Health Coaching

I started on my intermittent fasting journey over 8 years ago and as a newbie discovered the do’s and don’t’s to make the whole process easier. The personal health benefits that I experienced have led to me being an avid OMAD faster and a true believer in the potential benefits of fasting. For me my tinea versicolor, plantar fasciitis and achilles scar tissue which prevented me from walking normally and jogging all disappeared once I committed to a fasting lifestyle.

Benefits of Fasting (Potential, backed by research)

Here's a more detailed look at the potential benefits:

Weight Loss

Fasting can lead to reduced calorie intake and increased fat burning, potentially aiding in weight loss, especially when combined with a healthy diet.

Improved Blood Sugar Management

Intermittent fasting may improve insulin sensitivity and help regulate blood sugar levels, potentially benefiting those with type 2 diabetes or pre-diabetes, according to Healthline.

Heart Health

Fasting has shown potential in improving blood pressure, cholesterol levels, and other heart-related markers.

Brain Function

Some studies suggest that fasting can enhance brain health by increasing brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), potentially improving cognitive function and memory.

Cellular Repair

Fasting may trigger cellular repair processes, including autophagy, where cells remove damaged components.

Reduced Inflammation

Fasting may have anti-inflammatory effects, potentially reducing chronic inflammation.

How Health Coaching Can Help

Personalized Plans

As a Health Coach I can help individuals determine the most suitable fasting approach based on their goals, lifestyle, and health status.

Guidance and Support

I can provide you with ongoing support, motivation, and address any challenges or concerns that arise during the fasting period. Once you get into the swing of IF you will be able implement and change it according to your own needs and desires

Nutritional Guidance

I can help ensure that individuals aim to consume a “natural” diet consume a balanced and nutritious diet during the eating windows of intermittent fasting.

Monitoring and Adjustments

Coaches can monitor progress and make adjustments to the fasting plan as needed, ensuring safety and effectiveness.

Education and Empowerment

Coaches can educate individuals about the science behind fasting and empower them to make informed decisions about their health.

How Health Coaching Can Help

Personalized Plans

As a Health Coach I can help individuals determine the most suitable fasting approach based on their goals, lifestyle, and health status.

Guidance and Support

I can provide you with ongoing support, motivation, and address any challenges or concerns that arise during the fasting period. Once you get into the swing of IF you will be able implement and change it according to your own needs and desires

Nutritional Guidance

I can help ensure that individuals aim to consume a “natural” diet consume a balanced and nutritious diet during the eating windows of intermittent fasting.

Monitoring and Adjustments

Coaches can monitor progress and make adjustments to the fasting plan as needed, ensuring safety and effectiveness.

Education and Empowerment

Coaches can educate individuals about the science behind fasting and empower them to make informed decisions about their health.

Important Considerations

Consult with a Healthcare Professional

It's essential to consult with a doctor or registered dietitian before starting any fasting program, especially if you have pre-existing health conditions.

Individual Needs

Fasting is not suitable for everyone. Pregnant women, individuals with eating disorders, and those with certain medical conditions should avoid fasting.

Listen to Your Body

Pay attention to how your body responds to fasting and adjust the plan accordingly.

Safety

Ensure you stay hydrated, get adequate nutrients during eating periods, and avoid prolonged fasting without professional guidance.

Intermittent Fasting

What is it, and how does it work:

Intermittent fasting is an eating plan that switches between fasting and eating on a regular schedule. Research shows that intermittent fasting is a way to manage your weight and prevent — or even reverse — some forms of disease.

What is intermittent fasting?

Many diets focus on what to eat, but intermittent fasting is mainly all about when you eat. And do not confuse intermittent fasting with starvation: starvation is when there is no food available for consumption and most times does not involve choice whereas IF involves choice and an eating window.

With intermittent fasting, you only eat during a specific time. Research shows fasting for a certain number of hours each day or eating just one meal a couple days a week may have health benefits.

Intermittent Fasting

What is it, and how does it work:

Intermittent fasting is an eating plan that switches between fasting and eating on a regular schedule. Research shows that intermittent fasting is a way to manage your weight and prevent — or even reverse — some forms of disease.

What is intermittent fasting?

Many diets focus on what to eat, but intermittent fasting is mainly all about when you eat. And do not confuse intermittent fasting with starvation: starvation is when there is no food available for consumption and most times does not involve choice whereas IF involves choice and an eating window.

With intermittent fasting, you only eat during a specific time. Research shows fasting for a certain number of hours each day or eating just one meal a couple days a week may have health benefits.

Intermittent Fasting

Johns Hopkins neuroscientist Mark Mattson has studied intermittent fasting for 25 years. He says our bodies have evolved to be able to go without food for many hours, or even several days or longer. In prehistoric times, before humans learned to farm, they were hunters and gatherers who evolved to survive — and thrive — for long periods without eating. They had to: It took a lot of time and energy to hunt game and gather nuts and berries.

Experts note that even 50 years ago, it was easier to maintain a healthy weight in the United States. There were no computers, and TV shows turned off at 11 p.m. people stopped eating because they went to bed. Portions were much smaller. More people worked and played outside and, in general, got more exercise.

