Are you ready to improve your brain health? Have you ever considered intermittent fasting? 

Did you know that people have been fasting since at least the 5th century? In the health world, there’s been a big buzz around intermittent fasting and its effect on your weight and overall health lately. To help determine if intermittent fasting may be right for you, we’ll go over everything you need to know about intermittent fasting and its effect on your brain.

First, let me add that making a healthy lifestyle change isn’t about dieting - we all know that diets are not sustainable and don’t work in the long run. Instead, creating healthier new habits is about choosing to eat well for your lifestyle and body. 

There are many ways to do this, and fasting is just one of them. But suppose fasting doesn’t sound like something you’re interested in. In that case, you may be surprised to learn some of the mental and physical benefits it can provide. And if fasting is something you’ve been meaning to try, before you jump in head first tomorrow, be sure to read on to discover if this form of brain-based nutrition is suitable for you.

What is Intermittent Fasting?

Let’s start with a basic understanding of what intermittent fasting means. 

Intermittent fasting is a practice that involves alternating between periods of fasting and eating. If this sounds intimidating, consider how you already fast every day when you sleep. If you finish eating your last meal of the day at 8 pm and then have breakfast at 8 am the following morning, you are already doing a 12-hour fast!

We’ll get into more specifics of how to fast in a moment, but for now, let’s focus on what intermittent fasting is.

First, please know that intermittent fasting is not a diet. It is a lifestyle. 

If you choose to intermittent fast, you’re still in charge of what you eat, so you can customize your eating plan to work best for you.

Your practice of intermittent fasting can be combined with any other eating style. You can eat Paleo, Keto, Pegan, or be on the Mediterranean diet, for example, all while practicing intermittent fasting. 

You can also simply choose to eat healthy while not on a particular food plan and still practice intermittent fasting.

Because you can choose the foods you eat, this may help with diet fatigue or burnout. You may be less likely to yo-yo diet or fall off the wagon if you control the types of food you eat.

It was often a widespread belief that you needed to eat often to keep your blood sugars balanced and your metabolism working. Intermittent fasting, however, works on the principle of metabolic switching. This means your body switches its main energy source from sugars (glucose) to burning fat for fuel.

Entering a fasting period gives your digestive system a break. It allows your body time to digest and time to rest. But if you keep eating every couple of hours, you’re missing out on the benefits of cleansing that metabolic switching can offer.

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I just completed a 3-month course with Kelly and it was an excellent experience! It changed the way I think about food. With her background in teaching and her expertise and love of neuronutrition and healthy eating, I was able to kick my sugar addiction and lose weight. Kelly was there to support me throughout the entire process. She made herself available to answer questions and explain food science in a way that made sense. She genuinely cares about the success of her clients. She listened carefully and was positive and encouraging. I would leave her sessions equipped with new information, recipes and helpful tips to meet the challenges ahead. She is fun and inspiring and real. For anyone wishing to take action, make changes to their diet and live a healthier life, I strongly recommend Kelly!

Regards,

—Karey T. (British Columbia)

How Does Intermittent Fasting Improve Your Brain Health? 

In general, what’s good for your body is also good for your brain. This adage is also true about intermittent fasting. 

Intermittent fasting has been proven to help maintain your brain health by improving various metabolic features that are important for the health of your brain. Here are just some of the brain benefits intermittent fasting can provide:

• Reduced oxidative stress

• Reduced inflammation 

• Drop in insulin levels

• Increased neuroplasticity

• Slowed aging process

• Stabilized mood

• Reduced brain fog

• Potentially reduced risk for Alzheimer’s 

Let’s consider each of these brain benefits in more detail.

Oxidative stress reduction

Intermittent fasting can reduce oxidative stress. Oxidative stress or damage occurs when there is an overproduction of chemically reactive molecules in the brain that contain oxygen. These reactive oxygen species (ROS) can trigger many biological changes, from damaging strands of DNA to prematurely aging our cells. 

By taking a break from food, rather than focusing on constantly digesting food, your body can place more energy into cleaning up the system and reducing damaging chemicals.

Inflammation reduction

A reduction of the number of “monocytes” in the blood happens when someone fasts. Monocytes are cells in the body that cause inflammation. By reducing the number of inflammatory cells, you reduce inflammation. In addition, researchers have discovered that a compound called β-hydroxybutyrate (BHB), a metabolite produced in response to fasting, directly stops one of the proteins that drive the inflammatory response. 

This is important for brain health because chronic inflammation has been linked to various brain disorders like depression, OCD, bipolar, schizophrenia, and Alzheimer’s disease. 

Reduced insulin levels

When you give your digestive system and detoxification organs a break, you are also giving your pancreas, the organ that produces insulin, a break. When your pancreas doesn’t have to work as often, insulin sensitivity improves. This helps prevent high blood sugar levels and the development of type 2 diabetes. 

Our brain benefits from less insulin in circulation because rising blood sugar levels have many adverse effects on the brain. The higher our levels of blood sugar, the more challenging learning and memory recall become. In addition, rates of anxiety and depression increase, and moods become more unstable as blood sugars rise.

