GP first.
- People with thyroid issues don’t respond well to one meal a day because they need to ensure they have enough calories p/d.
- Reduce total body fat %
- Reduce visceral fat
- Reduce waist circumference
- Lower blood pressure
- Decrease LDL (‘bad’ cholesterol)
- Decrease HbA1c (blood glucose)
- 12-16 hours daily – fat burning, ketones, growth hormones, increased testosterone.
- 17 hours – autophagy kicks in, cells become more efficient because there is no food or nutrients; cell clean out; clear dysfunctional cells.
- 36 hours – weight loss really kicks in, glucose mobilises from the liver.
- 48 hours – dopamine systems may be reset – new dopamine receptor sites will be reformed – you may enjoy food and other things in your life more.
- 72 hours – immune system and stem cells may be reset.
- Coffee will be fine for most people: the way to check would be to perform a blood glucose test to check whether caffeine spikes your blood sugar.
- But stick to black coffee.
- Consider adding MCT oil as this will keep you satiated and may enhance ketone production.
- Ghee may also be fine but, again, best to check if it works for you with a test.
- Electrolytes are a good option to add to water.
- Fasted snacks include bone broth. Full fat foods don’t spike blood sugar, but they do kill hunger. Keto Cups are a full fat product.
- Anything that raises blood glucose to over 5 points will break a fast.
- Protein will break a fast.
- Muscle has more insulin receptors in it so it’s very important as we age.
- Fasting creates a great new environment for the new bacteria to grow.
- Polyphenol, probiotic and prebiotic rich foods will feed the new garden.
- Fat will stop the desire to overeat once you start eating.