Intermittent Fasting

Intermittent fasting (IF) has transitioned from a buzzword to a legitimate approach to improving and maintaining health with proper exercise and nourishing foods. There are varying opinions about the benefits and concerns of intermittent fasting, and our goal is to provide you with information that gives you a clearer picture of the science behind IF. If you are interested in incorporating intermittent fasting into your life, we encourage you to have a conversation with your primary care physician to discuss any concerns and to see if IF would be recommended for your body and lifestyle. 

What is Intermittent Fasting?

Intermittent fasting has previously been called a diet but is now more-so looked at as a lifestyle. The basic premise of this lifestyle is, you guessed it, fasting! There are many different types of fasting one can choose to do, but first, let's go into what exactly intermittent fasting is doing to your body. The bottom line, intermittent fasting burns fat instead of sugar for energy. Your body needs fuel, just like any other operating system. When looking at the human body, our main source of fuel is food. During digestion, your stomach breaks down carbs into sugar that your cells use for energy. When your cells do not use all of the available glucose, it gets stored as fat. When you are fasting, your body switches from using glucose as its main energy source to using fat for energy.

What are the Different Types of Intermittent Fasting?

There are many different types of IF. The most common type is the 18/6 method. The 18/6 method involves fasting every day for 16-18 hours and restricting your "eating window" to 6-8 hours. You can typically fit in 2-3 meals during an eating window. Water, coffee and other zero-calorie beverages may be consumed during the fasting window. An example of the 18/6 method is a fasting period from 1 PM - 7 AM and the eating window being from 7 AM - 1 PM. In regards to Chinese medicine, the most important time of the day for the stomach to process food is 7-9 AM. The body needs to utilize energy during daylight hours, so fasting at the start of the day does not help the body get off to a strong start. It is crucial that the foods consumed during the eating window are nourishing for your body, not processed or containing high amounts of sugar. It may be difficult to commit to this method immediately, so it is recommended to start narrowing your eating window a little bit every day, even if just by 30 minutes. IF is a temporary reset to help get your habits back on track!

What are the Benefits and Downsides of Intermittent Fasting?

There are many benefits of incorporating IF into your life. Some benefits include lower insulin levels, cell repair, weight loss, increase in metabolic rate to burn more calories, reduced risk of type 2 diabetes in men, reduced oxidative stress and inflammation, improved brain health and function, and much more. 

*It is important to note that intermittent fasting is not a cure for specific issues, and if you have questions or concerns regarding your health, it is important to inquire with your primary care physician.

Be aware that some of the side effects of IF include a decrease in energy, frequent hunger, irritability and mood changes, temperature sensitivity, and poor work performance. To avoid some of these downsides, consider trying a moderate approach that limits your eating window to 8 AM-4 PM. This method could help you decrease or eliminate after-dinner snacking or late-night eating. 

When You May Not Want to Fast

According to the article Intermittent Fasting: The Science Behind the Trend, there are circumstances in which an individual may not want to fast. These include if you're suffering from chronic fatigue or HPA axis dysregulation, your hormones are out of whack, you're a woman trying to maximize fertility, you suffer from any type of eating disorder, or if you're under a lot of stress from work or home (Kresser, 2019).

Remember to always be cautious when incorporating a lifestyle change and make sure you're doing what's best for YOU and YOUR body!

References

Cleveland Clinic (2019). “Intermittent Fasting: 4 Different Types Explained.” Retrieved from https://health.clevelandclinic.org/intermittent-fasting-4-different-types-explained/

Gunnars, K. (2016). “10 Evidence-Based Health Benefits of Intermittent Fasting.” Retrieved from https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/10-health-benefits-of-intermittent-fasting#section10

Gunnars, K. (2020). “6 Popular Ways to Do Intermittent Fasting.” Retrieved from https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/6-ways-to-do-intermittent-fasting#section2

Kresser, C. (2019). “Intermittent Fasting: The Science behind the Trend.” Retrieved from https://chriskresser.com/intermittent-fasting-the-science-behind-the-trend/

Thompson, D. (2019). “Intermittent Fasting Diet Could Boost Your Health.” Retrieved from https://www.webmd.com/diet/news/20191226/intermittent-fasting-diet-could-boost-your-health#3

The Art of Listening

Take a moment to answer this question: during conversations, do you enjoy being the speaker or the listener? For some of us, sharing stories and leading conversation feels natural and easy. For others, listening and observing is more comfortable. There’s also a chance you equally enjoy both roles and find yourself toggling between the two. Regardless of your preference, being a good listener will help strengthen and improve your relationships, conversations, and connections with others. 

