From Dr. Mercola's website I found intriguing new research about the idea that when we eat could be just as important as what we eat... and possibly even more so.

You're probably aware that the body runs on a regular circadian rhythm that coincides with when we sleep and wake? But each organ, including the liver, muscle, fat and gut, have their own clock, and certain organs work best at different times of the day. Relating to this, research says that nighttime eating contributes to weight gain and that nighttime fasting may be a powerful weight loss tool.

This suggests that the body benefits from the break it receives while fasting (during sleep, for instance), and that constant eating leads to metabolic exhaustion and health consequences such as weight gain. In fact, medical research shows that it's possible to stave off metabolic disease by simply restricting when we eat - "Nothing after 6:00 pm!" for instance, and then incorporating intermittent fasting. And researchers found that even just keeping to regular meal schedules, rather than "grazing" off and on all day, is a huge step towards disease prevention.

Scientists also now know that intermittent fasting is a secret to not just optimal health, but weight loss as well. They aren't talking about the starvation pattern (and subsequent binging) that so many dieters slip into. And this advice doesn't apply to diabetics or those with serious blood sugar issues - these folks need their bedtime snack before retiring, to stabilize their blood sugar. But for those without health issues, they're talking about a consistent, sustainable routine such as eliminating breakfast and restricting eating time to about seven to eight hours, which is typically from noon to 6 or 7 p.m. It just seems to make sense - our ancestors rarely had access to food 24/7 like we do, so our genes are set up - optimized - for intermittent fasting.

It takes about six to eight hours for the body to metabolize glycogen stores and after that we actually start to shift to burning fat. However, if we are replenishing glycogen by eating every eight hours, we make it far more difficult for the body to use fat stores as fuel.

While fasting has been used as a spiritual practice in many cultures since ancient times, it might have been done for health purposes as well. Modern science has confirmed fasting breaks the chains that tie us to disease, so there are excellent health reasons for fasting, including:

•  Normalizing insulin sensitivity, which is key for optimal health because insulin resistance (which is what you get when your insulin sensitivity plummets) is a primary contributing factor to nearly all chronic disease, from diabetes to heart disease and even cancer
•  Normalizing ghrelin levels, also known as "the hunger hormone"
•  Promoting human growth hormone (HGH) production, which plays an important part in health, fitness and slowing the aging process
•  Lowering triglyceride levels
•  Reducing inflammation and lessening free radical damage

When talking about fasting, it's important to understand that it does NOT mean starving ourselves. Fasting does not mean abstaining from ALL food for extended periods of time; this is dangerous and counterproductive. Rather, intermittent fasting is a dramatic reduction of calorie intake at regular intervals - whether you opt for a 16-, 20-, or 24-hour fast once or twice a week, or fasting every other day, or simply delaying certain meals, such as skipping breakfast and exercising on an empty stomach.

There are many options, and we can discover what works best by listening to the body, and going slow. One simple and small step could be ending meals earlier in the evening or late afternoon and fasting overnight while sleeping. This is my preference, and it's been working well for me.

If you're hypoglycemic, diabetic, or pregnant (and/or breastfeeding), be extra cautious with fasting, or perhaps avoid it entirely until you've normalized your blood glucose and insulin levels, or weaned your baby. But if you're healthy, intermittent fasting is likely to give your health a boost, especially if you've already mastered a nutritious diet, which really should be the first step.

And speaking of a nutritious diet, when cutting out or delaying meals for fasting purposes, it becomes all the more important to maximize nutrients when you do eat - nutrient-dense foods is the goal. Fasting combined with a highly processed, toxin-rich diet is not going to do your health any favors. Instead, be selective and diligent in building your meals around the nutrition you need to thrive during non-fasting hours.

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Sources:
www.minisites.contentthatworks.com
www.be-fit.me
www.wodtalk.com
www.entirelypink.com
www.tastespace.wordpress.com