Why You Should Try Intermittent Fasting During Menopause.
Have you read about intermittent fasting but are unsure how to start? Here’s where I come in! I’ve tried it and think it’s a great option for women in menopause.
Why is Intermittent Fasting helpful for menopausal women?
Intermittent fasting reduces the number of calories in a 24 hour period setting time window for eating. This can be beneficial during menopause because many women gain unwanted weight due to hormone changes, aging, poor sleep, and other factors.
How does it work?
Always good to take notes….
Simply put, intermittent fasting alternates periods of not eating with periods of eating. There are many ways to approach intermittent fasting, such as:
Alternate-day fasting (fast one day and then eat normally the next)
The 16/ 8 plan (fast for 16 hours and eat within an 8-hour window)
14/10 plan (fast for 14 hours and eat within a 10-hour window)
How to get started!
This all may sound intimidating, and I, too, was skeptical if I could make it for the recommended 16-hour fasting stretch. Yikes! Especially since breakfast has always been my favorite meal, I am always hungry when I wake up. So, I decided to take a more moderate approach and ease into the 14-hour fasting plan. After some trial and error, it’s working for me.
But not everyone gets the same results with fasting, and we all want to avoid anything stressful to our bodies, so it’s essential to keep in mind a few things:
1. Identify your hungry time and plan accordingly: Find the timing where you can control your balance of foods in a day. More extended time is not always better! When I first started practicing intermittent fasting, I pushed my fasting window for too long of a stretch, and it completely backfired. I was ravenous by the time I broke my fast, and my food choices were less than ideal! So I just shortened my window of not eating, and feel a bit better about my decisions.
2. Look at your workout schedule. Do you catch a rooster ride at your local cycle studio? Pack your bag with a snack for your ride home, and if you are hungry, eat! It’s never good to feel exhausted and hungry. Try shifting the eating window earlier the night before, and fuel with nutrient-dense food with carbohydrates and healthy fats.
3. Get clear on why you want to try intermittent fasting. Do you want more energy, less brain fog, and better digestion? If you are looking for a quick weight loss fix, this isn’t for you.
Benefits of intermittent fasting:
Here’s why intermittent fasting is a great option for women in their 50’s:
Encourages weight loss by improving the balance of hormones
Creates a metabolic switch: you suppress insulin and glucose to a level that triggers a switch to burn fat, not just carbohydrates, for fuel.
It helps with lowering cholesterol levels.
Lowers inflammation and the risk of inflammatory diseases without suppressing the immune system’s ability to fight infections.
Improves brain health.
Studies have shown that intermittent fasting can have enormous benefits for menopausal women, but we are all different and unique, and our health concerns are that way too. There’s no perfect path to a healthy lifestyle, but we can think about a path with progress that will work for you. If you want a shift in your eating routines, I would be happy to help, as I, too, know that beginning any new practice can be challenging alone.
