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What Is the Intuitive Fasting Diet? Intermittent fasting is a dietary pattern that cycles between normal eating and fasting. If

What Is the Intuitive Fasting Diet?

Intermittent fasting is a dietary pattern that cycles between normal eating and fasting. If youre seeking more health benefits, or pound-shedding potential, from an eating plan and you also want to develop inner serenity and a sense of being grounded you might be attracted to intuitive fasting.

Intermittent fasting is known for its medical and weight-loss purposes but can offer still more, says Will Cole, author of Intuitive Fasting: The Flexible Four-Week Intermittent Fasting Plan to Recharge Your Metabolism and Renew Your Health.

The four-week plan uses a variety of intermittent fasting protocols designed to recharge your metabolism, renew your cells and rebalance your hormones, says Cole, who is a functional medicine practitioner. His plan combines elements of intermittent fasting with metaphysical meals that fit mindfulness practices into fasting periods so you make fasting a meditation.

As this is a relatively new plan, with the book published in 2021, research that specifically supports intuitive fasting is lacking. However, its two major components are individually backed by evidence, Cole says. Theres a lot of research looking at intermittent fasting, he says. And theres a lot of research looking at mindfulness practices. So, I wanted people to really lean into both.

No foods are strictly forbidden. Instead, I just want to educate people on whats going to make their fast easier, Cole says. So focus on nutrient-dense foods first.

Nutrient-dense foods are high in nutrients such as vitamins, minerals, lean protein, complex carbohydrates and healthy fat. Theyre also relatively low in calories, which can be a plus for weight loss. Nutrient-dense foods are also key in several U.S. News Best Diets including Volumetrics, Nutritarian and Noom.

When somebody gets their blood sugar stabilized and theyre eating nutrient-dense food and theyre satiated, then the fast is a lot more effortless because they are fueled during their eating window, Cole says.

As it relates to eating, intuitive means being able to look inward and respect your bodys hunger and fullness signals to guide your choices in terms of when and what to eat. With intuitive fasting, Cole says, followers become more intuitive in their eating and fasting choices.

Metabolic flexibility is the bodys ability to adapt whatever fuel is available the ability to use both sugars in your blood and stored fat for food, Cole says. Introducing the body to various types of fasting helps people regain that flexibility, he says. Intuitive fasting involves a four-week plan in which you explore different fasting windows. By doing so, he says, youll strengthen your metabolism, feel good all day, reduce cravings and blood sugar crashes, and gain resilience and intuition in your body.

[Read: Calorie Reduction vs Fasting.]

How Does Intuitive Fasting Work?

Heres a glimpse at the four-week plan thats further fleshed out in the Intuitive Fasting book:

Week 1 (12/12 Body Reset Fast). With a long 12-hour feeding window, this fast is least disruptive to a usual daily routine of breakfast, lunch and dinner. You have your last meal in the early evening, for instance at 6 p.m., and then you dont eat again until 6 a.m. the next day. (You choose your exact window times.)

Week 2 (14- to 18-Hour Metabolic Recharge Fast). Your fasting window is extended to 14 to 18 hours. Your body will go deeper into ketosis (fat-burning). The aim is to improve metabolic markers such as better blood sugar balance, lower levels of leptin a hormone linked to hunger and appetite and reduced inflammation.

Week 3 (20- to 22-Hour Cellular Renewal Fast). You complete these longest fasts, which basically allow one meal a day, every other day. Potential benefits include supporting cellular repair among other longevity pathways.

Week 4 (12/12 Rebalance Fast). Returning to the 12-hour fasting window from Week 1, you now increase nutritious carbohydrates such as fruit, sweet potatoes and rice.

During standard mealtimes, you can fill the gap with metaphysical meals while fasting. These are simply mindful practices such as:

A 10-minute meditation or prayer.

A neighborhood walk.

Forest bathing or other nature immersion.

Journaling.

Overall, the cyclical approach of the four-week plan is meant to provide gentle, flexible fasting windows, along with a high-fat, low-carb nutrition plan, to help center yourself and make peace with food and your body. According to Cole, people who might do particularly well with intuitive fasting include those who are:

Struggling with fatigue.

Struggling with weight-loss resistance.

Struggling with an autoimmune problem.

Struggling with brain fog (which can tie into fatigue).

Those are the people who are going to benefit the most, because theyre struggling with some sort of inflammatory problem or metabolic issues, and those people do really well with the book, Cole says.

