Do you have insulin resistance? Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS)? Or difficulty shifting weight?
Perhaps it’s time to consider intermittent fasting.
Think of Intermittent Fasting not as a diet, but rather a change in the timing of when you eat. This way of eating has been practiced since earliest antiquity by many people around the globe.
While there are many variations of intermittent fasting (alternating fasting days with eating days; and severely restricting energy for a certain amount of days per week), my favourite (and the easiest) form of intermittent fasting is time-restricted feeding. This is simply eating within a specific time window, such as 8 hours.
When you eat your meals within an 8-hour window, say 11am-7pm for example, your body is placed into a state of ketosis for the remaining 16 hours of the day. This is where the benefit lays. Research shows that eating this way supports healthy weight loss, and helps to lower total cholesterol, triglycerides, glucose, insulin, and inflammatory markers. [1-2]
For the many women I see in my clinic who have PCOS, I often consider time-restricted feeding. A recent study published in the Journal of Translational Medicine found that women who ate within an 8-hour window for 5 weeks had reduced body fat, improved ovulation and menstruation, and lowered androgen, insulin and inflammatory levels. This can be particularly beneficial for women with PCOS who are experiencing insulin resistance and difficulty conceiving.[3]
Aside from its beneficial effect on metabolic health, time-restricted feeding also improves mood, energy, concentration, motivation, and long-term neurological health (including a reduced risk of Dementia and Alzheimer’s disease). [4-5]
