Intermittent Fasting Questions
Today we are discussing intermittent fasting for women over 40. Better yet, should you be doing an intermittent fast? What are the benefits? How do you begin? How long? What foods do you eat? Does your cycle make a difference? What is autophagy? Will this help with loose, sagging skin? Will I lose weight? What can I expect? I’ll explain it all!
Should you intermittent Fast?
Yes! We discovered the intense benefits of intermittent fasting through Nobel prize winner, Dr.Yoshinori Ohsumi. There are so many benefits to intermittent fasting that by the end of this chat session you will want to begin today!
What are the benefits of intermittent fasting?
~ Helps prevent loose skin when losing weight.
I don’t know about you, but I am an up and down girl. Unfortunately. I just fluctuate. For example, the night of Halloween (after the kids went to bed, hee hee) I decided to enjoy some of my children’s treats! Well, that kicked off many other treats all the way through New Year’s. My clothes didn’t fit, I was bloated, and my tummy was hanging over my second belly. You get the picture. That’s when I began researching the best way to get back into my normal, healthy routine. I learned that through intermittent fasting, I could lose weight without forming sagging skin and it would actually be good for me through autophagy, which I’ll explain in a second. Also, as a woman over 40, I find that for me, it’s harder to lose weight.
What is autophagy and why is it important in fasting?
Autophagy originates from Greek words meaning self-eat. Basically, it is your body’s way of recycling old and damaged cells. It truly is a miracle! We are constantly bombarded with toxins in our air, food, water, etc. and as we age our bodies aren’t as good as fighting them off. This process of autophagy gets rid of old or damaged cells and makes new ones! It is a healing mechanism for your body and is supposed to improve your immune system. I like to think of autophagy as giving my system a reboot. Autophagy research is in the beginning stages, and they are finding that it may be influential for preventing chronic diseases such as cancer, type 2 diabetes and Altheimer’s and Parkinson’s. The way you can induce autophagy is through fasting.
How do you begin intermittent fasting? What foods did I eat?
I have found that in order to be successful with intermittent fasting for women over 40, it is very helpful to prepare your body. This way you can avoid a bigger shock and have less headaches and other side effects. So, the way I did it was I first began by cutting out sugar. For example, I stopped adding maple syrup to my coffee and honey in my afternoon matcha lattes. I focused on this for a week. The next week, I began taking out as much processed food as I could. If I did indulge a little, it was with the healthier potato chip options like Siete because they use avocado oil instead of the horrible inflammatory oils such as corn, sunflower, soybean, cottonseed oil, etc. So, I tried to model a healthy version of keto. I would eat lots of salads with healthy olive oil (remember there are fake kinds of olive oil out there so get the real kind – Kirkland brand is my favorite at Costco) I would have pasture raised eggs with grass fed butter, sauteed veggies, lots of water with lemon and limes. I would also eat prebiotics and probiotics such as fermented foods. Earth Fare has a great carrot sauerkraut that I adore. I did this for about a month. For fruit, I ate watermelon and berries. Then I felt I was prepared for intermittent fasting!
How long do you intermittent fast for?
There are several different intermittent fasts and depending on what you want to achieve you want to go with that one. I have tried them all and do whatever works best for me that day. I have a personality where I like to mix things up and go with how my body feels.
16/8 : Drink only approved liquids for 16 hours then eat normally during the 8-hour window. This is my favorite type of fast. I usually stop eating at 3pm or 4pm and then eat again at 7am or 8am. Reason being, I love my coffee and goat milk/nut milk for thing when I wake up!
20/4 : same for 20 hours then eat normally during a 4-hour window – I think of this as the OMAD diet – one meal a day but allows you to grab an extra snack during the 4-hour window.
OMAD – only eat one meal a day
To reach autophagy, experts suggest fasting for at least 14 hours. To really bump up autophagy you can fast for 24 hours. But work up to this, the most I have done is 66 hours to this date.
What you can expect & will you lose weight with Intermittent fasting for women over 40
To avoid headaches and dizziness, when intermittent fasting for women over 40, it’s very important to drink your water so you don’t get dehydrated. If you are doing a longer fast then I suggest getting some electrolyte and trace mineral water that has magnesium, sodium, potassium and calcium. I just went to my local health food store and grabbed a pack. Also, if you feel a headache coming on, then add some Himalayan Sea salt to your water or tea. That will help!
Ask me here in our community – You can join our community which is completely free in our lapree beauty, anti-aging skincare community
Also, with the longer fasts (over 24 hours) it’s important how you break them. Think organic bone broth with no yeast extract aka msg. Then an hour later, have an avocado, then an hour later have some sautéed veggies.
If you feel yourself getting dizzy, then just go ahead and break your fast and try again another day.
Regarding losing weight. Yes, you should definitely lose weight. Especially if you are doing this in a healthy fashion. Meaning when you break your fast you are nourishing your body with healthy fats, vegetables, fruits and proteins. You want to be kind to your body and not swing in through a drive thru and order your combo #1. Also, incorporating movement is an excellent way to speed things along. Just begin by walking. We were made to move! You don’t have to go die hard, just some gentle movement and then go from there.
For me, some days I walk, other days I jump on the trampoline with my kids, other days I will do a HITT workout for 20 minutes, other days I will do a beginner Tracy Anderson workout. Just depends on the weather and what I have time for as well as my mood.
Approved Liquids during Intermittent Fasting for Women over 40
Water with lemon, black tea, herbal tea, green tea, sparkling water.
Do not add any type of collagen peptides, nut milk or milk to your beverage as this will break your fast
I don’t even add any sugar substitute because I want to keep the fasting as natural and pure as possible.
Women’s Cycle for the intermittent fasting process
If you have a normal cycle, then here is what I suggest that has worked for me:
During day 1 of your period through day 14 are the best times to fast. For me, I wait until day 7 as I tend to be a little off at the beginning of my cycle due to heavy bleeding.
Day 22 through 28 is the PMS cycle. I do not fast during this time as my body is extra sensitive and I am usually well, a biscuit;-)
Also, I am flexible with myself. If I am having a hard day, then I don’t do it. I listen to my body.
I hoped you learned and enjoyed reading my intermittent fasting journey. If you want to ask me any questions or share your story, I’d love to hear! Ask me here in our anti-aging lapree beauty community
Wishing you lots of smiles today!
~Ashley (The other sister!)
P.S. One of my passions is reading and I love love love being inspired. Therefore, I wanted to leave you with this quote:
“To enjoy good health, to bring true happiness to one’s family, to bring peace to all, one must first discipline and control one’s own mind. If a man can control his mind he can find the way to Enlightenment, and all wisdom and virtue will naturally come to him.” ~ Buddha
Disclaimer: (I am not a doctor, these are my opinions, so please talk with your doctor before beginning any new program to make sure this is right for you…not recommended if pregnant, breast feeding, heart conditions, or type 1 diabetes.)
P.S. If looking for a way to get that glowing summer skin. Then this is a must read from Lindsey!