IT'S NOT NATURAL

One of the most prominent myths about fasting is the idea that going without food is unnatural and potentially harmful for the body. We have been told since we were born that we need to eat 3 times per day to be strong and healthy.

But the reality is that times of fasting were relatively common for our ancestors. We have metabolic adaptation processes that occur to help us thrive through these times of scarcity. For example, the ability to produce energy from fats signifies that our bodies are well prepared to go long periods with no food.

In fact, as discussed in previous sections, intermittent fasting seems to have an overall healing effect on the body by stimulating repair and protection mechanisms.

IT SLOWS DOWN YOUR METABOLISM

Research shows that intermittent fasting can actually have a metabolism boosting effect as it promotes a state of ketosis. Indeed, without glucose, you switch over to burning fat for fuel in a process called ketosis.

Fasting also stimulates fat burning hormones such as human growth hormone (HGH) and norepinephrine that keep your metabolic rate optimized. 

What does slow down the metabolism is actually prolonged calorie restriction. This is why dieting in the traditional sense may not be a great idea. It's important to understand that you do not need to reduce your overall caloric consumption when fasting, you simply condense your eating period each day.

Included a 'feast day' during the week, as we talked about here, will also help, by telling your body that everything is OKAY, you are definitely not starving!

FASTING CAUSES NUTRIENT DEFICIENCIES

If you are consuming a balanced whole foods diet within your eating window, it is unlikely that you will suffer from any nutrient deficiencies. In fact, when you fast, your body develops a greater level of nutrient efficiency. The process of autophagy, which is essentially the recycling of old damaged cells, allows us to get nutrients from within our own body.

If you have a damaged gut lining which prevents you from absorbing nutrients efficiently, the process of fasting will actually allow for faster healing and hence ultimately better nutrient absorption.

Tip: Eat plenty of colourful veggies, healthy fats and proteins during your eating window to gain maximum benefits.

FASTING IS NOT GOOD FOR DIABETES AND BLOOD SUGAR BALANCE

Although it's true that during the adaptation period (when your body is not yet adapted to burning fat for energy), you might struggle a bit with blood sugar ups and downs, as your body eventually adapts, you will actually have much more stable blood sugar.

In fact, fasting may even be able to restore insulin sensitivity in those suffering from type 2 diabetes and insulin resistance/ metabolic syndrome.

Insulin is pro-inflammatory, so the better our insulin sensitivity, the less insulin our body will need to produce and the less inflammation our body will experience.

* Type 1 diabetes is very different than type 2 and if you have this type of diabetes, you should not attempt fasting without close supervision from a doctor.

YOU SHOULDN'T EXERCISE WHILE FASTING

It is a common misconception that working out while fasting will lead to muscle wasting. What evidence shows is that, as long as adequate calories and protein are consumed on a daily basis, fasted workouts may actually boost muscle growth. This is due in part to the stimulation of human growth factor while fasting.

It also stimulates the formation of new mitochondria, which are essential for energy.

Tip: Make sure you stay well hydrated and increase your salt/electrolytes intake when training in a fasted state. If your goal is muscle gain, supplementing with branched chain amino-acid after your training can be very helpful as well.

YOU WILL FEEL STARVED AND IRRITABLE

Many people fear this, and although it might be true at first, you will find that as your body adapts to fasting and gets more efficient at burning fat for energy, you will actually have much more stable energy and mood throughout the day, without the constant ups and downs.

The best way to adapt to fasting without this side effect is to follow the steps outlined in 'Tips to get started with intermittent fasting'.

SUMMARY

To summarise, as long as you follow the steps and tips recommended in the previous sections, you should gain the maximum benefits from itntermittent fasting and actually feel the best you've had in a long time, with more stable energy and mental clarity.