Hello and welcome to the Intermittent Fasting Gems with Jen Podcast.

I'm your host Jen, a middle-aged Michigan mama, wife, and teacher who

in 2021 stumbled upon this crazy cool thing called intermittent fasting.

And before I knew it.

I've lost 46 pounds in four months and gained an incredible lifestyle

filled with complete food freedom.

If you're hungry for unique, no nonsense fasting tips that actually

work, you're in the right place.

So whether you're walking the dog, folding that last load of laundry or cruising to

your nine to five, let's start fasting.

Our way to freedom together.

Hello to all of my fabulous fasting friends.

Today we'll be taking a page out of my former kindergarten teacher playbook and

we'll be exploring the ABCs Today, the ABCs of intermittent fasting that is.

Today's episode will be part one of a two part series.

So since there are 26 letters in the alphabet, we're gonna go ahead and chop

the alphabet in half and cover letters A through M today and then part two, letters

N through Z will be covered in my next episode which will be released on April.

30th.

This will be a great beginner's guide for those just getting started with if, or

it should also be a nice little refresher guide for those who have been fasting

for a while, since I'll be covering key intermittent fasting topics from a all the

way to Z. Alright, let's get started with our fasting ABCs a is for autophagy and

honestly, even more than the weight loss.

Autophagy is, in my opinion, the most spectacular benefit tied to

intermittent fasting, even though it took me quite a while to learn how

to pronounce that word correctly.

So autophagy is like a cleanup process that happens in our bodies cells.

The term autophagy originates from Greek where.

Auto means self, and Fiji means eating intermittent.

Fasting is closely linked to the activation of autophagy, especially

when we do longer or extended fasts.

When we fast or restrict our calories for a period of time, our body

experiences a shift in energy sources.

As available glucose decreases the body turns to stored fats for fuel.

And during this transition, autophagy becomes more active, the lack of

nutrients, prompt cells, to start breaking down dysfunctional components, um, damaged

proteins and even certain pathogens.

So autophagy is one of the reasons why.

Intermittent fasting is associated with so many potential

benefits beyond weight loss.

Some of these incredible benefits include improved cellular function,

reduced inflammation, a decrease in the risk of certain chronic diseases,

and even supporting longevity.

Autophagy truly is awesome.

Moving on to letter B.

B is for the many benefits of intermittent fasting.

The list is long when it comes to intermittent fasting

benefits, which is so incredible.

One major advantage, of course, is weight loss and weight

management, and as a woman, about to turn 50 in just a few months.

I can't tell you how thankful I am to have found the power of intermittent fasting to

help me lose and now maintain my weight.

When we give our body regular periods of not eating, we can help control our

calorie intake and promote weight loss.

Intermittent fasting also helps boost metabolism, improve energy levels,

and stabilize blood sugar levels.

And when we set the benefit of weight loss off to the side, we are still left with a.

Boatload of other truly incredible benefits, many of them directly

related to improving our health.

Like the potential fasting has to reduce body inflammation, lower cholesterol

levels, reduce chronic diseases, improve.

Brain function enhance mental clarity and memory, and overall intermittent fasting

offers just a holistic approach to health, and it has the potential to contribute to

a healthier and much more energetic life.

If you wanna learn more about the incredible.

Benefits of fasting.

You can go back and listen to episode number three of this podcast

where I share 10 life-changing benefits of intermittent fasting.

Alright, moving on to letter C and C is for coffee.

Now coffee, as long as it's black, has proven to be a beloved beverage for

many people who practice intermittent fasting, um, I am definitely one of them.

And yes, as long as you drink it black, it absolutely can be consumed

during your clean fasting hours.

Drinking black coffee during intermittent fasting can even offer several.

Other benefits.

Um, so first off, black Coffee is virtually calorie free, which means

it won't break your fast and it won't disrupt the fasting state.

The caffeine in black coffee can provide an energy boost and help improve

focus, making it easier to manage your daily tasks even while fasting.

