Do You Need A Fasting Reboot For The New Year? Here's How To Do One If You Do!
IF Insider No. 43
In this issue, we’ll help you decide if a fasting “reboot” is right for you as a reset for the New Year, and if so, how to do just that!
For our premium subscribers, in this week’s Research Spotlight, we are taking a closer look at a recent study that suggests probiotic supplementation may have a positive effect on cognitive function. More evidence of the importance of the gut-brain connection.
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Do You Need A Fasting Reboot For The New Year?
There’s a good reason why, right after the holidays, and especially right after the New Year, you begin to see ads everywhere for weight loss products, diet plans, two-for-one gym memberships, and everything in between.
Humans are extremely predictable creatures, and most of us succumb in one form or another to the temptations of holiday meals, treats, snacks and other edibles we know are not good for us. For most people, this begins with the onset of Thanksgiving in November and bleeds over till Christmas, at which point most folks just throw up their hands and give in until after New Year’s Day.
Then, sometimes around the beginning of the second week of January, if you are like many folks, you suddenly come to your senses and ask yourself, “Uh oh. What have I done?”
Now if you are one of the tiny percentages of people who did not fall into temptation, then congratulations! I would sincerely love to hear from you about your strategies to stay on track.
But for the rest of us…
well, we likely need a reboot, or reset, or whatever you want to call it. Something to get us back on track and out of the overly processed food, sugar, carbs, alcohol, or whatever-it-was-you-ate-or-drank ditch.
Begin At The Beginning
But how best to do that?
First of all, it’s important to begin any reset with the right mindset. Quell the negative self-talk in your head that tells you, in a less than polite tone, that you’re a spineless, undisciplined slob who will never be able to maintain any kind of healthy routine. This is not helpful and any reset program that began out of guilt likely won’t last. And even if it does, you won’t have much fun doing it!
Back To Basics
Next, get back to basics. Daily intermittent fasting. Healthy food. Adequate sleep. Exercise. Plenty of fresh water and perhaps some oolong or green tea for the antioxidant content. That’s it. Now for the details:
If you managed to stick to some sort of daily intermittent fasting routine during the holidays then great, make it consistent, and aim to get back to your “sweet spot” in terms of the number of fasting hours.
On the other hand, if your daily fasting practice went out the window then you will gently want to get yourself back on track. If it’s been several weeks since you fasted, you may need to get yourself fat-adapted once more, by going back to a shorter fasting schedule than what you were previously used to, then gradually increasing it over a couple of weeks.
Don’t worry if you need to do this, as your body will quickly remember and you’ll be back on track with your fasting in no time. You may have a day or two or more where things feel a bit tough. Remember the old standbys: black coffee is an appetite suppressant, hunger pangs are not an emergency and many times can be quelled with a grain of pink salt and a glass of ice water.
Once you’ve gotten your fasting routine reset, then pay attention to the other basics. Be sure you are getting adequate sleep, as lack of sleep can go further to derail your fasting plans than most anything else I know.
If you have not been exercising, now’s the time to begin a walking program. Just 20 to 30 minutes a few times a week will do wonders. And walking outside gives you a double benefit of sun/fresh air exposure plus exercise.
By now, you’re probably sick of rich holiday food, so take the time to cook yourself (or purchase) some nutritious, healthy meals that have plenty of good fats, green leafy vegetables, and lean protein, such as cold-water fish, free-range eggs, or grass-fed beef. If you are vegan, be sure to get plenty of high-quality vegetable protein.
Oh, and one more thing. Since it’s winter, unless you live south of the equator, you would likely do well to supplement daily with Vitamin D3 (5000 to 10,000 I.U.) or check with your doctor for her/his recommended amount. It’s nearly impossible for people living in the northern latitudes to get enough Vitamin D naturally from sun exposure in the winter. There is more and more evidence that Vitamin D is absolutely necessary for optimum health as well as protection from many illnesses.
Read more on getting back to basics.
Why It Matters
We humans are not machines. We grow, we change and we adapt. We succeed and yes, at times, we fail. But we get back up and move forward. Because really, what choice is there?
“After all, computers crash, people die, relationships fall apart. The best we can do is breath and reboot.”
~ Sarah Jessica Parker - (b. 1965) American actress and television producer. She is perhaps best known for her Emmy and Golden Globe award-winning portrayal of Carrie Bradshaw on the HBO television series Sex and the City.
What We Are Reading 📚
With each issue, we bring you a short blurb on what we are currently reading or watching, including books, articles, podcasts, videos, movies, and research papers of value.
Denise - I picked up a copy of the brand new Blue Zones book by Dan Buettner. The Blue Zones Challenge is a 4-week plan for designing a longer and better life. It’s a workbook that covers how to set up your environment and life to live the Blue Zones life. There are recipes, shopping lists, assessments, checklists, and worksheets you can use in the book and download from the Blue Zones site.
Find a friend and work through the Challenge together. It’s easy to read, understand and walks you through every step of implementation.
Ellen - Do you ever feel like you are just not up for a particular role in your life? At home, work, or school? Or maybe it’s a particular job or task you are faced with and you’re feeling insecure.
You need what author and peak performance coach Todd Herman has termed a Secret Identity or Alter Ego, as described in his book, The Alter Ego Effect: How To Use The Power Of Secret Identities To Transform Your Life.
Learn how you can construct your own Secret Identity/Alter Ego and also how you can effectively step inside that “person” when you need to show up as someone who is much greater than you believe yourself to be.
My alter ego is a combination of a character from a novel, plus a famous American actress. I am having a lot of fun with this one! I would love to hear what you think of this book. It’s available in print, ebook, and audiobook formats.
Did you like this article and learn something new? If so, please let us know in the comments! Questions and suggestions for future articles are welcome, too!
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