Going WITHOUT Nutrition? The Revealed Benefits of Intermittent Fasting!
by Lani Muelrath, M.A. aka The Fitness DreamMaker
If you think IMF means "impossible missions force", then think again! If you think it means "international monetary fund", well, you might be right but actually not on this occasion!
It is the NEW acronym I've invented for what I call intermittent mini fasts.
I NEVER thought I'd say this, but….I have become a big fan of the intermittent mini!
WHAAT you say? Settle down! And I'll tell you all about it.
How it came up, what I learned, and what I did about it.
Taking Another Look
First, some personal history. Years ago, I dabbled in fasting as a weight loss tool. Horribly unguided, white-knuckle fasting that would pretty much go on as long as I could tolerate it. Then I'd try to "break the fast slowly" as all the experts advised, but I would run fast lane into binges and overeating. Stuff-starve at its worst!
Interestingly enough, over the past couple of years, as I am an avid reader and researcher of what's going on in the health and fitness fields, the idea of fasting seemed to be resurfacing as a health and longevity tool.
Because of my prior experience, and all the work that I had done to heal my relationship with food, eating, and my body, I dismissed and ignored all of these references. Did NOT want to go THERE! And as a foodie, someone who enjoys everything they eat (and won't eat anything I don't like, so there!) I was especially, shall we say, trepidacious!
However, references persisted, and I thought, OK Lani, let's take an objective look at see what this is all about. After all I am a new person, different from those years way back when. I've learned from experience, but I've also become able to look at things more objectively than ever before.
What Caught My Eye
As I began to let the material about fasting filter into my domain, I saw references that made me sit up and take attention. Particularly these phrases:
~ reduce inflammation
~ increase insulin sensitivity
~ decrease stress hormones
~ increase human growth hormone production
And of course:
~ reduce body fat stores without sacrificing muscle.
What? I'd been thinking since forever that fasting eats into our muscle mass. That it decreases your metabolism, and does all kinds of other things to wonk up our efforts to be trim!
NEW Research Proves "Fitness Fasting Mythology" Wrong!
There is lots of documentation out there that refutes these common beliefs about fasting.
But let me show you an easy place to find out a little bit for yourself.
The simplest, most direct presentation of this information is by my friend Brad Pilon, who has written a book about intermittent fasting called Eat Stop Eat. Brad is a nutrition researcher who did exhaustive, objective research on fairly recent studies done with intermittent fasting on a variety of subjects. It is all very well documented in his book, and it is an impressive collection, I must say!
Evidence To The Contrary
Here's what Brad found out.
First, many of the ill effects that we may associate with fasting occur after extended periods of fasting. Short-term fasts, as Brad details in his book, do NOT demonstrate negative effects and have been shown to improve many of the biomarkers as I have listed above. His documented research and "sciency" audio files available had me sit up and take notice!
Brad's "Fasting Files", as I call them, which are part of the Eat Stop Eat book, include all kinds of nuggets, such as this one: after several hours without caloric intake of any kind, there is a marked increase of fatty acids in the blood stream. If no food has been recently eaten to account for this, then where do the fatty acids come from? Possibly stores in the body?
The Benefits Are In The "Intermittent Mini"
In Eat Stop Eat, Brad promotes fasts of no longer than 24 hours. And only one or two times a week, depending on your goals. The beauty of this is you never go a day without eating! A common pattern is dinner to dinner, or lunch to lunch. So, if you ate dinner at 6 one day, your IMF would be until dinner at 6 the next day. And it is very flexible – you can work your way up!
I have found intermittent minis to deliver to me personally in many ways:
~ great energy on fast days
~ trimmer in my middle
~ PHENOMENAL returns for my clients who have been utilizing this technique themselves.
Great deliver in terms of gentle weight loss, good energy, improved relationship with food and
eating, appetite moderation (quite possibly the increased insulin sensitivity), and detected
decrease of inflammation in the system.
Now, you might be thinking – as I did – if you were to fast for the day up to dinner, that all you-know-what would break lose when it came time for dinner. C'mon, I know that's what you're thinking! Because I was certain of it.
