Intermittent Fasting, the RushTush Way…

I often get asked to weigh in on the topic of intermittent fasting. I do love the concept of fasting; resetting your digestive system and allowing the body to understand the true meaning of survival. I feel modern society is so quick to numb a feeling. The moment we feel hunger we have to treat it. We don’t allow our bodies to give us the real signals. We don’t allow our bodies to feel, we reach for anything and in the moment, mostly on an emotional basis. Everything is instant.

My only concern with IF is it can be too rigid for many personality types. Or it may be counterproductive in the long run. It’s a style of eating one needs to adopt with ease, I would even do IF once/twice per week. This is a good way of implementing the concept but still having regular eating days. No diet should consume and control you.

There are different types of intermittent fasting, such as:

12:12 (12 hours fasting, 12 hours eating window)
16:8 (16 hours fasting, 8 hours eating window)
14:10 (14 hours fasting, 10 hours eating window)
Prolonged fasting (this is usually done every 6-8 weeks or once a month where a person undertakes a long fast such as 24-36 hours)
Alternative Day (restricting calories to 500 every second day)
OMAD (Eating only one meal a day)

So, if you choose to do 16:8, then you could begin eating at 12 and stop eating by 8 pm. You, therefore, skip or delay having breakfast.

Breakfast is NOT the most important meal of the day and by cutting it out, you could cut your calories for the day by 20 to 40 percent, depending on what you would normally eat for breakfast. High sugar cereal is not beneficial for the body and should be avoided.

Intermittent fasting has also thrown out other paradigms that were thought to be essential for weight loss- six small meals throughout the day is one of them. Multiple small meals might not be necessary for weight loss and might not actually ideal for women.

While my diets do include two snacks throughout the day, they are intended for someone who already snacks and has not yet learned to listen to their body’s cues and signals. If you are going to snack, I would rather provide you with options that are going to be the most beneficial for you but snacking is not needed to boost your metabolism, I know this was said to you by many people but it is not valid. Eating all day overtaxes the pancreas and digestive system. I always tell the women, if you aren’t hungry don’t force feed yourself. Listen to your body.

I have never believed in the need to eat and graze all day. You don’t always have to be full. Snacking increases your calorie intake AND every time you eat INSULIN is released into the body. Too much insulin in the body causes weight gain so the more times you eat in a day, the more insulin will be released in the body which could lead to you picking up weight. It also depends on what you’re snacking on, that’s why I offer snack solutions in my plans.

Six meals a day, breakfast being the most important, and calories in and calories out are outdated ways of eating and are not good enough to assist women in weight loss. Calorie counting is not effective as the body will adapt leading you to further reduce calories in order to break out of plateaus or you will need to burn more calories during training. This becomes exhausting and weighing ones food and calculating calories is exhausting and is not sustainable. It doesn’t make sense as a lifestyle. Instead follow your body’s cues and stop eating when you are full. Encourage your body and mind to reconnect, this is what intuitive eating is about. Your metabolic rate will also decrease as a result of restricting calories for a long time.

The theory says that the longer you are in the fasting state the better, but most women do well on the 16:8.

The benefits of fasting could include:

It helps to shift weight and allows the body to tap into your fat reserves for energy – which only happens when the body is in a fasting state. The body will normally burn sugar and carbs first (this is why many people prefer to exercise or do cardio before their first meal of the day)
Regulates insulin and lowers blood pressure.
Leads to less oxidative stress on the body. Every time we eat the body needs to break down the food and during this process, free radicals are released into the body.
Stimulates Human Growth Hormone which is anti-aging and helps maintain muscle mass.
Enhances autophagy and basically recycles the cells in the body.
Prevents and delays cancer.
Helps reduce visceral fat.
Improves mental clarity.
Reduces cholesterol.
Protects against Alzheimer’s and protects the brain.

Despite the benefits, intermittent fasting is not for everyone. Don’t do intermittent fasting if:

Restriction leads to you overeating as this is counterproductive. If you are someone who would overeat after fasting, then I’d prefer you explore other eating methods that suit your mental health.

You get headaches or nausea if you don’t eat in the morning. However, you can change the eating window if you prefer to eat in the morning and you could stop eating earlier.

I would also not recommend intermittent fasting if you have diabetes, are a child or adolescent, have kidney issues or have struggled with any eating disorder.

Tips on how to get started:

If you are clear of the above-mentioned factors and want to try intermittent fasting then I would suggest you begin with 12:12, move to 14:10 and then move to 16:8.

You can also follow any of my eating plans along with intermittent fasting by simply beginning your eating window with meal one and ending it with the last meal at 19:45. Or you could combine Hulk Juice and Gluc. Support with the lunch meal at 12, combine the two snacks at 16:00 with a Gluc Support and 19:45 you can have the recommended supper meal. You can choose how you want to set out your meal times.

Take your Metabolic Spray first thing in the am and continue your fast. The rest of the supplements take your Gluc Support with first meal and second, RushTush Whey shake before dinner/or gym. RushTush teas can be enjoyed throughout the day along with other teas and coffees as long as you don’t add sugar and milk variants.

If you get hungry during a fast or want to extend your fasting time, a great tip is to have bulletproof coffee (coffee with butter or MCT oil), this will keep you satiated and because it is made up of fat it won’t spike your insulin or take a few pumps of Metabolic Oral Spray.

While intermittent fasting has no recommendations on calories and on what to eat, nutritional choices have a profound impact on our health. What you eat is as important as when you eat. I suggest that you focus your eating plan on quality protein, healthy fat, oily fish, avo, green leafy veggies, sweet potatoes, other root veg and quinoa. Limit sugar and alcohol and keep the body well hydrated.

And, for those asking whether you can follow the Glow Cleanse and use RushTush Pharma while intermittent fasting, of course, you can! Simply amend the programme accordingly. The Naked Glow is also closely linked to intermittent fasting protocol.

I suggest you start with 30 days of intermittent fasting to see if it works for you, your lifestyle, and your habits. Keep in mind that it could take 6-8 weeks to see a difference. Lastly, talk to a healthcare professional. A doctor or dietician can advise and guide you whilst taking into account your INDIVIDUAL medical history and goals.

Love,
Rushda xox