BLUSH Winter 2019

BLUSH | HEALTH & FITNESS
Intermittent Fasting (IF) or
Time Restricted Eating (TRF) are
terms used for when you have
periods of extended time that
you don’t eat. The most popular
is a 16:8 protocol. This means
sixteen hours of fasting and an
eight-hour window in which you can eat,
which is especially beneficial for promoting
longevity and anti-aging. This is a lifestyle
change rather than a ‘diet’, and it is seen by
many as one of the easiest to adopt.
Intermittent Fasting is about the balance
of Fasting with Feasting. This allows the
breakdown of the old cells (autophagy) and
the building of the new healthier ones. To
get the most of IF, the ‘building phase’ is
just as important.
What are the benefits of this eating
regime?
Better Blood Sugar
control
Controlling our blood sugar – Fasting
helps us leave the sugar rollercoaster
behind! It stabilises our blood sugar levels
by allowing us to tap into our fat stores
for fuel.
Fat loss
Fasting is the opposite of starving, you
are simply switching fuel source… during
fasting we are teaching our body to burn
our fat as fuel.
Anti-Ageing
Fasting activates a ‘cellular stress
response’, an increased capacity to resist
stress, disease and aging. Cells upregulate
the expression of genes that increase the
capacity to withstand stress and resist
disease and aging.
Autophagy is the
most impressive
process that
Intermittent
Fasting promotes.
Autophagy (the Greek word to mean
self-eating) is the most impressive process
that Intermittent Fasting promotes. It
is a natural bodily process that rids of
unwanted cells and cleanses, making way
for anti-ageing and disease prevention.
Fasting activates an increased rate of cellular
response (autophagy) to allow our body to
clean itself of its old and dead cells.
There is a balance here, of course. You
get sick from too much autophagy as
well as too little. Which gets us back to
the natural cycle of life – feast and fast.
Not constant ‘dieting’! This allows for cell
growth during eating,
and cellular cleansing
during fasting –
BALANCE
– Life is
all about
balance.
Healthy
Gut
Our
microbiome
is the colony
of bacteria that lives in our
stomach. A better balance
towards ‘good bacteria’ = good
health.
It has been shown in
many studies, that during fasting, our
microbiome greatly benefits. In particular,
there is one species of bacteria that
thrives and flourishes when we fast, called
‘Akkermansia’. It lives on the mucous
lining of our guts, an anti-inflammatory
for the gut lining, keeping it in good
shape.
Detoxification
When we fast, it allows for the liver and
kidneys to detoxify completely: Ensure
you Hydrate properly to facilitate this
process.
Sleep
Steady blood sugar levels help the
increased natural production of Human
Growth Hormone (known as the ‘youth
hormone’) at night, leading to a more
restorative sleep.
Here are the Supplements we use
to get the most out of our fasting
journey, available on www.
Protocol8.com along with more
information about fasting.
C60 is reported to be the most
potent antioxidant in the world and will
help ‘mop up’ those toxins to support
weight loss and reduce inflammation.
Ancient and Brave – MCT and
Collagen, helping you feel satiated
without raising insulin. Nuzest is an
ideal ‘full nutritional support’.
SkinnyLuxeTea is ideal for reducing
cravings and making you feel full in
those fasting windows.
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BLUSH | WINTER 2019 89