In this week’s IF Insider:
In this issue we answer a question submitted by one of the members of our Fast Factor Coaching Certification group: I am constantly bothered by menopausal hot flashes. Will intermittent fasting do anything to stop hot flashes or reduce their frequency?
As always, we will bring you the news on what we’re currently reading. For our paid subscribers, in this issue’s Research Spotlight we are going to take a look at calorie restriction as it relates to wellness and longevity (not as a weight-loss tool) and how it could possibly be combined with intermittent fasting.
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 is sharing 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.
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Will Intermittent Fasting Help Stop Hot Flashes?
In our last IF Insider (IF Insider No. 18) we looked at the question: “Why Isn’t Intermittent Fasting Working For You?” 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:
“Will intermittent fasting help stop menopausal hot flashes?”
This is a great question, as fully 75% of all women will experience them, starting some months before her last period and going on for as long as two years, or in some women, continuing for four to ten years after menopause. And for 10 to 15% of these women, hot flashes can be so severe they disrupt normal life. Many women face ten to fifteen years total of living with hot flashes, which are unpredictable and hard to control.
Hot flashes are sudden episodes of a feeling of intense warmth or heat in a woman’s upper body, usually the chest, neck, and face. This heat sensation is accompanied by reddening of the skin and sweating. Many times this is followed by feeling chilled, as body heat is lost and skin is damp from sweat. When hot flashes occur at night, they are known as night sweats and frequently disrupt sleep for women who suffer from them.
So what causes hot flashes? There is no definitive answer to this, but research points to decreasing estrogen levels causing the brain’s hypothalamus, the part that regulates body temperature, to become more sensitive to temperature changes. So if you get just a little bit too warm, the hypothalamus goes into overdrive, triggering a hot flash to cool you down.
No wonder women are looking for a solution to this vexing problem! Hot flashes can be treated effectively with estrogen replacement, but hormone replacement is not without risk and is not appropriate for some women. There are other prescription drug treatments, but again, these carry risks as well. Herbal treatments, such as black cohosh, have been helpful for some women, but this herb has been found to cause liver damage in some people.
A search of the research literature revealed no studies that support a direct positive impact of intermittent fasting on hot flashes associated with menopause. There has been quite a bit of research however on the relationship of obesity to hot flashes, with most studies showing obesity associated with a higher frequency of hot flashes. So in this case, intermittent fasting could indirectly help lower the frequency of hot flashes as body weight decreases.
But there is compelling research also for obese women having less hot flashes than women who were thinner. Research in this area is ongoing, so hopefully, we will have some clarity in this area soon.
But one thing is clear: menopausal and postmenopausal women have an increased risk of developing heart disease and stroke. Although the reasons for this risk are not understood entirely, women at this stage of life tend to have increases in cholesterol, blood pressure, and fat around the belly, all risk factors for cardiovascular disease.
This is where the practice of intermittent fasting shines, as many people, both women and men alike, report decreases in cholesterol, blood pressure, and a marked reduction in abdominal fat. In turn, the risk of cardiovascular disease falls as well.
So can intermittent fasting help alleviate your hot flashes? Probably not directly. But indirectly, IF is going to help a lot.
Why It Matters
Science is inexact, as you can see from the discussion above on the conflicting studies regarding obesity and hot flashes. But there is so much evidence for IF in terms of it helping with the risk factors that predispose menopausal and postmenopausal women to cardiometabolic disease (heart disease, stroke, diabetes etc.) that practicing it regardless of its effect on hot flashes is highly recommended.
“Accepting that the world is full of uncertainty and ambiguity does not and should not stop people from being pretty sure about a lot of things.”
~ Julian Baggini - British philosopher, journalist and author
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 - As I continue my exploration of meditation, while reading 10% Happier, I was introduced to Joseph Goldstein. A student of insight meditation in India in the 1970s, Goldstein co-founded the Insight Meditation Society. His book, which I’m reading now, The Experience of Insight: A Simple and Direct Guide to Buddhist Meditation, published in 1976 has been re-released this year (2020). It’s based on a 30-day meditation retreat Goldstein lead in 1974. To celebrate the re-release, IMS is offering a free 30 Day Meditation Challenge which begins on January 1, 2021.
I appreciate the format of short lessons which are transcripts the daily Dharma talks during the original retreat. It’s not an easy read for me, so I’m going slow and look forward to the guided meditation challenge!
Ellen - Anyone who knows me, knows I’m wild about cooking, especially all things plant-based. So when I saw this book by iina, Sushi Modoki: The Japanese Art And Craft Of Vegan Sushi, I knew I had to explore it.
The Japanese word modoki means “to mimic” and sushi modoki does just that, with sushi that mimics the color, the texture and yes, the taste of real sushi…all made not with fish, but with vegetables.
The book itself is a visual delight and the photographs are amazing. I can’t wait to experiment with these techniques!
P.S. If you have a Scribd subscription, you can read it there as part of your membership.
Want To Learn More About Intermittent Fasting?
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