Fasting for Health

The following notes, plans and summaries are from my personal assignment to gain a Scientific Advancement in Nutrition. My focus was on Fasting and effects for a range of different people. Working with Mental Health, Inflammation, Diabetes and reducing symptoms to maintain a healthy lifestyle. Please do not take it up upon yourself to introduce these techniques discussed without talking with your doctor, nurse or having a chat with me. All clients had correspondences with a medical health care professional throughout Fasting Plan. 

A

1995

FEMALE

Goals: 

Medical History:

We will aim to remove carbs, one section at a time to reduce the inflammation, assuming this was coming from carbohydrates. Introducing a slow progress into fasting to help repair cellular structure and reset the body’s metabolism. A will continue with her 180 minute average of exercise per week, light weight loads and walking/jogging for cardio. A understands that high carbohydrates can cause inflammation and has noticed a link between eating high carb and symptoms that occur. Has tried to fast in the past with success but never able to find the right fasting tolerance for her body to be able to preserve her energy. 

Working on removing the following from the diet:

Working on adding more of the following to the diet: 

Looking into Coffee and introducing Full Cream

Week one going through a fasting window from 6pm to 10am, increasing up to 6pm to 11:30am for week two and week three. Week four working with a fasting window from 6pm to 12:30pm. All fasting are 5 days per week. 

Revised plan + Feedback at 4 weeks: 

A review “Struggling to cut out breads and pasta with a partner who loves both, but am experiencing a reduction in cramping pains and no more bloating at all! The fasting for week 3 was very hard, and am still finding it strange that I don’t eat as often, but my energy is remaining the same”

Working on removing the following from the diet: 

Working on adding more: 

Week five of fasting holding onto the same 6pm to 12:30pm fasting window. At week six and seven working towards holding a 6pm to 1pm fasting schedule.

Revised at week Eight 

Revised at week 8: 

A review “Working with eggs as wraps is such a good idea, I am also enjoying the egg pasta and my partner is happy with the substitute. I am fairly happy sitting at fasting schedule now, and find that I don’t need to overeat as I use to. My cramping has nearly all gone and my periods are reducing in heaviness” 

I have advised that A carries on with the 5 days 6pm - 1pm fasting, I have suggested that she integrates one 24 hours fast per week when she is comfortable and finding the fasting easy to stick to. It would be good to build up to one 3 days fast to fully reset her system, or use as a mechanism when holidays or other events occur that may cause stress to cells. 

B

DOB: 2003

FEMALE

Goals: 

Currently has not eaten a proper meal for the last 8 months. Lives off small portions of baby food every couple of days. Does not want to eat for fear of putting on weight and people not recognising how good she looks now. Emphasis on mental health imaging. 

Medical History:

Starting with adding one meal into the day, Atleast 3 days a week. Have chosen to make this dinner time to be able to spend time with the family also. We are going to work with a reverse method to fasting. Currently B likes to not eat and feels threatened by food but is also suffering stomach problems and low energy. Is able to notice that this can be from lack of food and wants to build a healthy relationship with food again. Instead of working with not eating at all, we are going to slowly build up the eating window again. 

Week one through to end of week three; adding dinner at least 3 times a week with the family, and eating at the hours of 4 - 7 pm, including afternoon tea after school if able too. 

Following at 4 weeks found that B’s stomach pains were reducing, but with pains coming on days that she would have nothing to eat. Has increased fluid intake as well to help out with headaches. No longer feels out of control, but still does not react well to change. Likes the fasting idea and gives her something that she can control. Does not like the idea of eating but has manage to eat every week night the last week and is having more snacks during the day (consisting of pureed fruits). 

Week four and five, working with B to eat between the hours of 1 - 7 pm, lunch at school is at 1pm so incorporates another meal. A meal is hard food, not puréed as she would claim as a meal previously. A meal is a full plate. On week six B will be working on eating 7 days a week and maintaining this going forward. 

To work on slowly building up eating window, to help build a healthy relationship with food. From here we can do a follow up in 6 months and integrate a fitness regime to maintain a healthy weight. 

DOB: 1976

MALE

Goals: 

Medical History: 

Plan in General: 

To slowly progress to an intense fasting regime to help support insulin and lower Hbac1 levels. He works shift work for a trucking company and finds it hard to stick to diets. Need to be able to work with something that is adjustable to work load and lifestyle, as well as being able to get a health blood forms coming back. 

The goal with C’s nutritional plan was to make it adjustable to life and easy with a family not willing to change eating habits. Through plans and sessions with C we started off with a small introduction in Fasting and gradually increasing this to be more intense and shorten the eating window. Gradually building up to one 24 hour fast each week. C found this type of “diet” a lot easier than others. He was able to adjust around his working schedule and shift working hours to be able to eat healthier too. He started to watch his fruit intake, ate at regular intervals in the fasting schedule and was beginning to sleep better as well. His blood forms support what was happening in his body, this good amount of stress from Fasting was supporting his blood sugar levels and minimising the impact of type two diabetes. He kept in regular touch with his general nurse. The nurse support his plans and acted as a medical guide should he experience extreme symptoms. He didn’t find that he was hungry and was able to lose 10kgs along the way

At the eight week mark, C’s family be some more supportive, enter Prekure Challenges and began to lead a more Mediterranean and Low Card eating lifestyle. 

Throughout C’s coaching plans he was interactive, would text me often and catch up every 2 weeks and adjust the plan as needed and shown below. I continue to see C monthly and am looking into a coaching at a diet approach and changing out foods that are currently in the diet to lead a mainly low carb lifestyle. 

Conclusion: 

Through working with clients in Fasting Regimes I want to be able to show how fasting can be a good stress to the body systems and help in adjusting systems from illnesses, inflammation and overall resetting of the metabolism.  

By working with clients that required different outcomes I was able to show the diversity to fasting, how it can be adjustable and used to gain weight and lose it. Overall fasting has become my go-to nutritional advice for 90% of my clients with a side a nutritional advice.