After reading http://www.precisionnutrition.com/intermittent-fasting yesterday I decided to trial run a 24 hour fast. I finished my last meal yesterday at 8 pm and won't eat again until tonight at 8 pm.
The resource recommended a fasting schedule that goes something like this (days of the week arbitrary)...
The resource recommended a fasting schedule that goes something like this (days of the week arbitrary)...
10 PM Saturday:
- Eat your last meal of the day
- Drink 500 mL (2 cups) of water
10 AM Sunday:
- Drink 1 L (4 cups) of water + 1 serving greens powder
- Drink 250 mL (1 cup) of green tea
- Take 5 grams BCAA (branched chain amino acids) powder (or take 5 capsules)
3 PM Sunday:
- Drink 1 L (4 cups) of water + 1 serving greens powder
- Drink 250 mL (1 cup) green tea
- Take 5 grams BCAA (branched chain amino acids) powder (or take 5 capsules)
10 PM Sunday:
- Eat a small snack before bed
- Drink 500 mL (2 cups) of water
Monday:
- Eat normally
I decided to do a fast because according to my paleo people it's a good way to regulate your blood sugar and get yourself off sugar. I am a sugar addict so as soon as I stop paying attention to my diet I'm eating bars of chocolate every day. Luckily, yesterday I did weigh myself and am back to a nice healthy 125. That's only going 2 days without any sugar (except 1 sweet potato). Anyway... here is another nice little resource I found promoting regular fasts - was just reported this past weekend "Fasting can help protect against brain disease, scientists say"
Cutting daily food intake to around 500 calories – which amounts to little more than a few vegetables and some tea – for two days out of seven had clear beneficial effects in their studies, claimed Mattson, who is also professor of neuroscience at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore.
I love how there is even some speculating about why fasting is good for the brain that is consistent with paleo philosophy; it was evolutionarily beneficial.
Mattson insisted that there were sound evolutionary reasons for believing it to be the case. "When resources became scarce, our ancestors would have had to scrounge for food," said Mattson. "Those whose brains responded best – who remembered where promising sources could be found or recalled how to avoid predators — would have been the ones who got the food. Thus a mechanism linking periods of starvation to neural growth would have evolved."
Overall, it's pretty cool and seems to do more good than harm. I'll be drinking plenty of water and tea today and maybe some coconut water post workout today. Note to self: need to buy BCAAs
Great post about this fast! I read your earlier one about how it can help starve off sugar cravings which I need, pronto! I've been eating way too much sugar here and feel like a total cow, and I think it's contributed to weight gain from water weight? Correct me if I'm wrong. But seeing as I'm in Italy right now, health food/fitness stores as we know it are practically nonexistent. What can I substitute BCAA for?
ReplyDeleteyes! as soon as I go on little sugar binges , I'm back to feeling boated. Eating sugar essentially tells your body to "store" rather than release energy and this is also a contributor to why it's no bueno.
ReplyDeleteso BCAAs are just branch chain amino acids. They're really only important if you're simultaneously training pretty hard. I JUST ordered mine and everyone at crossfit drinks them in their waters. lol. However, I think you'll be totally fine without BCAAs - they add about 50 calories each time you drink them. you may be able to find just some other protein substitute or just skip it all together.
hmm bloated*
ReplyDelete