‘Research has shown that women in their 50s and 60s gain an average of 1.5 pounds per year and some of this is attributable to hormonal fluctuations, women having less muscle mass than their male counterpart, sleep disturbances and mood disorders. One of the strategies to offset this is intermittent fasting’. Cynthia Thurlow – Nurse Practitioner and Speaker at TEDx, Greenville in 2019.
People work out for various reasons, some to add weight and some to shed some weight. In this period, some regimen and dietary plan are prescribed.
Though abused by some, Intermittent fasting has proven to be of great help to many. People who workout and want a steady and balanced way to shed some weight have gone on intermittent fast.
Cynthia Thurlow, a nurse practitioner spoke on the subject of intermittent fast, what to do and what not to do, during a TEDx talk. Cynthia says
‘Intermittent fasting is free, flexible and simple. It is the absence of food during the prescribed time period’
In the definition of Intermittent fasting, note the word ‘prescribed time period’, just as Christians embark on fasting over a given time frame. Cynthia explains
‘When you eat, insulin is secreted by the pancreas to move sugar into the cells. We store the bulk of our sugar in our liver and our skeletal muscle but when we exceed the storage site, we store it as fat but when we are fasted, insulin levels are low and we can tap into the fat stores for energy. Intermittent fasting is simple, when you skip breakfast in the morning, you can reduce your calories intake by 20 to 40℅. The 20-40℅ decrease in calories means that you can fuel fat loss’.
Below are some functions of Intermittent fasting as explained by her.
1. Intermittent fasting improves mental clarity because insulin levels are low.
The above point falls in line with the message of Dr. Pastor Paul Enenche on fasting as an amplifier of prayer. He explains that our senses and spirit man are more aware and alert during fast. Just as we desire to have our physical bodies in shape, there are spiritual things we need to settle in the place of prayer and fasting. Dr. Pastor Enenche says
‘Fasting entails the periodic intensification of desire and desperation through the fast. Spiritual deliveries happen at the frequency of spiritual desperation and that desperation is intensified at the place of prayer’. He further quotes from the Scripture, Isaiah 58:6
‘Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke?’
2. Intermittent fasting spikes human growth hormones which helps the muscle mass. It lowers insulin level, blood pressure and improves our cholesterol profile, it can reduce your risk of developing cancer and type 3 diabetes.
Most times, people are told to eat three times daily and snack all day. It is wrong. Eating all day long over tasks our pancreas and digestive system, it over tasks it so much that it cannot work properly and if it cannot work properly, we cannot absorb our food or the nutrients in that food. Cynthia points out that meal timing and watching how we eat is crucial.
By this, we see that same principles work for spiritual or religious fasting. When we go on spiritual fast over a reasonable period of time or as led by the spirit, we are also availing our bodies the opportunity to recalibrate.
An important point noted by Cynthia is that Intermittent fasting can help in our personal relationships and self esteem. This is relatable with spiritual fast as it can help stir a better relationship with God. In our set out time of fast and prayer, God can reveal to us solutions that are applicable for life and how to relate and maintain great relationships with people.
1 Timothy 4: 8 says
‘For bodily exercise profiteth little: but godliness is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come’.
Bodily exercise profits little, endeavour to do the little to stay healthy here on earth but decide to dig into higher realms to tap the unfailing promises of God for our life.
On the ‘don’ts’ of intermittent fasting in combination with our daily workout routine, the following is not advised.
‘If you are a brittle diabetic, a child, or 70 year old. If you are pregnant or have chronic heart issue, kidney or renal issues. If you have a low body mass index, you are frail’.
Cynthia Thurlow says,
‘If you are on intermittent fast, you can take things like filtered water, plain coffee or tea, avocados, unprocessed carbohydrate.
Limit sugar and alcohol intake, by that I mean do not consume this things because they can offset all the good that you are doing. Keep yourself well hydrated. If you have a current health condition, you should discuss with your health care provider. It may take 16 weeks to really see the full benefits of what you’re doing’.
The best advice to heed to if you are exercising during intermittent fasting is to listen to your body, if you start to feel weak or dizzy, chances are that you are experiencing low blood sugar and that you are dehydrated. In that case, opt for a carbohydrate electrolyte drink.
Before embarking on intermittent fast or deciding to do it with your workout routine, please consult a medical practitioner.
Sources
Healthline
TED Talk with Cynthia Thurlow
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