With internet, TV and other entertainment available 24/7, many adults and children stay awake for longer hours to watch TV, scroll through social media, play games and chat online. That can mean sitting and snacking all day — and most of the night.

Extra calories and less activity can mean a higher risk of obesity, type 2 diabetes, heart disease and other illnesses. Scientific studies are showing that intermittent fasting may help reverse these trends.

How does intermittent fasting work?

There are several different ways to do intermittent fasting, but they are all based on choosing regular time periods to eat and fast. For instance, you might try eating only during an eight-hour period each day and fast for the remainder. Or you might choose to eat only one meal a day two days a week. There are many different intermittent fasting schedules.

Mattson says that after hours without food, the body exhausts its sugar stores and starts burning fat. He refers to this as metabolic switching.

“Intermittent fasting contrasts with the normal eating pattern for most individuals who eat throughout their waking hours,” Mattson says. “If someone is eating three meals a day, plus snacks, and they’re not exercising, then every time they eat, they’re running on those calories and not burning their fat stores.”

Intermittent fasting works by prolonging the period when your body has burned through the calories consumed during your last meal and begins burning fat.

Intermittent Fasting

Intermittent Fasting Plans

It’s important to check with your doctor before starting intermittent fasting. Once you get his or her go-ahead, the actual practice is simple and I am here to guide you through a personalised fasting plan. Together we will decide on your desired health goals, your suitability for IF and plan out an IF schedule to suit your lifestyle and goals. This will look different for each individual however it will be implemented in a gentle way that allows your body to adjust metabolically and your mind to reconfigure.

It can take two to four weeks before the body becomes accustomed to intermittent fasting however due to my gentle approach we can minimise any adverse reactions such as feeling hungry or cranky. Generally individuals who make it through the adjustment period tend to stick with the plan because they notice they feel better.

What can I eat while intermittent fasting?

During the times when you’re not eating, water and zero-calorie beverages such as black coffee and tea are permitted.

During your eating periods, “eating normally” does not mean going crazy. Research shows that you’re not likely to lose weight or get healthier if you pack your feeding times with high-calorie junk food, super-sized fried items and treats.

But what some experts like about intermittent fasting is that it allows for a range of different foods to be eaten — and enjoyed. Sharing good, nutritious food with others and savoring the mealtime experience adds satisfaction and supports good health.

Most nutrition experts regard the Mediterranean diet as a good blueprint of what to eat, whether you’re trying intermittent fasting or not. You can hardly go wrong when you pick leafy greens, healthy fats, lean protein and complex, unrefined carbohydrates such as whole grains.

Intermittent Fasting

Intermittent Fasting Benefits

Research shows that the intermittent fasting periods do more than burn fat. Mattson explains, “When changes occur with this metabolic switch, it affects the body and brain.”

One of Mattson’s studies published in the New England Journal of Medicine revealed data about a range of health benefits associated with the practice. These include a longer life, a leaner body and a sharper mind.

“Many things happen during intermittent fasting that can protect organs against chronic diseases like type 2 diabetes, heart disease, age-related neurodegenerative disorders, even inflammatory bowel disease and many cancers,” he says.

Here are some intermittent fasting benefits research has revealed so far:

Thinking and memory

Studies discovered that intermittent fasting boosts working memory in animals and verbal memory in adult humans.

Heart health

Intermittent fasting improved blood pressure and resting heart rates as well as other heart-related measurements.

Physical performance

Young men who fasted for 16 hours showed fat loss while maintaining muscle mass. Mice who were fed on alternate days showed better endurance in running.

Type 2 diabetes and obesity

In animal studies, intermittent fasting prevented obesity. And, in six brief studies, obese adult humans lost weight through intermittent fasting. People with type 2 diabetes may benefit: Most of the available research shows that intermittent fasting can help people lose body weight and lower their levels of fasting glucose, fasting insulin and leptin while reducing insulin resistance, decreasing levels of leptin and increasing levels of adiponectin. Certain studies found that some patients practicing intermittent fasting with supervision by their doctors were able to reverse their need for insulin therapy.

Tissue health

In animals, intermittent fasting reduced tissue damage in surgery and improved results.

Intermittent Fasting

Is intermittent fasting safe?

Some people try intermitting fasting for weight management, and others use the method to address chronic conditions such as irritable bowel syndrome, high cholesterol or arthritis. But intermittent fasting isn’t for everyone.

Before you try intermittent fasting (or any diet), you should check in with your primary care practitioner first. Some people should steer clear of trying intermittent fasting:

Children and teens under age 18.
Women who are pregnant or breastfeeding.
People with type 1 diabetes who take insulin. While an increasing number of clinical trials have shown that intermittent fasting is safe in people with type 2 diabetes, there have been no studies in people with type I diabetes.
Those with a history of eating disorders.

But people not in these categories who can do intermittent fasting safely can continue the regimen indefinitely. It can be a lifestyle change ― and one with benefits.

Keep in mind that intermittent fasting may have different effects on different people. Talk to your doctor if you start experiencing unusual anxiety, headaches, nausea or other symptoms after you start intermittent fasting.