But you know what? That didn't happen. And it hasn't happened for me during the several weeks that I have been enjoying the many benefits of the IMF. As I already, said, I never thought I'd say it, but….me likey!
Filed under ADD & ADHD, Allergies, Arthritis, Asthma, Cancer, Colon Health, Healthy Foods, Menopause, Migraines, Weight Loss by on Nov 3rd, 2008. 
by Lani Muelrath M.A., the Fitness Dream Maker
Need to get clear about planning a nutritious eating plan? There is some breakthrough software that completely simplifies the process for you!
We know – or we SHOULD all know by now – that we build our health – and dig our graves – with our eating utensils. As a holistic fitness coach, I find that my clients come to me with a broad spectrum of understanding regarding what does constitute a healthy and balanced diet.
At the same time, they can have been so inundated with conflicting information that they don't know where to begin – so they just throw up their hands (and forks!) and eat what I call "chaotically".
And more often than not, chaotic eating delivers chaotic results.
I have just reviewed some very simple software that is designed for in-home (as well as professional) use. Meal Plans 101 is easily down loadable upon purchase or can be bought as a hard copy CD as well.
Here's how it works, once you've down loaded the software.
1) Enter your personal data: height, weight, weight goals (lose, maintain, or gain?)
2) Select what ratio of macro nutrients to which you wish to aspire with your dietary balance
3) Select from the food lists provided desired options for each exchange. In other words, you are building a daily balanced diet from foods that YOU like!
4) Click "enter", and a printable page with your day's selection and appropriate quantities to your weight goals is produced.
There you have it! You can also go in and change preferences at any time, if your goals need adjusting. It thus becomes an organic tool that grows with you as your weight loss, health, and dietary needs change. Simple!
For anyone who desires to get back on track with balanced structure to their eating day, this may be just the ticket. This provides convenience and support for anyone considering improving their dietary intake – whether for weight, allergy, or preventative diabetes, for example.
Lots more details – and easy online ordering – at Meal Plans 101.
Claim your FR*EE "7 Surefire Solutions for Fitness, Energy, and Weight Loss That LASTS!" Special Report AND weekly Lani's FitDream eZine, with fitness info, insights, motivation, and inspiration!
Filed under Allergies, Blog, Diabetes, Healthy Foods, Men's Health, Menopause, Motivation, Weight Loss by on Aug 19th, 2008.
by Lani Muelrath, M.A.
According to a recent study published by the British Journal of Nutrition, eating a small handful of almonds daily can powerfully protect one against appetite surges, increase satiety -thus enhancing weight control – as well as lower LDL cholesterol.
I always have a jar of raw almonds in my fridge and most days will enjoy a few as an appetizer before a meal. For some time I have been aware of their strong nutritional profile and blood sugar stabilizing qualities. Thus, I am always pleased to read about new research underscoring the benefits of this relatively unmined gem.
As a matter of fact, "the researchers found that when people were eating the 344 calories worth of almonds every day they were, in total, only taking in an extra 77 calories. This is because the participants naturally compensate for the great majority of the calories in almonds, about 74 percent, as they found them to be satiating, or satisfying. A further portion of these extra daily 77 calories was offset because the fibre structure of almonds blocked the fat in almonds from being fully absorbed." (Medical News Today)
Almonds are also an excellent dietary source of vitamin E, magnesium, and fatty acids. This contributes to the satiety factor of nibbling some almonts daily as a nutritional boost AND as a natural appetite management tool. The deep nutrition and dietary fiber in almonds are a powerful dietary ally!
Some personal commentary? When it comes right down to it, studies such as this underscore the value of whole, unprocessed, natural foods and the nutrient density of same. With almonds, you are enjoying a tidy package of quality fats, protein, fiber, and micronutrients. Let this be a guiding light for other elements of your dietary intake.
Read the overview of the British Journal of Nutrition almond study here:
P.S. Be sure to claim your FREE Special Report AND weekly FitDream eZine, with fitness info, insights, motivation, and inspiration!
