Ask the Pharmacist

Q: I heard of some people adopting intermittent fasting regimens to their lifestyle. What exactly is that?

A: For many of us, our lifestyle choices keep us on our devices for long periods of the day. In other words, we do much sitting in front of a screen, be it a television, computer, tablet or mobile phone. Many of us do not make time for physical activity either, or not enough time.

There is a new saying that sitting is the new smoking, meaning that our inactivity puts us at a higher risk of heart disease and other diseases, such as obesity and Type 2 diabetes. Add to that our habit of eating three meals most days and our propensity to snack throughout the day. We also like to “treat” ourselves when we have had a rough day, a long day, a sad day, and even a great day.

One thought is that eating and snacking continually most of the day and into the night alters our microbiology and may lead to unwanted cell growth. This, in turn, can result in cancer developing in our body. Not only that, but the increased calories also increase our weight and, in turn, increases our risk of many life-long medical conditions, such as diabetes, high cholesterol, etc.

There are several versions of intermittent fasting and all of them involve abstaining from eating for a set period of time. They differ with the frequency (daily versus some days of the week) and/or length of abstaining.

Here are some examples of intermittent fasting:
 

• 12-hour fast - In this version, one simply does not eat for 12 consecutive hours each day. Most will incorporate sleep during the 12-hour fast which makes it more tolerable. An example of this fast would be to fast between 7 p.m. and 7 a.m.
• 16-hour fast: - This version is the same as the 12-hour fast except the window for fasting is longer at 16 hours. An example for this type would be to fast between 8 p.m. and Noon.
• 5:2 diet - This fasting schedule follows standard eating habits five days of the week and reduced calorie intake (generally about 600 calories for men and 500 calories for women) on the other two days of the week. In this scenario, it is best to separate the fasting days and not have them on consecutive days.
• Eat-Stop-Eat diet: This diet involves a 24-hour fast once or twice per week with regular eating patterns on the other days. An example of this type would be to fast from breakfast to breakfast or lunch to lunch.
• One-Meal-A-Day (OMAD) or Warrior diet: This is a more extreme form of fasting and involves a daily 20- to 23-hour fasting with a one- to four-hour eating window.

Intermittent fasting is a lifestyle choice that people adopt to lose weight. After a few hours without food, our body's sugar stores are exhausted and it begins to burn fat which is what many are seeking to accomplish. During your fast, you are encouraged to drink plenty of fluids (water, black coffee/tea). During your eating phase, it is important to include plenty of vegetables, protein, fibre, healthy fats and some carbohydrates.

There is some concern that the more extreme forms of fasting may lead to a lack of specific nutrients. Remember to keep your food choices wise and not fill your calories up with fast-food and junk food. Following the Mediterranean Diet is encouraged, whether you choose to adopt an intermittent fasting protocol or not.

Some benefits of intermittent fasting:
 

• Enhanced thinking and memory
• Improved blood pressure and heart rate
• Weight loss
• Lower blood-sugar levels
• Reduced inflammation
• Improved immune system
• Better sleep
• Improved medical conditions, such as inflammatory bowel disease

If you are thinking about making a lifestyle change and adopting one of the intermittent-fasting protocols, you may want to discuss this topic with a health-care provider. Though intermittent fasting may be fine for many, it is important to consider the following:
 

• Along with losing weight, these fasting regimens might put people at risk of also losing muscle mass. Researchers have discovered that about 20-30 per cent of weight lost on a typical calorie-restricted diet is indeed muscle. Compare this to the approximate 65-per-cent muscle loss when adopting the time-restricted eating diet. Older adults appear to lose more muscle mass than younger adults.
• intermittent fasting is not considered safe for:
  • Pregnant or nursing mothers
  • Malnourished individuals
  • People with low blood sugar
  • Children
  • People with history of eating disorders

If you are given the green light and are interested in trying one of the intermittent-fasting options, consider starting with a 12-hour fasting period each day. As mentioned above, this would entail not eating from 8 p.m. to 8 a.m., or 9 p.m. to 9 a.m., as an example. If you are an evening snacker, this would be ideal and a great place to start to remove some unhealthy eating habits.

Once you feel you have good control and are tolerating the 12-hour fast, you may want to try the 16-hour fast. Ultimately, this will provide even more benefit to your body but the timing can be difficult to manage. This is a great opportunity to choose to ingest your last food of the day a little earlier. If your schedule will permit, try eating your evening meal around 5 p.m. and have your next meal at 9 a.m. the following day. This timing may not be conducive to many people who have commitments that do not allow an early dinner or breakfast as late as 9 a.m. The earlier you ingest your last food of the day, the better it is for your body.

For more information about this or any other health-related questions, contact the pharmacists at Gordon Pharmasave, Your Health and Wellness Destination. Also check the website at www.gordon-pharmasave.com/ and the Facebook page at www.facebook.com/GordonPharmasave/.