BY EMMET RUSHE: We have long been told that breakfast was the most important meal of the day.
Whether your intention was weight loss or muscle gain, not eating breakfast was a complete no, no.
The old adage goes that breakfast ‘kick-starts’ our metabolism and then eating small and often throughout the day keeps it ticking over.
The idea was that if you eat too little or miss meals, your metabolism would slow down to a crawl and fat loss would stall altogether.
Over the last few years a number of nutrition and fitness experts have been championing the idea that eating LESS OFTEN is the best way to not only burn more fat, but also to live a healthier life.
John Romaniello author of ‘Engineering the Alpha’ describes Intermittent Fasting as alternating intervals of not eating (fasting) with times when you are allowed to eat.
Sound confusing?
It’s not really a difficult a concept to grasp.
Why fasting?
Researchers have found that after a few hours of fasting, the body breaks cholesterol into bile acids. At the same time the liver shuts down glucose production, which lowers blood glucose levels. This excess stored liver glucose is now used to repair damaged cells and make new DNA. While this is happening, liver enzymes are helping in the creation of brown fat, which converts extra calories to heat.
What does this mean for you??
What the science tells us is, that in a fasted state you are enhancing your body’s ability to burn fat as an energy source. You are basically teaching your body to become more adept at shifting back to burning fat after a meal.
Intermittent Fasting has also been thought to have anti-aging effects and can help regulate blood glucose levels, and can ‘treat’ asthma, autoimmune diseases and cardiac arrhythmias.
Sounds like a win-win situation doesn’t it?
There are a few methods of Intermittent Fasting that the top proponents use.
Brad Pilon, author of ‘Eat Stop Eat’, uses a 24 hour fasting model.
He recommends it 1-2 times per week.
Once per week as a full 24 hour fast or using 2, 12 hour fasts on 2 separate days.
The 12 hour fasts can be done easily; You can simply sort your schedule so you have your last meal shortly before bed, sleep through the majority of the fasting period and have your first meal after the 12 hours are up.
Pilon advocates a ‘lunch to lunch’ or a ‘dinner to dinner fast’.
This kind of fasting has also been shown to help stave off degenerative brain conditions such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinsons.
Another type of fasting is Martin Berkhan’s 16-8 model.
Berkhan advises condensing your nutritional intake into an 8 hour ‘eating window’ to maximise hormonal benefits.
The idea behind the 16 hour fast is that you produce Growth Hormone when you sleep.
Eating shuts down the body’s ability to produce Growth hormone because of spikes in insulin levels.
By pushing back when your first meal and avoiding eating at night, you can maximise growth hormone production.
10am to 6pm eating window.
What does this mean for you?
Hugh Jackman used this model of Intermittent fasting for the last ‘Wolverine’ Movie.
Jackman credits this style of eating for getting him as lean and muscular as he ever has been.
John Romaniello also uses the 16-8 model but with a slight difference.
Romaniello adds in ‘cheat days’ which he calls the ‘Feast/Fast model with clients who have become used to the fasting model.
On the cheat days you can eat whatever you like but you follow this up with a 36 hour fast.
Romaniello states that this has not only physical benefits but also physiological and emotional benefits.
Dieting causes Leptin levels to drop which will slow down fat loss, the cheat day allows for the boosting of leptin which in turn increases the rate of fat loss.
Romaniello also says that putting a fast day after a cheat day does 2 things;
1: ‘Prevents any fat gain from the extra calories of the cheat day by creating an immediate deficit the following day.’ 2: ‘Prevents the slowing of fat loss and allows the hormonal benefits of the fast to proceed uninterrupted.’
What does this mean for you as a beginner to this way of eating?
These methods of fasting, when advised and monitored by an educated professional, could potentially help you to burn more fat and build lean muscle while getting some hormonal and even anti-aging effects, and did I mention that Wolverine uses it? #TrainSmart
For further information on Personal Training or The Better Bodies Challenge, please contact me through the link below. https://www.facebook.com/pages/Rushe-Fitness/120518884715118 * Emmet is the owner and operator of Rushe Fitness
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