Does It Matter What and When We Eat? Intermittent Fasting and Our Hormones

Food is medicine, and what you eat has a significant impact on your health. While it's good to be conscious and intentional with what you eat, an intense focus on your diet can easily turn into an obsession. This is in part due to the fact that awareness around how what we eat affects our bodies has increased recently.

Different types of diets and eating styles have also been popularized online. Dietary advice is just about everywhere you look, pressuring you to eat a specific way to lose weight. Some of the most well-known diets include Mediterranean, carnivore, Atkins, Whole30 diet, and paleo.

Alongside types of diets, there are also different types of eating patterns or eating styles. One such example is intermittent fasting. This pattern narrows your eating window to between 6 and 8 hours. This style of eating has been documented to support cellular repair. However, if not done properly, this can instigate erratic eating habits for some people or lead to nutrient deficiencies.

Intermittent fasting may also lead to an increase in cortisol. However, this varies greatly from person to person. Some people experience a temporary rise, while others adapt without any fluctuation at all. If you're going to try this eating style, make sure you also prioritize sleep so you can manage stress and reduce any negative outcomes from this eating pattern.

Repeated exposure to intermittent fasting protocols may change the way you interpret hunger signals (hunger hormones) from your body. This, along with other hormones like norepinephrine and melatonin, can also be impacted by fasting cycles. If you decide to try intermittent fasting, be sure to monitor your body's response and modify the pattern (or try another style) if needed.

Connect with Dr. Cernaianu

https://www.herabeautyandwellness.com/

https://www.instagram.com/herabeautyandwellness/

https://www.facebook.com/people/Hera-Healthcare-Mirela-Cernaianu-MD/100063462643162/