If you realize you’re not the best listener, there’s hope! Listening is a skill that can be practiced and strengthened over time. The first step to improving your listening skills is to approach conversations with your full presence. Multi-tasking is typically not effective, so if a conversation needs your attention, try to set aside your to-do list, worries, or other tasks you’re doing. Quality listening requires you to tune into the person in front of you. 

Consider your typical mode during conversations. Do you listen to respond or listen to understand? If you’re listening to respond, you likely start to formulate your next statement in your head instead of truly hearing the words being spoken by the other person. While listening to respond, you may actually miss much of the content being shared. The goal, then, is to work on listening to understand. In this type of listening, let curiosity, empathy, and compassion lead the way. Listening to understand allows us to really hear the story being told, and shows the other person we care. This listening mode strengthens interpersonal relationships. 

There are a few things you can do while you practice deep listening. First, make sure you’re comfortable and offer the other person good eye contact. Next, show you’re engaged by validating the other person. This could include nodding along as they speak, summarizing their words to show you understand, or verbalizing the validity in their experience by saying, “That must be so disappointing,” “I can tell you’re excited about this!” “It makes sense you’re feeling upset,” or “Anybody juggling that many things would probably be in a similar spot.” By validating the other person, you show that their thoughts, feelings, and actions make sense. Finally, avoid making judgments of what the person has shared, or giving unsolicited advice. In many cases, what people need most is to be fully heard, not told what to do.   

As you continue through your day and week, bring some mindfulness and intentionality to your conversations. Try to catch yourself if you fall into habits like listening to respond, dominating the conversation, or jumping straight to problem solving when another person describes a challenge they face. With practice, it will become more natural to offer deep listening, the kind of listening that strengthens relationships and increases connection.

References

Raab, D. (2017). “Deep Listening in Personal Relationships.” Retrieved from https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-empowerment-diary/201708/deep-listening-in-personal-relationships. 

Far Infrared Sauna Benefits During Cold and Flu Season

Between the cold weather and influx of germs, you're much more likely to get sick at this time of year due to a weakened immune system. In addition to the typical cold-preventing remedies, far infrared saunas have many wonderful benefits that help strengthen the immune system, especially at this time of year. Read on to learn about the many ways our sauna can help prevent you from getting sick this autumn and winter. 

An Increase in Body Temperature

As uncomfortable as fevers may be, the raise in body temperature is what helps fight off pathogens that cause you to become even more sick. A far infrared sauna raises your core body temperature and although it doesn't mimic the way a fever increases temperature, it still results in the same benefits of a fever. These benefits include improved immune functions and properly preparing your body for this season. A raise in body temperature also helps your immune system remember specific germs that you have been exposed to, to help better fight them off next time you encounter them. 

The increase in body temperature also causes something known as heat stress. This low level of heat stress generates a production of heat-shock proteins which help prevent an individual from getting sick. 

Stress Reduction

Cortisol is a hormone that works with the body's stress response, and is also known to weaken the immune system. Far-infrared saunas assist in the reduction of cortisol when you are in a relaxed state, which in-turn helps decrease the chances of becoming sick.

Improved Sleep

We all know how important sleep is, but did you know it helps play a role in strengthening our immune system? Specifically, deep sleep helps build the antiviral immune system, which means getting a good night of deep sleep will help decrease your chances of becoming sick. A drop in body temperature is what cues the body that it's time to sleep. Spending time in a sauna, specifically in the afternoon, will help your body relax and wind down, allowing the body's temperature to drop naturally to improve sleep quality and therefore keeping your antiviral immune system strong.

How Can I Make the Most of My Sauna Experience?

The immune strengthening benefits of the far infrared sauna are so important to keeping your body strong in the winter. To get the most out of your sauna experience, it is important to be consistent with your sauna use. One session a week is a great place to start. We're here to help you stay warm and healthy all season long! 

References

“Sunlighten. How Infrared Saunas Can Boost Your Immune System During Cold and Flu Season”. Retrieved from https://www.sunlighten.com/blog/fighting-cold-flu-season-infrared-sauna-therapy/?utm_source=delivra&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=fall%20wellness%20content%20-%20customers&utm_id=1665221&dlv-ga-memberid=65244236