Episode 93: The Ins And Outs Of Intermittent Fasting




The Ancestral RDs Podcast show

Summary: Thanks for joining us for episode 93 of The Ancestral RDs podcast. If you want to keep up with our podcasts, subscribe in iTunes and never miss an episode! Remember, please send us your question if you'd like us to answer it on the show. Today we are answering the following question from a listener: “What do you think about intermittent fasting or other fasts? I’ve heard they can be contraindicated for women especially. If one wants to try fasting, what signs should they look for to know if it’s having a negative effect? Is there a way to fast that would provide benefits but minimize risks? It seems there are potentially real benefits to fasting.” Intermittent fasting has become a popular topic. We hear about the great benefits to health, but we also hear about the drawbacks and cautions against it. And with so many different fasting plans, it’s as confusing as it is intriguing. If you’re curious about intermittent fasting but don’t know where to begin to make sense of it all, you'll want to listen today! Tune in today as we talk everything fasting. Just some of what we’ll be discussing is the different methods of fasting, the benefits and drawbacks, and how to know if fasting appropriate for you. We’ll even be sharing tips on how to experiment with intermittent fasting to find a way that works for you. Here's what Laura and Kelsey will be discussing in this episode: Evolutionary theory behind the Paleo community’s promotion of intermittent fasting Explanation of different fasting methods Autophagy as a benefit associated with fasting Benefits of intermittent fasting on fat loss and metabolic function The importance of tracking your calories during feeding periods when intermittent fasting How the benefits of intermittent fasting can be obtained from caloric restriction How those who are overweight can have more benefits and less negative effects associated with intermittent fasting than normal weight people How women experience more negative effects from fasting than men Why choosing the right time to fast is key Why those with a history of eating disorder or a bad relationship with food should rethink intermittent fasting Common symptoms associated with negative effects of fasting Examples of illness that would benefit from fasting and illnesses that fasting would be detrimental Links Discussed: This episode is sponsored by Pure Indian Foods Laura's "5 Physical And Spiritual Health Lessons From My Daniel Fast" Article about the potential pros and cons of intermittent fasting TRANSCRIPT: Kelsey: Hi everyone. Welcome to episode 93 of The Ancestral RDs. I’m Kelsey Kinney and with me as always is Laura Schoenfeld. Laura: Hey, everybody. Kelsey: How are you doing today, Laura? Laura: Much better now that I’ve had steak for breakfast and dinner the night before. Kelsey: Sounds great. I’m sure that helps. Laura: Yes. It’s interesting, this episode is going to publish weeks after this happens. If anyone had been following me on Instagram or if they read my blog at all, they’ll have seen that I was doing a vegan fast as part of a spiritual fast with my church. I say vegan because it’s something called the “Daniel Fast” which is basically designed based on some different sections of the Book of Daniel, which is why it makes sense calling it the “Daniel Fast.” Basically there’s two different sections where the prophet Daniel abstains from food, either pleasurable food animal food. They kind of combined that into a single fast. The animal food thing was about the availability of kosher animals products which they didn’t have available to them. Being Jews they said they’d rather not eat any animal products rather than eat something that’s not kosher. Then the second one was really just more fasting from pleasurable and enjoyable food and just subsisting on plain and simple food for three weeks. Kelsey: Mm hmm.