THE “FAST” TRACK

A TECHNIQUE FOR YOUR WEIGHT-LOSS TOOL KIT

While most diet plans focus on the foods people eat, the fasting approach emphasizes the timing of eating instead. Many people try a fast to jump-start a weight-loss program, but this way of eating may hold other health benefits.

Intermittent fasting may be a good way to positively “affect longevity and healthspan by acting on cellular aging and disease risk factors, while causing no or minor side effects, “ according to research by Valter D. Longo, PhD, and colleagues.

Intermittent fasting (IF) involves not eating for a set period, often up to 12 hours per day, repeated once per week or as often as every day. Some choose to fast for 16 hours a day and to eat only during the remaining eight hours. Johns Hopkins dietitian Christie Williams, MS RDM, says IF allows the eating and enjoyment of a variety of foods and points to the Mediterranean diet as a guide for how to eat in the non-fasting hours. Another approach is to eat as usual five days a week and to consume only one meal (500 to 600 calories) on each of the other two days.

The benefits Researchers found that the intermittent fasting regimen known as time-restricted feeding (TRF), in which eating is limited to an eight-hour window each day, led obese individuals to experience lower calorie intake and mild weight loss without intentionally limiting calories.

Here are the conditions that fasting may help:

• Blood sugar and metabolism. In one study of intermittent fasting, in which obese men ate during an 8-hour period or a 12-hour period, neither group experienced a change in weight, but the former group experienced increased insulin sensitivity and lower insulin levels and blood pressure.

• Chronic disease and age-related disorders. Mark Mattson, PhD, a Johns Hopkins neuroscientist who has been studying IF for a quarter-century, says, “Many things happen during intermittent fasting that can protect organs against chronic diseases like type 2 diabetes, heart disease, age-related neurodegenerative disorders, even inflammatory bowel disease and many cancers.” The bottom line may be longevity, leanness, and sharper mental function, according to a study Dr. Mattson published in the New England Journal of Medicine.

Cautions Fasting is not for everyone. Check with your healthcare provider before beginning a fast and report any symptoms you may develop during fasting, including upset stomach and headaches.

Anyone who has suffered with an eating disorder should avoid fasting, as should those who are pregnant or breastfeeding. People with diabetes or other blood-sugar problems should fast only under medical supervision. Growing children and teens should not fast.