Intermittent fasting is such a fascinating topic. I will confess, I am a total novice practicing intermittent fasting. I am only three weeks into my N=1 experiment (in science, ‘N’ is the number of individual participating in a study. I am the 1 participant in this study.)
This experiment, helped me break through a multi-month weight plateau. But more importantly, it has afforded so many ‘more better’ benefits. More refreshing sleep, more energy, increased optimism, and most enticing, a mental clarity that is hard to describe. Simply slick thinking.
Weight loss is great – no argument– I’ve been chasing it for decades. But mental clarity? Utterly priceless.
I follow a few Intermittent Fasting Support-like facebook groups. Most in the groups are trying to lose weight, many are type 2 diabetics trying to reverse their insulin resistance, others are following low carb-high fat diets, others, like me, are curious about intermittent fasting as a healthy lifestyle choice.
Incredible success stories with remarkable before and after photos are common. Powerful weight loss stories. Hidden in cracks – the side effects flourish.
“I feel like a teenager with a 41yo mind.”
“I no longer get out of bed irritable.”
“Life is bright now.”
“Dealing with stress is a breeze.”
“I was experiencing memory issues… now I am as sharp as I was decades ago.”
“I feel like a totally different person – almost indescribable.”
“Off antidepressants for the first time in 23 years”
And the comments go on and on! So many incredible non-weight-loss related benefits of intermittent fasting. We need to take advantage of these ‘side effects.’ To focus solely on weight loss – seems almost like malpractice.
As I delve deeper into the ‘googles’ exploring intermittent fasting as a lifestyle, I find myself in a bit of a paradox. So much nonsense. So much potential. No wonder the average person is confused. I do not care to align myself with the colonic-oxygen-detoxification-cryogenic-exposure* recommending fanatics.
(*cryogenic exposure involves exposing individuals to extremely cold dry air (sub -100 oC) for 2 – 4 minutes, with the theory being the body thinks it is about to freeze to death and ramps up all its physiological rescue pathways. Brrrr! Craziness. Brrrr!)
At the same time, there is mounting evidence based research – much of which was ignored for decades – that intermittent fasting and extending fasting, can profoundly impact our health and longevity.
If occasional intermittent fasting produces transient mental clarity, it follows logically then, that intermittent fasting as a lifestyle has potential for sustained mental clarity. Isn’t sustained mental clarity the equivalent of preventing age related cognitive decline? If we can prevent age related cognitive decline, are we not preventing dementia? I am IN – ALL in!!
Such is one goal of Buff Up Your Brain – dementia prevention by changing the way you eat and the way you speak to yourself.
Truthfully, I have no idea if intermittent fasting, will turn out to be the panacea for obesity, type 2 diabetes, metabolic syndrome or dementia we all desperately want.
It is highly unlikely the medical community given its noble quest to make only evidence based recommendations will endorse intermittent fasting for dementia prevention any time soon. Give it a few decades to debate. While they deliberate endlessly with their billion dollar experiments, I’m opting for intermittent fasting. I’m not waiting. Intermittent fasting – it’s free, available immediately, readily reversible with multiple benefits and very few side effects.
Intermittent fasting – sounds like great medicine to me!
Buff it up,
my friends
Dr Karen
Are you ready
to Buff Up Your Brain? Ready to, lose weight, increase your mental clarity and
polish up your thoughts? Let’s chat.
Email: DrKaren@karenbackwaymd.com
