I tried Intermittent Fasting and these were the Unexpected Benefits
I first heard about intermittent fasting 5 or 6 years ago. My initial reaction was skeptical. Why would someone benefit by not eating for 16–18 hours?
But I kept on bumping into success stories. People that I have great respect for told stories of the transformation that their bodies went through. I was also intrigued that many cultures and religions have had some form of fasting included in their traditions. I mean can you really question practices and rituals that have lasted thousands of years?
For me, the main challenge I was facing was morning brain fog and grogginess. Although I am an early riser I struggled to get anything productive done before 12. I run a construction products business, which means that all the important things tend to happen in the mornings. My mind would be all over the place unable to focus on a basic task.
So I gave intermittent fasting a try by gradually increasing my fasting (or non-eating) window. I would eat my last meal at 8 pm and then wait until 12 noon the next day before I would put calories again into my body. This would give me a fasting window of 16 hours. Later as I got used to the 16 hours, I gradually increased to 18 and on some days even 20 hours.
The first few attempts at fasting were brutal: At around 8 or 9 in the morning, my lizard brain would be desperate for food. It was screaming at me: Just give me anything sweet or tasty! I would think how am I supposed to last until noon if I am already starving?
But then something interesting happens: After 30 minutes of insane cravings, your body realizes that no food is coming, and the hunger switches off! I could go on for several more hours before feeling hungry again, often forgetting that I had not put a single calorie in my mouth since the previous day!
As I got used to intermittent fasting, I noticed some fascinating changes to my body and brain.
I am no longer hangry
You know that feeling when you go to a restaurant on an empty stomach? You are kind of antsy and irritable. It feels that they are taking forever to seat you and to bring your order. Well, intermittent fasting taught my body to not care!
I could walk into a restaurant on an 18-hour empty stomach and not care if my order was taking forever to arrive. I was the most chill guy in the restaurant. I would get the same feeling at events wherever food was being served. While everyone would rush to line up for the buffet, I stood back and took my time.
90% of my gut problems have gone away
In my entire adult life, I have suffered from gut problems. Irritable bowel syndrome, leaky gut syndrome, I need to go the toilet again syndrome, you name it, I've had it all. The slightest sensitive food would irritate my gut and cause all sorts of problems.
But after a month of intermittent fasting, I noticed something interesting: My gut had calmed down. I was no longer experiencing all the symptoms associated with the syndromes above. Even foods that I thought I was allergic to (for example cheeses), were no longer causing reactions to my gut.
Fasting has given my gut a break. My gut now has enough time to flush out the garbage, clean, and heal itself naturally before the next food arrives. By letting your gut rest, the inflammation subsides. This at least is my explanation of why my gut problems have gone away.
I think back to competitive middle distance running days. We would do a lot of hard workouts. But there were also the days where we did not work out. We let our body rest so that it could recover and come back stronger. It seems that our gut works in the exact same way. Give your gut a break and it actually recovers.
My coffee addiction was actually a sugar addiction
No calories for 16 hours also means no sugar or sweeteners in your coffee. This was quite a sacrifice for someone who would drink several sugared cappuccinos or frappe coffees before noon. I switched to getting a simple straight shot espresso with no sugar. The taste was no longer as exciting for me. I still enjoy the morning aroma of the coffee, but interestingly I no longer feel the need to get a second (or 3rd!) coffee two hours later.
All these years I thought that I needed 2–3 coffees to get me through the morning. It turns out that it wasn't the coffee, but it was the sugar hit that I needed to get through the day. Once I removed the sugar, my brain was no longer addicted to the crashes and spikes that come along with sugar.
Today the second coffee in one day actually makes me more nervous, jittery and leaves me dehydrated. I have replaced my second coffee with unsweetened green tea. This leads me to my next point:
I am now aware of what I put in my body
The coffee lesson above reminded me, how dependent I had become on sugar. Before starting intermittent fasting, my fasting glucose levels had been hovering at 100–105 mg/dl which is borderline acceptable, and entering dangerous pre-diabetes territory.
Intermittent fasting helped bring down my glucose levels to the 90 mg/dl levels. As my blood sugar settled down, I noticed that my body had become far more sensitive to what I put in my body. By not eating in the morning I also got rid of those carb-loaded breakfasts like (processed) cereals and attractive-looking pastries from the bakery.
This led me to study more about food and learn about the types of foods that can cause a spike in blood sugar and insulin. I started exploring healthier low-carb options by increasing the amount of healthy fat and protein in my diet.
But the most important takeaway is that I have become quite picky with the food that I put in my body. I keep processed stuff to an absolute minimum, I never buy any packaged fruit juices or soft drinks anymore. I drink mainly water and green tea. If I plan on having a long fast, I make sure that I get a protein-rich meal the night before (like a nice big juicy steak)
So by taking up intermittent fasting, I did not just see changes in my body, but my entire relationship with food and nutrition has also changed.
My energy levels have stabilized
I started out this article by telling you that I started fasting to manage my energy levels and my ability to focus in the mornings. When 90% of your gut inflammation goes away, your mind starts thinking clearer. By removing the sugar from coffee, I cut down on coffees. Less coffee means fewer nerves. By paying attention to what I put in my body, I reduced my overall consumption of sugar.
I wake up in the morning and I focus better. I hardly ever yawn anymore during the day. My moods are also better which I can attribute to the regulated blood sugar levels. But I also learned about the significant research being done on the relationship between the gut and the brain
My weight levels have largely stayed at the same levels, but then again this was never my goal since my body weight has always been at an acceptable level. I did, however, manage to get rid of some stubborn fat around the waist (which was probably visceral fat due to a diet high in sugar and carbohydrates).
As a final note, I want to emphasize that I still indulge in treats. I still enjoy my pastries and my cookies, but at least now I am acutely aware of how this food affects my body. I tend to do my fasting on weekdays, while on weekends I prefer to have an enjoyable breakfast with my girlfriend.
But the most important impact of intermittent fasting is in my work. I no longer have groggy mornings. I answer emails faster, I return calls quicker, and usually by 12 noon, all the urgent issues have been addressed and the business is running smoothly with little drama.