[See: 15 Best Weight-Loss Diets at a Glance.]

Intuitive Fasting Overview

Intuitive fasting is:

Budget-friendly.

Planet-friendly.

Can be adapted for vegans or vegetarians.

Can be adapted for a gluten-free diet.

Can be adapted for halal or kosher diets.

Low-carb.

High-fat.

What Are the Benefits of Intuitive Fasting?

Intuitive fasting pros

Nutritionally sound.

Diverse foods and flavors.

No counting carb, points or calories.

Filling (during feeding windows) its rich in high-fiber foods.

No off-limit foods or food groups.

A clearly defined plan with recipes.

Intuitive fasting cons

Youll likely get hungry when fasting.

Unsafe for some people.

Little research to back it up specifically.

Could fall short nutritionally when fasting.

[See: Ways to Shift Your Mindset for Better Weight Loss.]

Can I Lose Weight on Intuitive Fasting?

Youll probably lose weight on intuitive fasting. During fasting periods youll consume significantly fewer calories than you normally would. In addition, you may have better weight maintenance if intuitive fasting helps improve metabolism and reduce weight-loss resistance as intended.

Short-term weight loss

Youre likely to lose weight in the first week of the plan, primarily due to loss of water weight. During any fasting period, youll probably consume significantly fewer calories than otherwise.

A meta-analysis found that alternate-day fasting is an effective dietary method and may be superior to very-low-calorie dieting for people with obesity.

A systematic review of intermittent fasting studies, with most studies lasting 12 to 13 weeks, found that participants lost 7 to 11 pounds over a 10-week period, with a maximum weight loss of 35 pounds over a 20-week period.

Long-term weight loss

You could maintain weight loss by sticking to intuitive fasting over time. In another systematic review of various intermittent fasting regimens for people with overweight or obesity, some studies lasting up to one year, participants lost about 15 pounds on average.

Health Benefits of Intuitive Fasting

To date, research focused on intuitive fasting specifically is lacking. However, research supports some health benefits from both intermittent fasting and from mindfulness, two of the plans key components:

Heart disease

People with obesity who alternated days of fasting with either high- or low-fat diets reduced heart disease risk factors in a study that also showed weight loss.

Intermittent fasting diets reduced total cholesterol and bad LDL cholesterol, according to a March 2022 study.

Meditation may support heart health by changing how your heart responds to stress and by lowering high blood pressure, according to a scientific statement from the American Heart Association.

Diabetes

Intermittent fasting diets can significantly improve insulin sensitivity, the March 22 study also found. Doing so may reduce the risk of Type 2 diabetes.

Meditation had a remarkable improvement on blood sugar control for patients with Type 2 diabetes in a study that also found improved emotional well-being.

Brain health

A September 2021 review found no clear evidence of a positive short-term effect of intermittent fasting on cognition in healthy people. However, it has benefits for people with epilepsy, Alzheimers disease and multiple sclerosis in terms of symptoms and disease progression, the review noted.

Inflammation

Intermittent fasting reduces inflammation by decreasing blood levels of monocytes, cells that cause inflammation in the body, according to an August 2019 study.

Health Risks of Intuitive Fasting

Lightheadedness, constipation, dizziness, muscle cramps and headaches can result from fasting, particularly in the beginning before your body has become accustomed to it.

Who should not try this diet?

Intuitive/intermittent fasting is not for everyone. People who should not do fasting protocols include:

Women who are pregnant.

People with a history of eating disorders.

Those who are underweight.

Children, as they are still growing and developing.

People with Type 1 diabetes.

Anyone with other medical conditions, such as gout, liver, kidney or heart disease, should talk to their doctors in advance, as should anyone taking prescription medicines.

Food List for Intuitive Fasting

Foods to Eat

These are filling, nutritious foods for feeding windows:

Vegetables like leafy greens.

Fruits like berries and pineapple.

Wild-caught fish, organic beef and grass-fed chicken.

Shrimp and scallops.

Sweet potatoes and other starchy tubers.

Avocados, olives and extra-virgin olive oil for healthy fat.

Foods to Avoid or Limit

No foods are strictly forbidden, but these may affect fasting results:

Sugar or artificial sweeteners.

Pasta.

Alcohol.

Dairy products.

Gluten-containing grains like wheat, rye and barley.

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What Is Intuitive Fasting? - WTOP

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Home » Long Term Weight Loss » What Is Intuitive Fasting? – WTOP