Eating window

Intermittent fasting keeps your blood sugar low, supports the production of anti-inflammatory ketones, and fosters a vital cellular detox and clean-up process called autophagy.

Complete this habit when successfully following the schedule.

Intermittent fasting helps prevent diabetes, obesity, and other metabolic diseases.

The easiest way to start intermittent fasting is by eating in a window of 12 hours, e.g., between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. The most important part is not to eat after 7 p.m. to let blood sugar fall and finish digestion before bed. 

Feel free to adjust the eating schedule to your natural daily rhythm, yet make sure that there is a 12-hour fasting window and that you resist eating at least three hours before bedtime. The general recommendation is to consume your food during the daytime, leaving enough time for your body to burn calories and avoid storing them as fat. However, if your job requires you to work nights and sleep during the day - adjust your fasting schedule accordingly. 

Lengthening fasting duration

Ideally, you want at least a 16-hour window of not eating or not eating very much. The time left for eating can be gradually shortened. Most people prefer to skip breakfast and enjoy their first meal of the day around 11 a.m. or later. Skipping lunch won’t benefit you since there will be no space to continue your night fasting period.

Starting intermittent fasting might be challenging at first due to a lack of energy in the mornings. But regularly restraining glucose intake from the external world will shift how the body operates. In a few weeks, the process of gluconeogenesis will start (i.g. the liver starts making glucose at a steady level). Gluconeogenesis will eliminate brain fog and make you feel more focused and you will begin experiencing improved well-being shortly. 

The trick that helps to fight food cravings and reach this hunger-free state is keeping your body filled with fluids - coffee, tea, or hot water. If hunger becomes unbearable, eat a few nuts. Nuts are rich in protein, and protein reduces appetite rapidly.

Impact

Intermittent fasting is scientifically proven to positively impact our health and life span and foster epigenetic reprogramming, including DNA methylation.

Fasting states

1. Anabolic 0-4 hours:

   • Blood glucose levels rise.

   • Increase in insulin secretion.

   • The body breaks down carbs, protein, and fat into glucose, amino acids, and fatty acids.

   • Excess glucose is converted into glycogen and stored in the liver.

2. Catabolic 4-12 hours:

   • Blood sugar levels drop.

   • Decrease in insulin secretion.

   • Blood glucose levels start moving toward its normal levels.

   • Activation of gluconeogenesis (when energy is used from non-carbohydrate substances).

3. Initiated fat burning 12-18 hours:

   • Insulin secretion decreases.

   • The body starts using power from stored glycogen in the liver.

   • Activated fat-burning processes.

   • At the moment body is fueled by both metabolic pathways (fat burning and breakdown of glycogen), stores glucose.

4. Active Ketosis 18-36 hours:

   • Increased ketosis and fat-burning processes.

   • Increased ketone bodies in the blood as an energy fuel for the brain.

   • The body starts utilizing fats for energy.

   • Increased rejuvenation and healing processes.

   • Improved cognitive functions.

5. Deep Ketosis 36+ hours:

   • Decreased insulin secretion.

   • Increased secretion of growth hormone.

   • Muscle protein catabolism (muscle mass loss).

   • Increased lipolysis (fat burning).

Kelly, K. P., McGuinness, O. P., Buchowski, M., Hughey, J. J., Chen, H., Powers, J., Page, T., & Johnson, C. H. (2020). Eating breakfast and avoiding late-evening snacking sustains lipid oxidation. PLoS biology, 18(2), e3000622. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pbio.3000622

Longo, V. D., & Panda, S. (2016). Fasting, Circadian Rhythms, and Time-Restricted Feeding in Healthy Lifespan. Cell metabolism, 23(6), 1048–1059. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cmet.2016.06.001