Filed under Fiber Health Facts, Healthy Foods, Men's Health, Vitamin E, Weight Loss by on Aug 9th, 2008. 1 Comment.
by Lani Muelrath, M.A. aka "the Fitness DreamMaker"
I've got to admit, this is one of my all-time favorite book titles.
That's right, Death by Modern Medicine. it's a book title! Let me tell you more about it.
It's an all-new eBook release from Dr. Carolyn Dean, my all-time favorite MD/Naturopathic Doctor, good friend, and colleague in teh quest to bring wellness, good preventative self-care, and holistic health optimism everywhere!
For now, back to the book.
Death by Modern Medicine….Seeking Safe Solutions ("when ONE medicine is the ONLY cure…") says it all in a headline and connects right to the heart – and gut – immediately!
With her chocked up years of experience as BOTH an M.D. and Naturopathic doctor, Carolyn Dean knows how to riffle through the riffraff and come up with safe alternatives….BEFORE you get to the doctor.
We all know that modern meds have their place, including Dr. Dean – and we all suspect that they are relied on far too heavily as well. Am I right?
Death by Modern Medicine (2005 edition) won the 2006 Independent Publisher Book Award for "Most Progressive Health Book." It has been referenced by thousands of people around the world, most notably by Shirley MacLaine in her new book Sage-ing While Age-ing. In the three years since the first edition, much has changed; some things for the better and some things have gotten worse.
Author, Dr. Carolyn Dean, is often asked on radio shows to confirm that natural medicine is becoming more widely accepted and benefiting the general population. She really sees no evidence of this happening. As long as allopathic medicine remains the gatekeeper of access to health services and insurance reimbursement, people with other skills will not be allowed to play in that sandbox. Even worse, allopathic medicine continues to prosecute doctors who offer health care that is outside the standard practice of medicine, which is limited to drugs and surgery. There can be no renaissance in medicine with such limitations to our freedom of choice and free will.
Dr. Dean's eBook can be purchased and downloaded immediately via this page…
Filed under Blog, Drug Companies Exposed, Healthy Foods by on Jul 20th, 2008.
Growing your own organic food is a wise choice. Growing organic foods is better for both the environment and also healthier for your body. However, it is not an easy task. It is a standard known fact that the land we use to grow organic produce should be at least three years without pesticides.
Health benefits include higher nutrient levels and lower pesticide residue. Also you can be assured that there are no additives, such as, preservatives and food colorings which cause chemical imbalance in the body. The soil, water and air are likewise benefited.
During animal feeding trials, it was discovered that animals that were fed with organically grown food had noticeable improvement in overall health and recovery from illness. It would be very beneficial to have more organically grown food as an option in our stores to choose from, which would provide for a much healthier lifestyle for many people.
As people are becoming more and more conscious of their health, organically grown foods are becoming more available. An organic diet will improve overall health in more ways than one. You will have the benefit of extra fiber in a natural diet of unrefined foods which helps the digestive system and the complete body to function more naturally. Organic grown produce has greater nutritional value than those grown commercially.
It can often get more expensive to eat healthy organic foods in the short term, but in the long term it could save from expensive hospital and doctor bills and you will more than likely experience a longer, healthier life span. By changing your lifestyle and eating healthy foods, you will improve on your health, giving your body the ability to enhance the immune system, which in turn, helps to ward off illness and disease caused by toxins in the body.
Organic food is natural and very delicious to the taste, without all the pesticides that are present in commercially grown foods. You should choose to eat mostly fruits and vegetables, as there is much nutritional content that will work together to keep a clean and healthy colon. We are constantly surrounded with environment of fast and processed foods which are so lacking in the nutrition that is found in nature. It is also considered that obesity may be caused in great part by a lack of good nutrition. Those that are concerned with fighting against diseases already know that the human body was designed to fight off diseases before they establish themselves.
Consumers,by a large part, are not aware of all the chemicals and pesticides that are in commercially grown foods. Therefore, they are not aware of the enormous benefits of organically grown food. There are more and more horror stories that should cause people to be aware of the danger of the poisonous chemicals that are killing our children and families.
Filed under Organic Foods by on Jun 23rd, 2008.
