Today, I'm going to answer the basic question, what exactly is

this intermittent fasting thing?

Well, intermittent fasting is a very simple eating plan that focuses on when

you eat and not as much on what you eat.

It's a plan that alternates between a fasting period and a feasting period,

or many often refer to these times as eating windows and fasting windows.

Intermittent fasting is extremely flexible because it offers many

different fasting schedules or methods, which I'll break down in

detail in the next podcast episode.

So the cool thing is that this plan is so flexible.

that it truly can fit into many different lifestyles.

It's important to understand that intermittent fasting is not your

traditional calorie deficit focused diet plan and instead it's a lifestyle

that has the potential to offer sustainable long term weight loss and

health benefits for many, many people.

All right.

So, um, Let's talk now about the incredible benefits that

living an intermittent fasting lifestyle has to offer.

So I've been fasting for almost four years now, and I still get so

excited about this very long list of amazing potential benefits.

All right, here we go.

I am going to go over ten benefits today.

Awesome benefit number one, and possibly the most exciting for

many, is that intermittent fasting has the potential to turn your body

into a serious fat burning machine.

Alright, so let's talk about exactly what does that mean.

Well, first, by reducing the number of meals that you eat, it can lead to

a decrease in overall calorie intake.

An intermittent fasting plan helps with weight loss by controlling when you eat.

And when you give your body specific times to eat and fast, it's like

flipping a magic switch that tells it to burn fat for energy.

And when you eat, your body gets energy from the food it has just taken in.

So then it uses this energy for all of your daily activities

like walking and talking.

But when you fast and abstain from calories, especially for an extended

period of time, your body no longer has fresh food to use for energy.

So, It has no other choice than to start tapping into your stored fat for fuel.

And oh my goodness, this is when the real weight loss party gets started.

Also, intermittent fasting helps control our hunger hormones, so

when you fast, these hormones calm down and you don't feel as hungry.

This is awesome because it makes it much easier to eat fewer calories overall, but

still feel totally fine in the meantime.

Awesome benefit number two, fasting has the potential to improve insulin

sensitivity, which can help our bodies use insulin more effectively.

And this can be very beneficial for managing and possibly even

preventing type 2 diabetes.

Awesome benefit number three, Intermittent fasting can really

boost your energy levels.

Honestly, at 48, almost 49 years old, I have more energy now than I did in my 20s.

Seriously.

Fasting allows your body to use fat stores for fuel instead of

relying on constant food intake.

So this shift in your body can lead to more stable blood sugar levels,

making you feel more energetic and focused throughout the day.

Not needing those.

afternoon, uh, naps.

Awesome benefit number four.

This one has to do with brain health.

Many people have reported, myself included, that intermittent fasting

can really improve focus and mental clarity, getting rid of that brain

fog and even improving memory and other cognitive functions.

Awesome benefit number five, this is one of my favorites.

So, um, fasting can greatly, greatly reduce body inflammation.

And I've experienced that myself, but this has been especially

beneficial for my husband, Barry.

He follows a pretty consistent 16 8 intermittent fasting schedule each day.

Not because He need, he needed to lose weight.

He actually has two autoimmune disorders.

Um, one being Ehlers Danlos, uh, syndrome and the fasting has really, really

helped reduce his body inflammation.

Um, so that has been a really amazing benefit, for him.

Awesome benefit number six.

Sleep is so important and fasting can be a real lifesaver

when it comes to improving it.

I know it has really helped me.

I was having trouble sleeping through the night, getting up multiple

times during the night, uh, before I started intermittent fasting.

And now, I sleep more soundly and I usually only have to get up once,

um, Maybe twice, but I mean, I'm getting older, but once during the

night, and sometimes I sleep soundly all through the night, without

any interruptions, which is pretty incredible, compared to my, you know,

sleep quality before I started fasting.

So fasting has the ability to help regulate your circadian rhythm, which.

This is what helps lead to improved sleep quality and of course, uh, sleep duration.

Awesome benefit number seven, cellular repair.

So during fasting, your cells initiate repair processes like

autophagy, which is so cool.

Autophagy is a process where your body cleans out damaged cells

and makes new and better ones.

It happens during intermittent fasting because your body gets a break

from eating, allowing it to focus on repairing and recycling itself.

autophagy, which took me quite a while to figure out how to correctly pronounce it.

Um, it not only helps remove waste from our cells, but studies have

shown that it may also protect against several chronic diseases.

Awesome benefit number eight, improved gut health.

Intermittent fasting has the potential to improve our gut health,

which is so, so important when it comes to our overall health.

Fasting, it gives your digestive system a rest, and this allows for

better gut bacteria balance, and of course, improved digestive health.

Awesome benefit number nine.

Possible anti aging and longevity or the potential for an extended lifespan,

to me, this is simply incredible.

And finally, awesome benefit.

Number 10 quite simply, It just makes life simple.

And I don't know about you, but the KISS or the K I S S, keep it simple, stupid

motto is a motto that I'm all about as we live in this crazy, chaotic world of ours.

With fewer meals to plan and prepare, intermittent fasting can seriously

simplify your daily routine.

This saves time and money, and it reduces stress.

That revolves around meal planning.

So,

there you have it.

Ten incredible intermittent fasting benefits.

And, you can see.

How intermittent fasting can truly be life changing.

And honestly, there are so many more amazing benefits that I didn't

even mention head to my website.

So what if with Jen.

com, if you want to read about.

the dozens of other benefits related to fasting.

All right, so let's do a quick recap.

Intermittent fasting is not a traditional diet.

It is a lifestyle that focuses more on when you eat as opposed

to what you can and cannot eat.

Ten of the best intermittent fasting benefits include Benefit 1.

Intermittent fasting has the potential to turn your body into

a serious fat burning machine.

2.

Fasting has the potential to improve insulin sensitivity.

Benefit 3.

Increased energy.

Number 4.

Better brain health.

Number 5.

The reduction of body inflammation.

6.

Improved sleep.

Benefit number 7.

Cellular repair and that really cool thing that happens in our body called autophagy.

Number 8.

Improved gut health.

9.

Potential anti aging and longevity benefits.

And finally number 10.

Intermittent fasting just makes life so stinking simple.

Thank you so much for listening today.

So be sure to tune into my next episode where I'll be explaining

all of the different popular and flexible intermittent fasting methods

and schedules, and how you can find the one or two that works best

for you and your individual goals.

Make it a great day.