I have seen my patients lose weight faster than ever before using my intermittent fasting program and feel amazing while doing do so. Some of you may be very familiar with it but others may not, so first let me introduce you to the concept.
Like a hybrid car which can use electricity or gas for fuel the body actually has two sources of energy: glucose or ketones (which are broken down from body fat)
Burning Kindling - The Glucose Engine When we eat regularly in the “normal routine” consuming breakfast, lunch and dinner we are using glucose as the fuel for the cells. Under this approach one needs to keep filling the tank on a frequent basis, so the body has fuel to operate.
Burning Coal – The Fat Engine The other source of energy comes from fat. The body breaks fat down into ketones which the cells can use for fuel. Just like the hybrid car, using electricity, you have to ramp up the fat burning system but once is ignited is it a long-lasting source of fuel.
The way to ignite the fat engine is through Intermittent Fasting.
When you are fasting, your body needs fuel and because the glucose from food is no longer available the body turns to fat as its fuel source. When the body breaks down fat it supplies the body with “ketones”.
Ketones now replace glucose as the fuel source for all your cells including muscle and the brain cells. The result is your body has fuel, you feel good, you’re not hungry and best of all you start burning your body fat losing inches and pounds.
While most of my clients are interested in intermittent fasting as an accelerated means of losing and maintaining weight loss often, often they experience the additional benefits of fasting which most excite me and I want to share some of them with you.
Meet Dawn, she is an entrepreneur and as such needs to be always on her game. She came to me to lose weight but along with that she was also dealing with chronic acid reflux. In addition, she was feeling lethargic and generally unhealthy, and had uncontrollable cravings for sugar.
I’ll let her tell you her story in her own words, click here to see her story. Here are some key health benefits of intermittent fasting that go beyond just weight loss:
Regulated blood sugar levels – due to increased insulin receptor sensitivity
Decreased hunger and cravings – due to regulation of the appetite controlling hormones, leptin and ghrelin.
Increased energy, less fatigue – due to improved energy efficiency at a cellular level.
Improved memory, mental clarity and prevention of dementia (it’s now being referred to as Type 3 Diabetes) – due to increase in BDNF (Brain Derived Neurotrophic Proteins).
Increased sense of vitality, anti-aging benefits and prevention of cancer – due to cellular changes stimulating new healthy cellular growth and removal of damaged cells.
Increase in metabolism and muscle growth – due to an increase in human growth hormone.
If you are interested in learning more about intermittent fasting I would be delighted to share my Guide, “The Ultimate Guide to Intermittent Fasting” with you. It covers the types of intermittent fasting, the foods that one should consume as part of the program and other types.
If you are interested email me at info@drsherbovay.com or visit drsherbovay.com and download the full Guide book from there.
Dr. Sher is a Toronto based Weight Loss & Lifestyle Consultant.
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