Intermittent fasting may be the ultimate mind/body punch

Intermittent fasting is an eating pattern. It can be a lifestyle, used as a nutritional tool or to simplify meal planning.

While highly nutritious foods are always a cornerstone to healthy living, an intermittent fasting plan revolves around the “when" of eating over the “what.” It's not about calorie restriction but about forcing the body to use up its fat reserves.

You may already be doing it. If you eat a standard 3 meals per day, breakfast at 9 am, lunch at 1 pm and dinner at 7 pm, with no snacks after, you are fasting for around 11 hours. Other more deliberate approaches are:

16/8 plan: Eating all daily food within an 8-hour window and avoiding everything except water, coffee, or tea for the other 16. 24-hour plan: Fasting for a full 24 hours for 1 to 2 days per week. (Example: avoid eating from dinner time to dinner time for a full day.)

Body benefits: Fasting can increase fat-burning hormones which act as “messengers” in the body and help control metabolism. One of those hormones, norepinephrine, tells our body when to release fatty acids, making them available for the body to burn through activity.

Intermittent fasting can reduce insulin levels by 20-30%, causing an increase in the body's fat burning ability.

Mind benefits: Research has shown that fasting can reduce brain fog, sharpen brain function, improve mood, and even help to reduce the chances of Alzheimer's.

Fasting in combination with physical activity can lead to metabolic switching, which is when the body switches from pulling energy from glucose to pulling it from fat. It increases the brain's neuroplasticity as well as its ability to grow and adapt through change or stress.

KEY TIPS: 1) Intermittent fasting is a tool, not a solution. It should be deliberate and eased into. 2 ) Stay active. Deliberate intermittent fasting and regular physical activity can bump your wellness to a new level.

3) As always for optimal health and longevity, nutritious and whole foods are key. The smartest food choices for intermittent fasting are the smartest food choices regardless.