In this issue, we will take a look at exactly what a successful IF practice really looks like…and chances are, it’s not what you think!
As always, we are bringing you news on what we’re currently reading or watching. For our premium subscribers, in this issue’s Research Spotlight we are going to bring you some news about alcohol consumption that may not be what you want to hear. We’ll break it down for you and let you know what we think.
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, we share Ellen’s easy-to-make Plant-Based Curry, which is not only delicious but loaded with nutrition.
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, June 8, 2021.
Looking for a supportive group that “gets” your interest in IF? Our free intermittent fasting Facebook group, with over 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. We would love to have you join us!
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.
The Key To A Successful IF Practice
I’m going to cut right to the chase. The key to a successful intermittent practice is…
a practice that works for you!
In this issue, we are going to go back to one of the basics: figuring out how to incorporate IF into your life.
Let’s break this down. Unlike “diet” programs, which prescribe a one size fits all policy that usually includes rigid rules on what and how much you can and cannot eat and drink, what sorts of exercise you should do and then makes you feel like a failure when you can’t adhere to it…
intermittent fasting is tailored to you. To your body, your genetic makeup, your lifestyle. Or rather, I should say, you tailor intermittent fasting the way you want it so it fits your needs and goals.
Most people come to IF to lose weight and then stay for the other benefits, of which there are many. Some folks don’t need to lose any weight but want to reduce their risk of cognitive decline, or cancer, or heart disease, or any number of other reasons.
The point is, that it’s important to know your goal. If it’s weight loss, then great! But also know that, unlike a run-of-the-mill, calorie-restricted diet, many people do not lose weight immediately. With IF, it takes time for your body to adjust to this new way of being.
If you don’t need to lose weight, then you have to figure out a way to incorporate intermittent fasting into your daily routine that ensures you are getting enough calories to sustain your present body weight.
But no matter what your goal, if you have never fasted before, these are the beginning steps:
One - pick a fasting/feasting window to start out with and that works for your life. If you want to eat with your family in the evening, then pick a window that is open at dinner time so you can enjoy this meal with your family. If you don’t have these family concerns, are an early riser, and love breakfast, then eat early and end your fast earlier in the day.
Most people start out with a 16:8 window. That means 16 hours of fasting (which includes sleep!) and an 8-hour window in which to complete your meal or meals. Most people find that at some point, they accidentally go over their 16 hours and discover they can easily extend their fast to 17, 18, or even 19 hours.
You do NOT have to be rigid about when your window opens or closes. This means you can be flexible when something comes up, such as running overtime with a business client, having to make an unexpected trip to pick up your child, or friends that you to go out to eat with them on short notice.
The point here is that we want you to live your life, as well as to incorporate IF, as best you can, into your daily routine. Sometimes that will mean shortening your fasting window. On rare occasions, it may mean skipping a day or even a few days of fasting entirely, such as when you are on traveling or on vacation. Or you may choose to continue fasting, even if you are traveling.
This is the beauty of IF. It does not force you into a corner and insist you adhere to multiple, rigid, and ultimately unsustainable rules. This is why “diets” fail and why those of us who have done IF for years are confident we will never eat any other way!
Two - when you do break your fast, try to eat as healthily as possible given the situation and eat until you are satisfied, not stuffed. And secondly, when you fast, drink only water (plain or sparkling), green or black tea, all unsweetened and unflavored, either naturally or artificially. That’s it.
Simple. Easy. Effective.
Life is complicated enough. Trying to figure out yet another “diet” shouldn’t be adding to it.
Why It Matters
Western medicine and Western culture, in general, are very good at complicating things, and advice about how to improve your health and/or lose weight is no exception. But many times, it’s the simpler, more elegant practices that are found to ultimately be the most effective and the most satisfying.
“Life is really simple, but we insist on making it complicated.”
~ Confucius (551–479 BCE) Chinese sage, teacher, advisor, editor, philosopher, reformer, and prophet whose ideas profoundly influenced the civilization of East Asia.
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 - A few months ago, I started a “tiny habit” of using resistance bands to work out my arms and upper body. The habit has stuck and I start my coffee brewing, then do my workout before sitting down at my desk.
This article featuring a 15-minute resistance band workout caught my eye recently. Staying strong as I age is one of my top priorities and this is a good routine to integrate into my morning routine.
Ellen - I have to confess that I am the last person I ever thought would be interested in learning more about how our financial system here in the U.S. works. But lately, with all the swirling interest and confusion around cryptocurrency, I became interested in exactly what “money” is, where it comes from and what do all these organizations like the Federal Reserve do anyway!
Then I read something by Jeff Booth, who said something that really got me thinking. He said that “technology is deflationary.” This means that as technology gets better and better and more efficient, the price of that technology goes down.
Think of the first cell phones, which weighed pounds, had to be carried around in a bag (literally!), cost a thousand dollars or more, and had to be charged for hours for only 30 minutes of talking, not to mention a huge phone bill at the end of the month which nearly always included roaming charges.
Today, your cell phone is a mini-computer, camera, map, flashlight, calendar, web browser, and much more…all because technology is a deflationary force. And this same deflationary technology has infiltrated nearly every industry you care to name.
But here’s the question Jeff Booth posits: “If technology is making its way into every industry, why should we expect to get the benefit of the deflationary force in some places but inflation everywhere else? If the same technology that gave us abundance in our phones is now moving into just about every industry, should we not expect both abundance and price deflation in everything around us?”
In other words: “If technology should be driving everything cheaper, why is life getting more expensive?”
Yes, this is a contrarian book. In it, Jeff Booth, a CEO and 20 year veteran of e-commerce and technology, lays out the realities which are forming our present lives and our future. He also pulls back the curtain on the difficult choices we face as individuals and as a society. His solution, in keeping with the theme of this issue, is simple.
I truly believe The Price of Tomorrow will be worth your time to read.
###
Know someone who would benefit from getting access to the IF Insider?