Print article The holidays are a time to gather with family and friends to relax and enjoy each other’s company-and eat! Indulgent meals, bountiful buffets, cookie swaps, holiday parties… it’s no surprise that maintaining a healthy weight can present even more challenges during the holidays than throughout the rest of the year. In addition to weight gain, excessive sugar consumption during the holidays can increase inflammation and impair the immune system. A doable strategy is Overnight Fasting-a mild form of Intermittent Fasting to maintain weight and stay healthy.
What is Overnight Fasting?
Overnight fasting is a common practice where you don’t eat for a period of time after dinner until your first meal the next day, which is something most people already do. Leaving a minimum of 10-12 hours between eating, can trigger the body to start burning fat for energy by depleting its glycogen stores. When the body’s glycogen stores are depleted, it shifts to a backup energy source by breaking down fat. This process releases fatty acids, which are converted in the liver into ketones and sent into the bloodstream to be used for fuel by other tissues, like the brain and muscles. This practice can activate fat-burning processes, improve insulin sensitivity, protect memory and learning functionality, as well as slow disease processes in the brain, and support cellular repair through a process called autophagy. Autophagy (pronounced “ah-TAH-fah-gee”) is your body’s process of reusing old and damaged cell parts. Over time, these parts can become defective or stop working. They become litter, or junk, inside an otherwise healthy cell.
Benefits
Scientists have done a lot of research on fasting in animals and some in people, and the evidence shows fasting can be good for you. Those studies show a range of potential benefits, both for heart health and overall health. The benefits include:
- Lower cholesterol
- Lower blood pressure
- Improved blood sugar
- Less inflammation
- Better brain health
- Fewer age-related diseases
- Weight loss
Strategy
A 12-hour overnight fast means ending your eating window in the evening and resuming in the morning, with no calories consumed in between. It’s an accessible method of intermittent fasting, as it includes your sleep cycle, making it more sustainable. For example, you could stop eating at 8 p.m. and begin again at 8 a.m. the next day. During the fasting period, only water and no-calorie drinks, black coffee or tea are permitted. It’s a short fasting period that can be achieved by eating dinner earlier, and skipping a late-night snack. Doing this consistently, even if only a couple of times a week, can lead to noticeable short-term effects on mood and energy levels.
Supporting Strategies During the Day
- Focus on high quality nutrient dense foods.
- Stay hydrated, drink water or unsweetened sparkling water.
- Exercise-stay active. Incorporate strength training.
- Sleep. Get enough rest 7-9 hours.
- Reduce stress. Add meditation or mindfulness practices to your day.
- Adhere to a consistent fasting schedule as best you can. If 7p.m. to 7a.m. or 8p.m to 8a.m. works for you, stick to it when not scheduled for any gatherings or parties.
Should You Fast?
Eating for 12 hours and then fasting for 12 hours is likely safe for most people, but for some fasting might cause problems. If you’re considering fasting, talk with your health care provider first. People with certain health conditions, or who are taking certain medications should not try fasting at all.
Bottom Line
Even if you fast sometimes, you still need to make healthy food choices overall. When you eat matters a lot, but what you eat probably matters more. If you are looking for nutritional support contact me today at support@behealthyoga.com.
Sources: Cleveland Clinic.com, Sciencedirect.com, Behealthyoga.com, Verywellhealth.com, BBC.co.uk, Massgreneralbrigham.org,
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