In this week’s IF Insider:
In this issue, we answer a question submitted by one of our readers: How should I handle intermittent fasting during the holidays?
And of course, we will bring you the news on what we’re currently reading. For our premium subscribers, in this issue’s Research Spotlight we are going to look at an interesting new study that examines intermittent fasting’s effect on both health-related quality of life and sleep, two variables that have not been studied very much in the past.
Plus our paid subscribers also get one of Ellen’s recipes each month and access to a live Q&A call. If you are a paid subscriber, last month we brought you a recipe for congee, also called “jook” which is a traditional long-cooked Chinese rice porridge that is warming, soothing, delicious, and digestible. This month, Ellen shared her super easy to make recipe for Cranberry-Orange-Ginger Relish, which is fantastic to have around as an accompaniment to holiday meals.
The paid option also includes a monthly live Q&A call with Ellen and Denise held on the second Tuesday of each month at 12 Noon Eastern (9 AM Pacific) time. The next call is on Tuesday, January 12, 2021.
Looking for a supportive group that “gets” your interest in IF? Our free intermittent fasting Facebook group, with nearly 1800 members, is a wealth of info, in addition to our Fast Factor Circle membership. Just click the link here to become a member of our exclusive Fast Factor Circle Community.
What is the IF Insider?
This email is your briefing on the most compelling developments in intermittent fasting as well as innovation in practices that can be stacked with IF, such as plant-based eating, sleep hacks, natural nootropics, brain training, and more, all curated by our team of entrepreneurs and 'future-think' scouts.
Our Mission is to introduce the power of Intermittent Fasting to entrepreneurs worldwide so they can exponentially improve their lives and businesses and the lives of the people they impact every day.
P.S. Please send your tips to our team by clicking here, and send your friends and colleagues to this link to subscribe to IF Insider.
P.P.S. Get our free Fast Factor Primer: The Entrepreneur's Quick Start Guide to Intermittent Fasting by clicking here.
How Should I Handle Intermittent Fasting During The Holidays?
In our last IF Insider (IF Insider No. 19) we looked at the question: “Will Intermittent Fasting Help Stop Hot Flashes?” In each and every issue we cover one specific intermittent fasting topic as well as highlight what we are reading, watching, and studying.
So let’s address today’s question:
“How should I handle intermittent fasting during the holidays? There are so many tempting foods around! Should I just not bother until the holidays are over?”
First of all, there is no one “right” answer to this question. Because IF is not a “diet” the way you manage it during the holidays is totally up to you. For some people, this is very freeing, and others might get a bit anxious as you may tend to do better with more structure. So here’s some guidance:
If you think about it, there are only three options during the holidays: you can choose to stop fasting until the holidays are over and then begin again, you can fast as usual and not make any modifications to your routine, or you can adapt your fasting schedule (and perhaps what you eat as well!) to the holidays.
Let’s take a look at each one of these in turn:
For some people, simply stopping fasting over the holidays is a viable option. After all, many people who take extended trips (when travel was still possible!) opt to not fast during their vacation and just enjoy the time away, meals and all. So if you look at the holiday period from now until after the first of the year, it’s like going on a two-week cruise or trip abroad.
If you have been fasting for a while, you know that once your trip, or in this case, the holiday period is over, you can simply begin again and resume your usual routine. And yes, you might put on a pound or two, but this weight is usually lost quite easily after you get back on track.
Other people feel more comfortable not making any changes to their routine and will continue to fast and feast as usual. With the restrictions on travel and people choosing not to gather in groups, this is likely an easier option for a lot of people this year. If you choose to continue your fasting schedule, you’ll likely just fit a celebratory meal or two into your routine.
And then there’s the last option, which is the one I have chosen, and that’s to adapt my schedule to the season. As many of you know, I love to cook and will be making a fairly elaborate meal for Christmas supper and am making a special original recipe plant-based No-Egg Nog for Christmas Eve.
I’m not going to make a huge change in my schedule, but I will adapt by extending my eating window a bit and will likely take in more in terms of calories for the big meal on Christmas Day than I usually do.
The point is this: do what makes you feel best, emotionally and physically. And because this holiday season stretches over several weeks, depending on what holiday traditions you are celebrating, what you do one day, doesn’t mean you have to do the next. Flexibility is key.
