14 LOSE IT! VOLUME 30
view, if you are a woman dealing
with hormonal imbalances,
thyroid issues or adrenal fatigue,
IF may not be the best option.
Fasting can throw your hormones
out of balance and mess with both
your menstrual cycle and sleep
patterns. Even when executed
wisely, IF might not be what
your body needs – and that’s
okay. What isn’t okay is pushing
ahead regardless.
On a positive note, IF is a
simple and easy weight-loss
strategy. Skipping meals means
less time in the kitchen and
eliminates the need to count
calories or macronutrient ratios.
It is just another way of eating
less, improving insulin sensitivityand encouraging your body to
burn its own fat stores for energy.
Of course, what is important to
remember is that if you over-
consume calories and/or eat all
the wrong foods in your eating
window, any benefit that might
have been gained during the
fasting period will be lost, and
fat loss hindered.A woman’s hormones are very
sensitive to external stressors.
From an evolutionary perspective,
this protective mechanism ensures
that procreation is hindered
when conditions aren’t ideal for
bringing a baby into the world.
Attempting to fast for too long* Start slowly.
* Ideally, keep a fast to between
12 and 16 hours.
* Don’t fast for longer than
24 hours.
* Don’t fast on consecutive days.
* Drink plenty of fluids such as
water, bone broth and herbal
teas while fasting.
* Opt for gentler exercises such as
yoga, walking or Pilates on your
fasting days.or too frequently can trigger a
stress response since the body
interprets the lack of food as
starvation. Essentially, your body
doesn’t know that you’re fasting
by choice, and during times
of stress, the stress hormone
cortisol becomes elevated and
the production of oestrogen and
progesterone decrease. Imagine a
domino effect: when one hormone
is thrown off balance, the rest
are affected. If the stress persists,
cortisol becomes too low, resulting
in adrenal fatigue. Hormonal
imbalance has implications for
fertility, mood, energy levels and
weight management.
For some women, adding
a fasting protocol on top oftheir daily routine of too little
sleep, overly intense workouts,
a stressful job, emotional/
relationship stress and even the
toxic load of chemicals from
cleaning and beauty products,
can be the straw that breaks the
camel’s back. You need to evaluate
your personal situation carefully.
Ask yourself whether your body
can handle the additional stress
of fasting or whether you need
to find ways to reduce your other
stressors before attempting it.In general, women are better
off adopting a more relaxed
approach to IF than men. A man’shormones are more robust and
they seem to gain all the benefits
of IF with hardly any drawbacks.
It’s difficult to define exactly what
a more relaxed approach is (since
study data is sparse) but here are
some guidelines to help you on
your way:Those new to a low-carb lifestyle
should ideally eat this way for
at least three months before
incorporating IF. Fasting in a
fat-adapted state is much easier
for the body to handle. If your
attempts at IF lead to intensified
hunger or cravings, changes in
your menstrual cycle, disturbed
sleep, a drop in energy levels, poor
concentration or just generally not
feeling well – stop fasting. And
if you currently struggle with
or have a history of disordered
eating, give IF a pass altogether.
Lynne Maccallum, a clinical
nutritionist and functional
medicine practitioner based in
the Western Cape, says that
in her clinical practice she has
seen positive benefits when IF is
implemented in the correct way.