Intermittent Fasting: My Years-Long Evolution

Intermittent fasting is a health strategy I utilize both personally and for patients at my telehealth functional medicine center. By abstaining from food for a period, you can trigger numerous health benefits like reduced disease risk, decreased cravings, increased longevity pathways, and lower inflammation. It also provides your gut a break from digestion, which can be beneficial for those with chronic gut issues.

My intermittent fasting routine has continued to evolve over my clinical experience, and I advocate for flexibility. There are many methods of intermittent fasting, and each person must determine which is best for them.

As I've witnessed firsthand, different life stages require different fasting practices. Sometimes your fasting routine will change from week to week. This flexible fasting approach is explored in detail in my upcoming book, Intuitive Fasting. Before examining my own evolution with fasting, let's explore some common fasting practices.

Eating occurs between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. This plan allows you to eat breakfast, lunch, and dinner within normal hours while still getting 14 hours of uninterrupted fasting time in a day.

This plan is identical to the beginner plan but with an additional four hours of fasting time. You'll be getting a full 18 hours of fasting and only eat between 12 p.m. and 6 p.m., skipping breakfast.

You'll be eating clean (think vegetables, animal protein, and healthy fats) for five days of the week, and on the remaining two days, your calories will be restricted to no more than 700 calories.

Similar to the previous plan, you'll be eating clean for five days of the week. However, the other two days you won't eat anything for 24 hours, and these days must be nonconsecutive. For example, you'll fast completely on Sunday and Wednesday.

This plan is extremely simple: alternate between days of eating and not eating.

OMAD, short for "One Meal A Day," is a 23:1 fasting-to-eating window, meaning you fast for 23 hours and eat all your food in just one hour. Usually, this involves breaking your fast at dinner, but some prefer breakfast or lunch instead.

When I first started incorporating fasting into my wellness routine, I began with the 8-6 window plan, as I advise most of my patients to do. Since I had never restricted my food intake before, I knew it was going to be an adjustment.

Since I was already following a clean ketotarian diet, which complements intermittent fasting, it was easier for me to move up to more intensive fasting practices. Over time, I found what worked best for me and my daily routine. I strongly believe that wellness should be approached with grace and ease. Fasting should be intuitive, so pay attention to your body.

I love doing OMAD when traveling for work. It's an easy way to minimize the health risks of flying, such as jet lag and air pressure changes that can be tough on digestion. I stay hydrated with lots of water and enjoy sipping Earl Grey tea. Why Earl Grey? It contains bergamot oil, which has the polyphenol EGCG1, known to support autophagy (one of the benefits of intermittent fasting). I feel great on those days and enjoy it. It's crazy, right? But I don't do it every day, and many of my patients over the years have found success incorporating occasional OMAD days.

On other days when I'm seeing patients, I typically do an 18-hour fast, eating between noon and 6 p.m., breaking my fast at lunchtime. But regardless of my fasting practice, I make sure to stay hydrated and drink my Earl Grey tea.

Then there are days when I eat three regular meals and don't fast at all. I always listen to my body and any cues it gives me, allowing me to fast in a healthy and sustainable way.

Fasting should be a positive experience, not a source of stress or misery. Choose a fasting method that aligns with your individual needs and body, or opt out entirely if that's what feels right. Don't force yourself into a method just because it's perceived as the 'right' way. Everyone is different, and what works for one person might not work for another.