How does intuitive fasting Diet work?

What is the Intuitive Fasting Diet?

Intuitive fasting is a dietary pattern that cycles between normal eating and fasting. If you're looking for more health benefits, or pound-shedding potential, than you plan to eat—and you also want to develop inner peace and a sense of being grounded—you may be attracted to intuitive fasting.

Intuitive fasting is known for its healing and weight-loss purposes, but may still offer more, says Will Cole, author of "Intuitive Fasting: A Flexible Four-Week Way to Recharge Your Metabolism and Renew Your Health." Intermittent fasting plan."

The four-week plan uses a variety of intermittent fasting protocols designed to recharge your metabolism, renew your cells, and rebalance your hormones, says a functional medicine practitioner. His plan combines elements of intermittent fasting with "spiritual eating" that fit mindfulness practices throughout the fasting period—so you make the fast a meditation.

Since this is a relatively new plan, there is a lack of research specifically supporting intuitive fasting, with the book published in 2021. However, its two major components are individually supported by evidence, Cole says. "There's a lot of research looking at intermittent fasting," he says. “And there is a lot of research looking at mindfulness practices. So, I wanted people to really lean into both.”

No food item is strictly prohibited. Instead, "I just want to educate people about what is being done to make their fasting easier," Cole says. "So focus on the nutrient-rich foods first."

Nutrient foods rich in vitamins, minerals, lean proteins, complex carbohydrates and healthy fats. They are also relatively low in calories, which can be a plus for weight loss.

"When someone stabilizes their blood sugar and they're eating a nutrient-dense diet and they feel satiated, fasting is much easier because they refuel during their eating window," says Cole. .

As it relates to eating, 'intuitive' means being able to look inside yourself and respect your body's signals of hunger and fullness to know when and what to eat. With intuitive fasting, Cole says, followers become more comfortable with their eating and fasting choices.

"Metabolic flexibility," says Cole, "is the body's ability to adapt to whatever fuel is available—the ability to use both your blood sugar and stored fat for food." They say that introducing the body to different types of fasting helps people regain that flexibility. Intuitive fasting involves a four-week plan in which you explore different fasting windows. By doing so, he says, you'll strengthen your metabolism, feel good throughout the day, reduce cravings and blood sugar crashes, and gain flexibility and intuition in your body.

How does intuitive fasting Diet work?

Here's a glimpse of the four-week plan that's put forth in the book "Intuitive Fasting":

Week 1 (12/12 Body Reset Fast). With a long feeding window of 12 hours, this fast is the least disruptive of the normal breakfast, lunch and dinner routine. You eat your last meal early in the evening, for example at 6 PM, and then you don't eat again until 6 AM the next day. (You choose your exact window time.)

Week 2 (14- to 18-Hour Metabolic Recharge Fast). Your fasting window has been extended from 14 to 18 hours. Your body will go deep into ketosis (fat burning). It aims to improve metabolic markers such as better blood sugar balance, lower levels of leptin – a hormone associated with hunger and appetite – and less inflammation.

Week 3 (20- to 22-Hour Cellular Renewal Fast). You complete these longest fasts, which basically allow one meal a day, every other day. Potential benefits include supporting cellular repair, among other longevity pathways.

Week 4 (12/12 Rebalancing Fast). Returning to the 12-hour fasting window from Week 1, you now increase nutritious carbohydrates such as fruit, sweet potatoes and rice.

At standard meal times, you can fill in the gaps during the fast with spiritual food. These are just mindfulness exercises such as:

10 minutes of meditation or prayer.
Neighborhood walk.
Forest bathing or other nature immersion.
Journaling.

As well as providing gentle, flexible fasting windows, a low-carb nutrition plan that helps you center yourself and make peace with food and your body. According to Cole, people who can do particularly well with intuitive fasting include those who are:

Struggling with fatigue
Struggling with resistance to weight loss.
Suffering from autoimmune problem.
Struggling with brain fog (which can tie into fatigue).

“Those are the people who are going to benefit the most, because they are struggling with some sort of inflammatory problem or metabolic issues, and those people do really well with the book,” Cole says.

Intuitive Fasting Overview

Intuitive fasting is:

Budget friendly.
friendly to the planet.
Can be adapted for vegetarians or vegans
Can be adapted to the gluten-free diet.
Can be adapted to halal or kosher diets.
low carb.
high fat.

What are the benefits of intuitive fasting?

Pros of Intuitive Fasting

nutritionally sound.
Diverse foods and tastes.
No counting carbs, points or calories.
Filling (when feeding windows) - It is rich in high fiber foods.
No off-limits foods or food groups.
A clearly defined plan with recipes.

Cons of Intuitive Fasting

You are likely to feel hungry while doing it.
Unsafe for some people.
Particularly little research to support this.
Nutrient deficiencies can occur during fasting.

Can I lose weight on intuitive fasting?

You will probably lose weight on intuitive fasting. You will consume significantly fewer calories than usual during the fasting period. In addition, you may have better weight maintenance if intuitive fasting helps to improve metabolism and reduce resistance to weight loss.

