Hungry? ... then don't eat

     Good day to the Frosh hungry public. I am a man with his faults, I can admit that. I am also not without controversy as well. Today we hit up on a "hot-button" issue (our diet) and take a look at a controversial and, often, misunderstood diet... Intermittent Fasting!

Where the hell is the food?!

     Intermittent Fasting (or IF) has been studied and written about for over the last 15 years. Why have you not heard of it? Well, maybe the sure thought of not eating will mess with peoples perceptions on a healthy diet (even I'm skeptical). What I'm not talking about, is Calorie Restriction (at least not entirely). Calorie Restriction would mean that everyday we have very small portions that add up to a fraction of our recommended daily caloric intake. What IF means, is that every other day you reduce the amount you eat.

     So let's try to define this a little better. On your IF day, you will consume 20-50% of what you normally eat, and this is done by skipping meals. So you may skip breakfast... still feeling alright? Try skipping lunch. For dinner you don't need to binge to make-up for what you didn't eat (that would be missing the point), just have a normal meal. The next day, eat as you normally would... healthy, clean meals.

Does he look hungry?

      Above is a picture of Spencer Hendel. Ol' Spence place 17th at this years CrossFit Games, quite the impressive feat itself. In interviews Spencer goes on to talk about his diet... Intermittent Fasting! He feels an functions better on IF, as was even using it while participating at the games... seems like the diet works well for some doesn't it?

     So maybe you're not a WOD-killing, Iron-eating Fire Breather (neither am I). What can we expect from an IR diet. Well, studies in the lab have shown the following:

• Weight Loss (obviously)
• Reduced blood glucose and insulin levels (markers of improved health)
• Increased fatty acid oxidation
• Maintenance of lean mass (muscle)
• Reduced inflammation
• Increased cellular stress resistance (esp of heart and brain)
• Decreased risks associated with degenerative diseases of aging (cancers, heart diseases, diabetes, Alzheimers)

     So I'm just giving you a little glimpse into the IF world. You should, of course, consult with a Doc/Dietitian/Leeny before attempting a diet like this. If you're interested do a little looking around on your own. Even Mark Sisson (of the Primal Blueprint fame) weighed in on a faily positive note on IF (http://www.marksdailyapple.com/fasting/). So what do you think? Lunch is on me today!


The Simpsons Tik Tok from Hugo Pereira on Vimeo.

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