The Truth About Intermittent Fasting: It's Not for Everyone

If intermittent fasting has gained immense attention for its potential benefits, including fat loss, improved metabolism, digestive relief, reduced inflammation, and blood sugar stability, then it would be reasonable to assume it is beneficial for everyone, right?

But that's actually not the case. Although intermittent fasting can be a great tool, it's not a one-size-fits-all solution.

I want to take a little time to explain why stepping into intermittent fasting should be done with caution and consideration.

What is intermittent fasting?

Intermittent fasting has been a popular diet regimen that is an eating pattern where you cycle between periods of eating and fasting.

It not about which foods to eat, but rather when you should eat.

A popular schedule is fasting 16 hours and then eating all of your meals in a window of 8 hours (i.e. only eating 12:00pm–8:00pm). During fasting hours, water, black coffee, or is allowed, but no food during this fasting time.

This can feel strict for some people and many have to fight through hunger, brain fog, and weakness—signs from your body that it NEEDS nutrients.

Considerations Before Fasting

1. Past or present disordered eating behaviors

Individuals with a history of disordered eating behaviors, whether diagnosed or undiagnosed, should approach intermittent fasting with care. Fasting can potentially trigger or worsen these behaviors and thoughts.

2. Intense physical training

Intense physical training can place significant stress on the body. When combined with fasting, it may exacerbate symptoms and lead to negative symptoms such as headaches, energy crashes, mental health issues, binge eating, and digestive problems like bloating.

3. Digestive issues and autoimmunity

Digestive issues stemming from autoimmunity, hormone imbalances, or stress may get worse by fasting. It's important to consider whether fasting will improve or worsen these conditions, and a medical professional can help you do that.

4. Hormone imbalances

Individuals with hormone imbalances, including thyroid and adrenal issues, need to be careful with intermittent fasting. Fasting could potentially disrupt the delicate hormonal balance, including stress and sex hormones, in these cases.

5. Diabetes and blood sugar issues

For those with diabetes or blood sugar issues, skipping meals can be risky and may lead negative symptoms from blood sugar fluctuations. Especially for those with diabetes and blood sugar issues, skipping meals can be dangerous unless under the guidance of a doctor.

The Pitfall of Blindly Following Trends or Diets

One of the main issues with intermittent fasting is the tendency for individuals to follow trends blindly. The problem with diets and trends is not the actual diet themselves, but WHY people are starting them.They may just jump in without educating themselves on the right way to introduce it or whether or not it's right for themselves.

Just because it works for someone else doesn't guarantee it will work for you. We might see a lot of results on Social Media from people who swear by fasted workouts and intermittent fasting, but we don't get their health history, what symptoms they may not be showing, or their stress levels.

Let me tell you, I fasted for years—blindly—and I didn't want to recognize how horrible it was making me feel because I really wanted it to be the solution. Fasting can go awry when we adopt an "all or nothing" mentality. Persistent symptoms like headaches, energy crashes, mental health challenges, binge eating, and digestive issues could be red flags. It's essential to listen to your body's feedback and not assume that discomfort is a sign of progress. Educating before moving forward is the first step.

But What If fasting Already Works for Me?

Now if you are reading this and you are thinking, "Madalyn, I love fasting, it has changed my life!" Then I would have to say, if you're already benefiting from intermittent fasting, this may not apply to you. Your health habits should be in alignment with your health factors and personal experimentation. Objective feedback from your body, in the form of symptoms, should help to guide your choices.

Considering Stress on the Body

Intermittent fasting introduces an additional stressor to the body. Just as with exercise, the right amount of stress can be beneficial to strengthen how the body works. However, with excessive stress, both exercise and fasting can lead to inflammation, weight retention, and negative digestive and energy symptoms.

Women and Intermittent Fasting

Women, in particular, need to be careful due to their sensitive hormone systems. Extended periods of fasting may not be beneficial for those already under significant stress, experiencing inadequate sleep, engaging in excessive exercise, or facing hormone, thyroid, or adrenal issues. Considering the typical daily stress from work, home life responsibilities, relationships, and the typical "go, go, go" mentality, a lot of our society is already under a huge amount of stress.

Start Here: Tips on Fasting, Naturally

We innately fast between meals and while we sleep.

It's important to allow time—around 3–4 hours–without eating between meals so that our bodies can digest the food we eat and allow our sweeping mechanism to do its "housecleaning" job and move residual undigested food out from our digestive system. This system is called the Migrating Motor Complex (MMC). A distinct pattern of electromechanical activity that happens in our digestive system's smooth muscle between meals.

The time between meals is important to reduce bad bacterial overgrowth which could lead to digestive issues, like bloating, constipation/diarrhea, food sensitivities, leaky gut, and Small Intestinal Bacteria Overgrowth (SIBO)

Sleep is also a time that we fast, without having to force it. One rule of thumb that I recommend is to leave 12 hours between your dinner and breakfast the next day. This allows enough time for the body to digest, detox, and do all of it's repair work overnight. It also give the digestive system a break from working, without having to force through hunger, brain fog, and symptoms of blood sugar dysregulation.

Before jumping into a 16/8 hour fasting/eating window, following these easier fasting tips between meals and at night are more of a gentile approach and can be a good place to start before deciding to dive into a restrictive fasting schedule.

Is Intermittent Fasting Right for You?

There is no one-size-fits all diet because we are all uniquely designed, so intermittent fasting does beg the question: "Who is it good for?" In short, intermittent fasting can be beneficial for healthier individuals who can handle added stress, provided they don't face underlying health conditions. Those who prioritize stress management, rest, and sleep may find intermittent fasting works well for them. However, if you haven't established a foundation of healthy lifestyle, nutrition, and mindset behaviors, intermittent fasting may not be the quick-fix solution that you're looking for.

If you need help navigating what nutrition and lifestyle modifications would work best for you, then I'd love to chat with your about your goals! Book a free consultation to start getting some answers.

*Always consult with a healthcare professional before making changes to your eating and lifestyle habits. If you are considering intermittent fasting, talk with your doctor first.