Finally, some studies have even shown that black coffee has

the potential to enhance fat.

Oxidation, which means it can potentially support your body's

ability to use stored fat for energy.

The antioxidants in coffee like chlorogenic acid may also contribute

to potential health benefits, including reducing inflammation

and supporting overall wellbeing.

However, coffee.

Isn't for everyone, and if you don't like it or it doesn't

work for you, no big deal.

If you are a coffee lover like me, it's important to, again, make sure to

consume black coffee in moderation, and of course, avoid adding sugar cream or

other high calorie additives that could break your fast and interfere with the

many benefits of fasting like autophagy.

Okay, D is for delay.

Don't Deny.

Delay.

Don't Deny is an intermittent fasting book written by Jen Stevens, um, and she

is like my intermittent fasting hero.

It is truly, in my opinion, a groundbreaking book that introduces

the concept of intermittent fasting as a sustainable approach

to weight loss and to overall.

Health improvement in this book, gin Stevens emphasizes the importance of

allowing a fasting period with specific hours of fasting before consuming

calories, encouraging readers to listen to their body's hunger cues by incorporating

intermittent fasting into their lifestyle.

Gin shares how one can break free from restrictive diets and enjoy

food without the guilt, while still achieving many health benefits as well

as reaching their weight loss goals.

The book explores, uh, the basics of intermittent fasting.

It also dispels common myths and misconceptions about fasting, and

it provides valuable insights into the science behind this intermittent

fasting approach with practical tips.

Intermittent fasting testimonials and research backed evidence.

Delay Don't deny is a great first fasting read.

It definitely will empower you as a reader to make informed decisions about your

eating habits and to embark on a journey of your own towards improved wellbeing

and a healthier relationship with food.

I would consider the book delay.

Don't deny to be my fasting Bible.

I guess you could say it is one of the best books I have

ever read in my entire life.

It was life changing.

It was definitely my beginner's guide to intermittent fasting.

It taught me about the many.

Benefits of intermittent fasting and about the real possibility

of reaching a healthy weight.

Um, since reading this book in January of 2021 and adopting an intermittent

fasting lifestyle, my life I can honestly say has been forever.

Transformed for the better.

Jen is a former elementary teacher, so I connect with her on that level.

Her writing style is just so easy to understand and connect with.

It's a very quick, um, but a very powerful read.

I read it in like four hours.

I highly recommend I'll leave the link to the book, uh, below

for you in the show notes.

E is for eating window.

The eating window is a key concept in intermittent fasting, and it refers

to the specific timeframe during which you are allowed to eat your

meals and consume your calories.

Intermittent fasting involves cycling between periods of

eating and periods of fasting.

And the eating window is the portion of time within again, which you consume all

of your daily calories and nutrients.

So for example, if you're following a 16 eight intermittent fasting eating

pattern, you would fast for 16 hours.

And then have an eight hour eating window.

During the eating window, you can have your meals, your snacks.

Um, the eating window is carefully planned to help you control your calorie intake.

Moving right into letter F, which stands for fasting window or fasting period.

The fasting window is a fundamental concept in intermittent

fasting, and it's basically the opposite of the eating window.

It refers to this specific period of time, uh, during which you

abstain from eating and consuming.

Calories.

Intermittent fasting involves alternating between periods of eating and fasting.

And the fasting window is the duration of time within which you

refrain from consuming food or beverages that contain calories.

The length of the fasting window can definitely vary

depending on the particular.

Intermittent fasting method that you are practicing.

Some methods involve shorter fasting windows, such as 14 hours, while others

like the 20 and four fasting methods sometimes referred to as the Warrior Diet.

Um, they have more extended, uh, or longer fasting windows, the fasting window.

Is key to intermittent fasting.

Um, during the fasting window, your body relies on that stored energy primarily

from glycogen and fats, which can lead to potential benefits like fat loss, improved

insulin sensitivity, and the activation of cellular processes such as autophagy.

