The 411 on Intermittent Fasting

One of the (many!) greatly debated topics in the fitness & health industry is intermittent fasting. I want to clear some things up about it for you. 

Like everything else, there’s no right or wrong – there’s nuance. Is it something you’d benefit from? Maybe, maybe not. 

The main benefits reported are weight loss (by way of decreased calorie intake) and cellular repair and detox through a mechanism called autophagy.

What is autophagy? 

It’s your body’s internal recycling system – a process where old, damaged, or dysfunctional cells and proteins are broken down and cleared out. This “clean-up” helps reduce inflammation, support brain health, and keep your cells functioning efficiently. It’s most active during deep sleep, fasting, or low-insulin states, and plays a key role in healthy aging.

Autophagy is sort of the opposite of anabolism, where the body builds, grows, repairs. Anabolism is triggered by eating protein and carbs, presence of insulin, and strength training. It benefits muscle growth, bone health, hormone production, and so much more. 

So, which one do you want?

Both, of course! 

What’s cool is that depending on your specific needs, you can have some influence over how much time your body spends in each.

So what’s the right approach for you?

If you’re in a calorie deficit to lose fat or youre a woman over 40 with low muscle mass, then your priority should be maintaining/building muscle and therefore err toward more time in anabolism. Eat plenty of protein shortly before bed to keep stimulating protein-building into the night. A normal period of sleep (7-9 hours ideally) is sufficient “fasting” time to get some benefit of autophagy. 

If you typically have low quality/quantity of sleep, struggle with brain fog, fatigue, chronic inflammation, or insulin resistance, then you’d probably benefit from more time undergoing autophagy. The nice thing is – you don’t have to “fast” to get the benefits – other than having dinner a little earlier and/or breakfast a little later. “Fasting” from 7p-7a would do the trick.

If you fit into both categories, it’s up to you! Try both ways and pay attention to how you feel, and choose what’s right for you.