That’s the beauty of IF…its flexibility. And remember, after all the feasting and partying are over…you are just one clean fast from getting back on track!
Why It Matters
No “diet” can offer the flexibility and choice that IF brings into your life. When something is too restrictive, many of us respond with rebellion and then go on to sabotage ourselves. With IF, there is no “cheating” and no sabotage. You’ve got this!
“I generally avoid temptation unless I can’t resist it.”
~ Mae West - American actress, singer, playwright, screenwriter, comedienne, and sex symbol whose entertainment career spanned seven decades.
What We Are Reading
With each issue, we both bring you a short blurb on what we are currently reading or watching, including books, articles, videos, movies, and research papers of value.
Denise - To complement my budding meditation practice, I was drawn to read, The Healing Power of the Breath: Simple Techniques to Reduce Stress and Anxiety, Enhance Concentration, and Balance Your Emotions by Patricia Gerbarg and Richard Brown.
I’ve just started the book. The authors provide a different way to treat stress: breathing. Drawn from yoga, Buddhist meditation, the Chinese practice of qigong, and other sources, their science-backed methods activate communication pathways between the mind and body to positively impact the brain and calm the stress response. You can also download the audio exercises included in the book.
Ellen - A few days ago, Denise posted an article about some of the best cookbooks of the year, and of course I couldn’t resist scrutinizing the list! As you may know, I am enrolled in Rouxbe Culinary Institute’s Plant-Based Certification Program and also have been nearly 100 percent plant-based for the past year.
With plant-based cooking, knowing how to build flavor is everything, so this book by Nik Sharma immediately caught my eye: The Flavor Equation - The Science of Great Cooking Explained + More Than 100 Essential Recipes. Born and raised in Mumbai, India, where she lived until her early 20’s, Nik Sharma learned the art of flavor in her grandmother’s kitchen before coming to live in the U.S., where her exploration of flavor led her down many new paths.
She explains, “Flavor is much more than a distinctive smell or taste; it involves our emotions, and sometimes memories, intertwined with our sense of the sounds, colors shapes, and textures of our food. These components together make what I refer to as the Flavor Equation: Emotion + Sight + Sound + Mouthfeel + Aroma + Taste = Flavor.
I can’t wait to dive into this book and to use Nik Sharma’s knowledge of flavor in my own kitchen!
Have You Heard? We’re Doing It Again…
Join us for our new 10 Day Fast Factor Challenge.
The FF Challenge begins on Monday, January 4th, and will go through January 15th.
Every day, for each of the two weeks total of the Challenge, you’ll get an email prompt with information, tips, and an easy to complete action item for that day.
Then twice a week for two weeks, on Mondays and Fridays of the Challenge, Denise and I will be LIVE in a private face-to-face Zoom call we’ve set up just for our Challenge participants….
To answer questions, give support, help you make tweaks to your fasting routine, and give you a place to go where you know you can get answers and accountability. We are dedicated to your success!
Plus, in between calls we will be active daily in our challenge Facebook group to answer questions, and on Wednesdays of each week, we will be in the group in real-time for “office hours” so we can respond immediately to any questions you post.
Listen, both Denise and I have been fasting daily for over two years now, I also consult with private clients, and we are running our first six-month group to certify coaches in our methods. I can say with complete assurance that yes, you can do this.
Not only will this be the best thing you have ever done for your health and wellbeing it will totally change your perception of who you are and what you are capable of. That’s an invaluable benefit at this time of global distress.
We know that’s a big claim and we stand behind it!
So, don’t wait a minute longer. Get signed up for the Fast Factor Challenge right now.
The Challenge is only $37…
And, we have an Early Bird offer. Sign up by December 24 and save $10.
Use coupon code FAST2021 when you sign up here.
And the benefits you’ll get from learning how to eat and live this way?
Well, they are priceless!
Beginning intermittent fasting was, by far, the very best decision I have ever made when it comes to my health. IF has truly changed my life…
As it will change yours!
We can’t wait to have you join us!
Ellen Britt and Denise Wakeman
CoFounders, The Fast Factor
P.S. The Early Bird discount is good through December 24. Use coupon code FAST2021 to save $10.