In addition to weight loss, intermittent fasting may also help improve mental health. Here are a few intermittent fasting tips for mental health and productivity.
I have been intermittent fasting on and off for two years.
Some of the benefits I have experienced include loss of belly fat (which was a big problem area), increase in energy and clarity of mind.
Many of you who clicked on this article might already know of the benefits intermittent fasting has on weight loss, but that is not why you are here today.
I mentioned clarity of mind as one of the benefits I get from intermittent fasting, so I turned to research to find out what more can intermittent fasting do for the brain.
Specifically, can it help us become more productive, relieve stress, anxiety, and depression?
If you’re new to the idea of intermittent fasting, let me first get you up to speed.
What is intermittent fasting?
Intermittent fasting is a pattern of eating in which you alternate between batches of eating and fasting.
In general, fasting has no specific duration and should be up to you; however, with intermittent fasting, most people fast in intervals of 12-18 hours.
I begin my day at 5:30 am with a cup of warm water with lime, at 9 am I have a cup of tea and my first meal at 1:00 pm the second between 7:00 pm and 8:30 pm.
That is a 16-hour interval, and I don’t eat another meal until 1:00 pm the next day.
Fad diet aside, fasting has been around since the hunter-gatherer days and is emphasized in almost all religious practices.
Fasting helps give the body enough time to completely digest the food (especially if you eat meat) and remove waste.
Additionally, fasting is also considered a “positive stressor,” just like exercise because it helps the body to adapt in ways that improve health and fight disease.
Other benefits of intermittent fasting include.
- Reducing inflammation, detoxification, and boosting cellular renewal.
- Fasting has anti-aging effects in the human brain by increasing the brain’s ability to form new neural connections.
- It helps to support recovery from brain injuries and strokes.
- Additionally, fasting also can help with mood enhancement, weight loss, prevent diabetes, and growth of muscle mass.
Does intermittent Fasting benefit depression or anxiety?
According to research, maybe, why maybe?
Because most of the research available has been on a small sample scale, the data is not enough to make a conclusive statement that can apply to all people.
However, from personal experience and my own struggles with anxiety and depression, the answer would be yes.
Secondly, the few studies that do exist are clear that fasting can improve mood, sleep quality, enhance daytime concentration, and improve cognitive functions.
Fasting on Depression
Intermittent fasting can help treat depression as follows.
According to a study, ten days of fasting generated antidepressant-like effects in rodent models of depression, via orexin signaling activation.
Orexin is a hormone that regulates wakefulness and food, but when you have more of it, you are happier.
In simple terms, high levels of orexin-A are associated with happiness in human beings, while low levels are associated with sadness.
Fasting increases the levels of this hormone and, in turn, bumps up your level of happiness.
Fasting on Depression and Productivity
Another hormone the body produces during fasting is called ghrelin.
Remember we talked about fasting being a positive stressor just like exercise? Here is when it comes in.
When your stomach is empty, ghrelin is produced to let your brain know that you are hungry.
In addition to signaling hunger to the brain, ghrelin also signals the region that plays a role in learning, memory, and spatial analysis (the hippocampus).
As a matter of fact, researchers found that “hungry mice” were smarter, had more energy, and were more efficient than the ones with normal levels of ghrelin.
In the short term, ghrelin, also indirectly increases the orexin hormone which, as we have seen, can act as an anti-depressant by increasing your levels of happiness.
I emphasize the term “short term” because prolonged starvation causes more harm than good.
Intermittent fasting is excellent because it helps you get all the benefits of fasting without the side effects.
Intermittent Fasting and Anxiety
If you have anxiety, the first thing you want to do is to simplify your life. Intermittent fasting is one way you can add simplicity to your nutrition.
We don’t realize how much of our time we spend snacking, thinking about food, or eating the food.
When you have a short window of eating, you can free up space for the rest of the day to focus on the things that make your life meaningful, leaving more room to relax.
How To Start Intermittent Fasting
There are different ways to practice intermittent fasting, I’ll give you the basics, but feel free to find a routine that suits you best.
- Pick an “eating window” of about four to six hours per day, between which you should eat all meals.
- Fast throughout the remaining hours. As an example, I eat from about 1:00 pm to 8:00 pm on most days.
- Remember, you can begin small if the 16-hour window feels too hard.
- You should avoid snacking during the hours you’re fasting; warm water with lime, water, or sugar-free coffee and tea are fine.
- You can also begin by fasting on alternate days as the body adjusts to it.
What You Should Eat When You Are Not Fasting
Intermittent fasting often goes hand in hand with the keto diet.
I am currently on the keto diet however studies show that both the Mediterranean diet and plant-based diet help people with mild anxiety and depression.
Moreover, both diets also help increase energy, heal the body, and improve cognitive performance.
Remember, intermittent fasting is not about counting calories or starving yourself, eat whatever you want during this time if it supports you mentally.
Eat fruits, vegetables, whole grain, fish, olive oil, low-fat dairy and low intakes of animal foods.
Supplements To Take
In addition to diet, supplements can be helpful to treat depression, anxiety, and help you stay productive.
- Probiotics help keep your gut healthy, reduce inflammation, increase energy, improve absorption of nutrients, and prevent bloating and heartburn.
- 200mg of 5htp with vitamin b6 to help the body synthesize 5htp into Serotonin.
- Omega-3 fats to improve cognitive function.
- Vitamin B12 to increase energy and to reduce brain shrinkage.
- Rhodiola to feel happier and more energetic.
- Ashwagandha and Theanine to reduce Anxiety.
Foods to Avoid
These foods will deplete your energy and make you miserable during your fasting hours; therefore, avoid them as much as possible.
- All processed foods
- Processed meat
- Refined grains
- High-fat dairy products
- Refined sugar (Splenda, sweets, agave, etc.)
- Alcohol
Lastly, use the free time to develop healthy habits that reduce stress and promote overall wellbeing.
I recommend Yoga, meditation, and art therapy, although any habit that promotes mindfulness will be helpful.
In summary, intermittent fasting is an excellent way to simplify life, build good eating habits, become more productive, and reduce anxiety and depression.
If you try any of these suggestions and you don’t find them useful, leave me a comment below, and I will personally help you out.
With love,
Sania
Dailyzens
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