Short term weight loss

You are likely to lose weight in the first week of the plan, mainly due to the reduction in water weight. During any given fasting period, you will probably consume significantly fewer calories than you would otherwise.

One meta-analysis found that alternate-day fasting is an effective dietary method and may be better than a very low-calorie diet for people with obesity.

One systematic review found that participants lost 7 to 11 pounds over a 10-week period, with a maximum weight loss of 35 pounds over a 20-week period.

Long term weight loss

You can maintain weight loss by sticking to intuitive fasting over time. Another systematic review examines various intermittent fasting regimens for people who are overweight or obese.

Health benefits of intuitive fasting

To date, research focused specifically on intuitive fasting is lacking. However, research supports some health benefits from intermittent fasting and mindfulness, two key components of the plan:

Heart Disease

Obese people who followed either a high- or low-fat diet on fasting days showed weight loss as well.

According to the study, the intermittent fasting diet lowered total cholesterol and "bad" LDL cholesterol.

Meditation may support heart health by reducing high blood pressure, according to scientific statements from the American Heart Association.

Diabetes

A March 22 study also found that doing so may reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes.

Meditation led to a “significant” improvement in blood sugar control for patients with type 2 diabetes in the study, with improvements in emotional well-being as well.

Brain Health

A September 2021 review found "no clear evidence" of a positive short-term effect of intermittent fasting on cognition in healthy people. However, it does have benefits for people with epilepsy, Alzheimer's disease and multiple sclerosis in terms of symptoms and disease progression, the review noted.

Swelling

Intermittent fasting reduces inflammation by lowering blood levels of monocytes, cells that cause inflammation in the body, according to an August 2019 study.

Health Risks Of Intuitive Fasting

The causes can be dizziness, constipation, lightheadedness, muscle cramps and headache, especially in the beginning before your body has become accustomed to it.

Who should not try this diet?

Intuitive/intermittent fasting is not for everyone. People who should not perform the fasting protocol include:

pregnant women.
People with a history of eating disorders.
Those who are underweight.
Children, because they are still growing and developing.
People with type 1 diabetes.

Anyone with other medical conditions such as gout, liver, kidney or heart disease should talk to their doctors beforehand, as should anyone taking prescription medications.

Food List For Intuitive Fasting

Foods To Eat

Here are filling, nutritious foods for feeding windows:

Vegetables like leafy greens.
Fruits such as berries and pineapples.
Wild-caught fish, organic beef and grass-fed chicken.
Shrimp and Scallops.
Sweet potatoes and other starchy tubers.
Avocado, olives and extra virgin olive oil for healthy fats.

Foods to avoid or limit

No food item is strictly prohibited, but it can affect the results of fasting:

Sugar or artificial sweeteners.
Pasta.
Liquor.
milk products.
Grains containing gluten such as wheat, rye and barley.
Unhealthy fats such as processed meats.

By choosing foods according to you, you can make the diet vegetarian or vegan. The book "Intuitive Fasting" includes vegetarian, vegan, non-vegetarian and omnivorous dishes, Cole notes, and can all be made halal or kosher. The plan encourages gluten-free foods.

How to get started on intuitive fasting

Your best bet is to read through "intuitive fasting" to understand the concept behind the plan and refer to the weekly fasting description. You should talk to your doctor or consult a registered dietitian if you have any health concerns or questions, before starting.

Shopping lists for intuitive fasting Diet

Staples for pantry basic and effortless fasting include:
Leafy green produce such as kale and spinach.
Low-carb vegetables like zucchini and asparagus.
Jamun.
Sweet Potato.
Avocado and Olives.
Olive Oil.
nuts and seeds.
tea or coffee.
Himalayan pink sea salt (for electrolytes).
stock.

Eating out

Food You can eat outside food quite easily while feeding the windowsill. You are encouraged to stick to clean, nutrient-rich foods.

Recipes and meal ideas for intuitive fasting

Sample menu for intuitive fasting diet

An example of this) is drwill.com. It is recommended to eat from 12 noon to 6 pm, with your first meal at lunch.

Breakfast (liquids)

Tea, black coffee and plenty of water to stay hydrated during fasting Earl Gray tea with bergamot can enhance the benefits of fasting. Avoid ingredients like milk and sugar.

Lunch/First Meal (Afternoon)

Kale Caesar Salad with Egg. Nutrient-rich salad with dressing made from dark leafy greens, cage-free eggs and healthy fats.

Snack (2:30 pm)

Coconut-Lemon Smoothie with Macadamia Nuts. Smoothies and nuts provide good sources of healthy fats for lunch.

Dinner/Second Meal (5:30 PM)

Butter Sea Scallops on Garlic Snow Peas with Fresh Mint Salad. They are a good source of omega fats, and they provide lasting energy to help keep you satiated.

Why Doesn't Intuitive Eating Work?

Intuitive eating may not work if you're holding any sort of dietary beliefs, restrictive mindset, or aren't really trying to fix your relationship with food. If you have any diet culture in play, then Intuitive Eating will fail for you.

How do I start Intuitive eating?

Principles of Intuitive eating