It's important to listen to your body during the fasting window and stay

hydrated with non caloric beverages like water, herbal tea, or black coffee.

Um, check out episode number seven of this podcast where I talk about.

The four best clean drinks to consume during your fasting window.

Moving on to the next letter, and that is g. G is for growth hormone.

When a person practices intermittent fasting, their body naturally

increases the production of growth hormones, also known as.

Human growth hormone or HGHA naturally occurring hormone produced by

the pituitary gland in the brain.

When we do intermittent fasting, and especially during extended fasting

periods, it is believed that the release of growth hormone is stimulated.

And the cool thing about this is.

That can lead to several potential benefits including, um, fat metabolism,

where the growth hormone encourages the body to use stored fat for energy,

and this can contribute to fat loss and body composition improvements.

Um, it can also lead to muscle preservation, uh, helping to maintain

muscle mass even during periods of calorie restriction or fasting.

Uh, preventing excessive muscle breakdown.

It can improve metabolic health.

Um, increase growth hormone secretion during fasting might

improve insulin sensitivity.

It can enhance cellular repair.

Um, and this has been shown to play a role in processes like autophagy where.

Again, the damaged cellular components are removed and recycled.

Letter H is for hormone regulation.

Kind of along the same lines, but when someone practices intermittent

fasting, their hormones can change in ways that help the body work better.

For example, intermittent fasting lowers insulin levels.

Which helps the body burn stored fat more easily.

And as mentioned previously, it increases human growth hormone, which

supports fat burning and muscle growth.

Fasting can also improve how the body responds to hunger and fullness signals

by reducing the hunger hormone ghrelin, and improving leptin sensitivity,

making it easier to control appetite, and maintain a healthy weight.

I is for insulin sensitivity.

So when a person practices intermittent fasting, their insulin sensitivity

usually improves, which means their body can use insulin more effectively

to manage blood sugar levels.

This improvement helps lower insulin resistance, making it easier for cells

to take in glucose for energy and.

Potentially reducing the risk of high blood sugar or type two diabetes.

As a result, people who fast often experience better blood sugar,

control lower insulin levels and may find it easier to lose

weight and keep it off improved.

Insulin sensitivity is one of the main reasons intermittent fasting is considered

helpful for overall metabolic health.

Moving on to letter j. J is for jumpstart, intermittent fasting

can definitely jumpstart weight loss and support health goals.

And this can be a big boost to our mental health, especially when we're

trying to, um, lose weight and we're up against those frustrations that.

Often happen, uh, when we're trying to to do that.

So a jumpstart is possible due to calorie control, increased fat

burning, improved insulin sensitivity, and a boost in metabolic rate.

And it's also very possible that a person may experience a jumpstart

to their journey as a result of appetite regulation, positive hormone

changes, and cellular repair too.

If you are ready to finally lose weight and get healthy for good,

intermittent fasting is a great way to jumpstart your journey.

And for just $19, I have a three week intermittent fasting jumpstart

plan that includes an easy to follow, step-by-step, downloadable guide,

filled with simple weekly tasks, tips, recipes, workout suggestions.

Ultimate intermittent fasting grocery list and more.

And of course, if you are all in, I have my six weeks to sexy online,

intermittent fasting and weight loss video course that sells for $49 with

an extra $10 off when you use the discount code GEMS 10 at checkout.

And Ooh, perfect timing too, since we are only about six weeks

away from summer bikini weather.

Um, so I will leave the link to both of those below.

If you are ready to get a jump start on your intermittent fasting journey.

I am ready to help you.

Alright, moving on to k. K is for ketosis.

When a person practices intermittent fasting, their body can enter

into this really cool state called ketosis, where it starts.

Burning fat for energy instead of sugar from the food we eat.

This usually happens after fasting for at least 12 to 18 hours.

As the body uses up, its stored sugar and then.

Switches to using fat, which produces substances called ketones.

