Would you like to lose weight, lower your blood pressure, enjoy better quality sleep, lower your blood sugar, improve your metabolism, and even help prevent chronic disease?
Would you like to get all these benefits but not have to diet or count your calories?
Recent scientific studies suggest that simply changing the ‘time’ we eat can give us access to a smorgasbord of positive health benefits.
Intermittent fasting at work
Intermittent fasting or time-restricted eating is becoming popular because evidence shows it delivers results. It can happen in the workplace too.
How does intermittent fasting work?
The idea is to have your evening meal earlier and your breakfast later. Have breakfast at work if you can. This gives your body an effective overnight fast.
Fasting overnight for between 12 to 14 hours gives encouraging positive results but even having your breakfast an hour later and your evening meal an hour earlier means your body will get some benefit.
In the last few years, clinical trials have moved from mice to humans and the results have been amazing.
Emily Manoogian, PhD, is a postdoctoral researcher at the Salk Institute and one of the foremost authorities on the intricate interaction between our body’s biological (circadian) rhythms and the timing of our daily habits.
One of her studies found an average weight loss of 3.3kg over three months, together with significant improvements in markers of cardiovascular disease and diabetes. All subjects reported weight loss to some degree.
We all know that light affects our body clocks but when we eat can have similar effects. If we eat late at night or early in the morning or sleep cycles can get unbalanced. If we stop eating at least three or four hours before we sleep then the quality of our sleep increases. It means an end to evening snacking to unlock the benefits.
How to start intermittent fasting?
“It’s not just about avoiding food late at night, it’s about keeping your body working to the same rhythm and timings every day,” says Dr Manoogian.
- For intermittent fasting to be most effective, we must stick to similar times every day. That way our bodies’ rhythms stay synchronised.
- Try to wait for one to two hours after waking before you eat breakfast. If you are at work check to see if you bring your breakfast in with you. It’s best to avoid kippers 😊.
- Try and consume more of your daily calories in the first part of the day.
- Make sure you are getting eight hours of sleep a day.
- Don’t snack in the evening.
- Batch cook if you can, so you are not cooking late into the evening.
Time-restricted eating can deliver amazing results, but it may not be for you. If you are on medication or have any concerns, please contact us, or call your GP before you begin.