Fasting seems to be having time in the spotlight again recently and I’ve had quite a few new clients ask about it. What do I tell them? I pretty much tell each person a different thing.
Bear with me while I explain…. There is very little quality research on fasting and women. Very, very little on women who are having natural cycles or in perimenopause. “That doesn’t seem right”, you may think. And it’s not right morally or ethically (because this isn’t just limited to research on fasting, it’s across the board). But women as a group are hard to research. We have monthly cycles, that differ from one another. We have fluctuating hormones throughout our cycle (let alone in perimenopause!) So we require more testing at different points for accurate data. And women who are on the oral contraceptive pill or are menopausal are not the same as women having natural menstrual cycles.
Can data from men be extrapolated to women. In some cases it could but we need to remember that 30% of the human genome behaves differently in men and women, so research that is done on men provides data for men, not necessarily for women.
Intermittent Fasting
This form of fasting is basically calorie restriction and can take many shapes. It can be an excellent way to become metabolically flexible, loose weight, promote autophagy (the clean up of damaged or redundant cellular structures), improve cardiovascular health and help improve Type 2 Diabetes.
There are quite a few ways to do intermittent fasting but the most common way is to restrict the eating window, for example, you only eat in a 4,6 or 8 hour window per 24 hours.
So, when it comes to an answer on fasting, there are a few things to take into consideration:
- The type of fasting
- Your age and menstrual status
- Your current health, particularly thyroid, adrenal and nervous system health
- Your stress levels
- If you currently have or have a history of disordered eating
- If you have issues with your sleep
- Your activity levels
- Your current weight and body fat percentage
- If you are pregnant or breastfeeding.
Whether or not fasting is good for you is highly individual. But here are a few general recommendations (with women in mind):
- Don’t do extended water or juice fasting unless under the supervision of a practitioner.
That’s all I’m really going to say about that. Just don’t do it unless you are working with someone who really knows your body and how to tell if it’s actually benefiting you or taxing you.
2. Watch for changes in your period.
As you’ve probably heard me say before, your period is your health report card. If you notice changes (not for the better) then fasting may not be for you or you may have to change how you are doing it.
3. Women are more sensitive it caloric changes / restrictions than men so fasting can have more of an impact on their hormones.
And it isn’t necessarily a good impact. If protein intake is too low, this can impact oestrogen receptors and insulin-like growth factor (IGF-1). Both are needed to thicken the lining of the uterus during the menstrual cycle.
4. Women also appear to have a stronger stress response to fasting.
Stress increases cortisol and cortisol stops us from burning fat. So that weight gain that you are trying to get rid of will only get worse!
We do naturally have increased cortisol in the mornings – it’s what gets us up and going – and then it lowers naturally when we eat. Because food signals safety to the body. Really, we want to keep that cortisol nice and low so we can burn fat and feel better.
Intermittent fasting can be great. But it’s not for everyone. This is why it’s so important to get to know your unique body and physiology and work with it.
Lisa xx