In this Balls Deep podcast episode, Dr. Joe Pazona and co-host Cat Williams deeply expound on the premise of intermittent fasting (IF) by explaining it in a manner suitable for all participants, whether they are new to the idea or well-versed in health matters. If you have been listening to the concept of intermittent fasting and want to know what it is or if it would be useful for you, this episode is for you. Keep reading to learn more about the effectiveness of intermittent fasting.
What is Intermittent Fasting?
Taking up intermittent fasting, as one can glean from the name, is not the same as dieting in the conventional way of doing it. Dr. Joe explains that in a nutshell, intermittent fasting entails the absence of food from one’s mouth for the duration of 24 hours. However, given that the average person on the street would find that anywhere from fair to impossible, the more convenient alternative is time restricted feeding. This means choosing a specific portion of the day that you will consume food, and skipping the rest of the time.
You may want to begin with the 16/8 method, which requires fasting for 16 hours and allowing feeding periods or eating windows for 8 hours within a 24-hour cycle. If you end your supper by 6 p.m., you should not have any food afterwards until 10 a.m the day after. This helps reduce your insulin levels more effectively and helps your physiology change from syphoning off energy to recycling body fat energy.
Why Does Intermittent Fasting Work?
The principle of intermittent fasting is simply the lowering of insulin levels, which is a means of giving a rest from food processing activity. Sustained high insulin levels cause insulin resistance, which is the precursor for type 2 diabetes. Because you reduce the window during which you eat, burning stored body fat for energy becomes easier since normal insulin levels can be sustained.
This can also help mitigate the risk of the cycle of binge eating, in this case uncontrolled late-night snacking, where people eat things that do not contribute to their health and endanger their sleep-compulsory energy expanding functionality due to high insulin levels. To get health benefits, a 12-hour fast is usually sufficient and even such a simple change will result in weight loss and a feeling of well-being.
Intermittent Fasting and its Effects on Health
Dr. Joe focuses on the health benefits of intermittent fasting apart from shedding weight and resets even type 2 diabetes. It should be noted that this therapy, intermittent fasting, prevents insulin resistance, which is the core problem in type 2 diabetes. Adhering to such timetables of when to eat has enabled some people to completely satisfactorily reverse that qualification and, altogether do away with prescription medications.
This device is especially crucial in the field of urology where Dr. Joe practices because illnesses such as type 2 diabetes predispose patients to bladder dysfunction and erectile dysfunction, very prevalent medical issues of his patients.
Who Should (and Shouldn’t) Try Intermittent Fasting?
Intermittent fasting is a rather handy method, but it is not meant for all. That’s why Dr. Joe warns that if you are interested in gaining more muscles, then fasting is out of the equation. This is because the body can either be in storage mode (muscle building) or burning mode (fat oxidation). It is very difficult to do them at the same time. Particularly if you are in a bulking cycle, intermittent fasting will have to be modified in conjunction with nutritional timing and workout schedules.
In addition to this, it is very critical to honor one’s body. In such instances where users’ undergo intermittent fasting and do not feel right doing this, then this approach may not be for them — and that is fine. There are plenty of other strategies that can be applied to weight management as well as health management.
Getting Offline and Trying Things Pragmatically
Some buffered suggestions when adopting intermittent fasting are shared by Dr. Joe. First, set a more comfortable eating window, 10 to 12 hours, then slim that down to an 8 hour window. The eating window will require some self-discipline, however, it is essential to fast for long hours and only allow oneself two meals. That does not imply that self-help or fasting techniques where users do not eat for an extended period of time are appropriate, not at all; but fasting only as abstaining from all foods is not practical in the present day — hardly anyone can handle that.
And, while there is a fast, it is important to use the positive side of it — take advantage of it by feeding your body properly in the other hours. Having a dinner rich with proteins and vegetables should help with those night munchies.
Key Takeaways
With an intermittent fasting approach to dieting, people can lose weight and get prevent type 2 diabetes, as it helps the system to burn off fat stores while significantly reducing the level of insulin resistance in the body.
Go big and begin with serenity. Begin with fasting for 12 hours and progress to extended periods of fasting.
This is something that people working out with weights or those who do not feel well when practicing this approach should avoid.
By looking at the evidence-based arguments made behind the concept of intermittent fasting, this episode aims to forge the understanding of how this very simple, but yet vastly underused, method helps fight obesity and metabolic diseases. It is an easy change to one’s day to day routine that does not require any costly procedures or drastic dietary measures — and for a lot of people it could be the missing puzzle piece to a healthier existence.
If you want to know more about intermittent fasting or Pazona MD, reach out to us.
Disclaimer: The content of this podcast is intended for general purposes and is not intended to be a substitute for medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Medical attention should always be sought for any concerning medical issues or conditions.