And being in ketosis can definitely help with weight loss, provide steady energy,

and may even reduce hunger, making it easier to stick to fasting routines.

Overall, ketosis is a natural process that helps the body use its fat stores in a

healthy way during intermittent fasting.

Letter L is for lifestyle.

As I have said over and over again in my podcast episodes,

intermittent fasting is not a diet.

It really is a lifestyle, and that is why so many people,

myself included, love it and have experienced so much success with it.

Intermittent fasting is a lifestyle approach to eating, unlike

traditional diets that often focus solely on what you eat.

Intermittent fasting is more about.

When you eat, it's about establishing a flexible and sustainable pattern

of eating and fasting that aligns with your personal daily routines

and your personal preferences.

Intermittent fasting doesn't involve strict food rules like calorie counting

or completely eliminating certain foods.

Instead, it encourages mindful eating and choosing nutritious foods while allowing.

Flexibility within your eating window.

This lifestyle approach promotes a healthier relationship with food, and

it can be adapted to various schedules and preferences, making it easier, uh,

to integrate into your everyday life.

And finally we have reached exactly halfway through the alphabet.

Uh, letter m and letter M is for methods of fasting.

And this is another beautiful thing about fasting.

There are so many methods or ways that you can make

intermittent fasting work for you.

Each of these methods incorporate their own unique approach to cycling

between periods of feasting and fasting.

The only thing you need to do is play around with it a little bit

and find which method or methods work best for you and your schedule.

Of course, probably the most popular is the 16 eight method.

This is where individuals complete 16 hours of fasting followed by eight.

Uh, hours of eating.

Another popular schedule is the five two method, which involves eating normally

for five days and then drastically reducing calories on two non-consecutive.

Days.

Um, then you've got your alternate day fasting method where people

would alternate between fasting days and regular eating days.

There's also the warrior diet where individuals fast for 20 hours and eat.

Uh.

A larger meal during a four hour window.

As most of you know, I love Oma, uh, which stands for one meal a day,

which is actually more than that because in my three to four hour

eating window, I usually have a large meal and some high protein snacks,

and also a nice, healthy dessert.

You just do what works for you.

If you wanna learn more about the.

Different intermittent fasting methods that are out there and

find one that works best for you.

You can go back and listen to episode number four where I explain seven of

the most common intermittent fasting methods and how you can find one, um,

or more methods that work best for you.

Alright, so the first half of our intermittent fasting ABCs.

Complete.

A is for autophagy.

B is for benefits.

C is for coffee.

D is for delay.

Don't deny.

E is for eating window, F is for fasting.

Window, G is for growth hormone, H is for hormone regulation.

I is for insulin sensitivity.

J is for Jumpstart.

Your journey.

K is for ketosis, L is for lifestyle, and M is for the many methods that

can be practiced when living an intermittent fasting lifestyle.

Be sure to tune into my next episode.

Which will be part two of this series on April 30th, where I will be discussing

the second half of the intermittent fasting ABC's, letters N through Z.

Have a blessed and beautiful day.

I hope to connect with you again very soon.

Hey, thank you so much for choosing to spend part of your day listening

to this episode of the Intermittent Fasting Gems with Jen podcast.

If you think these tips could help a friend or a family member, please

consider sharing this episode with them.

And if you really enjoyed the show, taking a minute or two

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Would be so appreciated.

Tune in for new 15 to 25 minute episodes released on the 10th,

20th, and 30th of each month.

Episodes will feature solo shows filled with if F hacks that

have worked for me, as well as episodes where I get to chat with.

Fun folks of all ages who've experienced incredible success

with intermittent fasting.

If you have questions or want more unique intermittent fasting health and

weight loss tips, tricks and recipes, please visit my website and blog at.

So what if with jen.com?

Finally, we'd love to welcome you into our free intermittent.

Fasting Facebook support group.

So what if with Jen?

Find all of these links in the show notes below.

And as always, I hope you spend your day loving without fear and

laughing until your cheeks hurt.