Increased neuroplasticity 

When you experience metabolic switching, you’re actually increasing the neuroplasticity in your brain. Not sure what neuroplasticity is? It is the brain’s ability to form new connections, develop new pathways, and alter how its circuits are wired.

An increase in neuroplasticity can help slow the process of aging and reduce your risk of disease and injury.

Mood stabilization

Research has found that after three months of intermittent fasting, people reported having better moods, less tension, fewer angry outbursts, and less confusion. These findings have been confirmed in other studies that associate intermittent fasting with significant improvements in overall emotional well-being and depression. 

Reduction in brain fog

Fasting can also help prevent brain fog or neurofatigue. It’s all too common for busy professionals and parents to have too much on their plates. Grabbing snacks and unhealthy foods every hour throughout the day for an energy boost (and hit of sugar) may actually make your brain foggier, more tired, and less able to function.

If you’re reading this post, you’re likely interested in optimizing the health of your brain and reducing brain fog. If so, I encourage you to check out my Brain Healthy or Anti-Inflammatory recipe e-books to help you figure out what to eat.

Reduced risk for Alzheimer’s

Intermittent fasting can enhance cognition and protect neurons against degeneration. The reduction in dysfunction and degeneration of Alzheimer’s disease was seen in animal studies, showing promise in support of human trials. 

In addition, the benefits of reduced inflammation associated with intermittent fasting can also support a reduced risk for Alzheimer’s.

The Connection Between Your Brain and Your Gut

Your brain is very much connected to your gut. When your brain is functioning better, your mood, gut health, and general state of well-being may very well improve. This relationship is also cyclical. When your gut is healthy, your mind will feel sharper and less foggy.

Think about how you feel when you don’t get enough sleep for multiple days in a row. You may feel sluggish, foggy, and even nauseous. This is because your body didn’t get enough time to repair itself. You may then skip a workout and resort to sugary processed foods for an energy boost.

This whole cycle will leave you feeling even worse. The same goes for constantly eating unhealthy meals and snacks throughout the day. Your gut isn’t given a chance to rest.

Now that you better understand what intermittent is and what brain benefits it can provide, the next consideration is how to practice it.

Intermittent Fasting for Beginners

There are a few different ways you can try intermittent fasting. 

The most common way is by shortening the time period in which you eat each day. This is known as time-restricted fasting. Generally speaking, you can eat whatever you like during your “eating window.” However, practicing time-restricted eating can become even more beneficial if you stick to a whole-foods eating plan and avoid the drive-through window. 

An example of time-restricted fasting is when you only eat from 10:00 in the morning until 6:00 in the evening. That means breakfast isn’t until 10:00 and dinner is at 5:30. You don’t eat again until 10:00 the next day. For many people, this is a great way to ease into fasting. It also provides you with an 8-hour “eating window” and a 16-hour fast each day.

With this method of fasting, you don’t eat right away when you wake up. But the most significant change will likely come from skipping late-night snacks and avoiding late dinners. It also encourages you to forego that nightly glass of wine or piece of cake.

The good news for coffee and tea drinkers is that you can drink plain tea and black coffee during your fasting hours. The trick is to wait until after 10:00 to add that almond milk creamer. 

For more advanced fasters, you can also choose to eat for days at a time and then fast for an entire day or even two.

For additional tips on how to practice intermittent fasting, regardless of the type you try:

• Be sure to stay well hydrated by drinking ample water.

• Make every calorie count by sticking to wholesome, nutrient-dense foods.

• Increase taste without calories by generously seasoning foods with garlic, herbs, spices, or vinegar. These additions are full of flavour, which may help to reduce cravings and hunger pangs.

Working with a Nutrition Coach

If you’re struggling with gut health, brain fogginess, or just generally feeling unwell, your diet may be to blame. 

Whether you’re looking to try intermittent fasting or want more information on healthy eating and improving your gut and brain health, I’m here to help.

Your health concerns are unique. There’s no one-size-fits-all diet that can change your life overnight. Nutrition is just as much about education as it is about what you’re putting into your mouth.

 I’m a nutrition coach specializing in neurofatigue, neuronutrition, and general brain wellness. While researching nutrition online is great, I’m here to provide in-person or virtual guidance on your own unique health journey. Fill out the contact form here to learn more or to discuss your specific health and nutrition concerns. 

Caution:

Fasting creates a type of stress on your body. Like exercise, it can be a healthy stressor. But if your resources are already depleted, fasting can be too much for your body to handle and may leave you weak, fatigued, and with difficulty sleeping. Consult your health care practitioner to see if intermittent fasting may be right for you.

[Medical Disclaimer]

Please consult with your doctor(s) before starting any new mental or physical health improvement program. The advice I offer is not intended to replace that of your medical practitioner. I am not a medical professional, nor am I qualified to diagnose, cure treat, or prevent disease. The advice I provide on this website is intended for a broad and diverse audience, and as such, deals with general lifestyle concepts, not specific healthcare advice. This material disclaims any liability or loss in connection with the advice expressed herein.