We have discussed both Paleo & Intermittent Fasting in our previous blog. Our Book also explains the benefits of both these diets in detail. Let us dig further if we can blend both diets
Paleo Diet
Paleo diet is also called ancestral diet( which our ancestral used to eat) & focusses on nutrient dense foods which includes:
- Starchy & non starch veggies
- Animal foods including meat, organ meat, seafoods & eggs
- Fruits, nuts & seeds
In some cases, an ancestral diet can also include milk & properly prepared legumes & grains. You can learn more about Paleo diet by reading our previous blog
To sum up, Paleo or ancestral diet has the following benefits:
- Weight loss
- Improved metabolic health
- A lower risk of developing chronic diseases like diabetes & obesity.
Intermittent Fasting
Intermittent Fasting refers to any diet which follows time restricted eating windows. The variations & frequency depends upon personal goals. This form or diet can be a regular practice of completing your daily recommended calories in a 6 to 8 hour window & fast remaining part of the day. In other words, it can be 18:6 or 16:8( fast to eat window). It is important to note that Intermittent Fasting does not mean having a calorie deficit diet. This helps you lose weight even if you are intentionally not trying to eat less. You can learn more about Intermittent Fasting here
Besides weight loss, intermittent fasting has the following benefits:
- Low blood pressure
- Better gut health
- Improved insulin sensitivity.
- Reduced inflammation & oxidative stress
How Paleo diet & intermittent fasting can work in tandem?
So are both these diets different? Not really, Intermittent fasting has inbuilt Paleo quality. Our ancestors did not have continuous access to food like we had today with grocery stores & refrigerations.Intermittent fasting was part of their life when hunting didn’t go well.
When you are on fast, your cells shift from using glucose to fat as primary fuel.It may take 10 to 18 hours to switch after your food consumption. Our body can efficiently shift sources of fuel from glucose to fat & vice versa. Before even adopting intermittent fasting , your diet should have some touch of Paleo or atleast should not have standard American diet food items. Please keep in mind if your diet is high in processed carbs or you are consuming sugar whole day & eating a lot during night never allowing your body to practice fat as primary source of fuel, your body would not be in a position to adopt intermittent fasting. Other aspects of Paleo- proper sleep, managing your stress & regular exercise are building blocks of intermittent fasting. Please remember that intermittent fasting stresses your body so your body should not be suffering from any other stress else it will create havoc on your body system.
Let us take an example you are following 18:6 intermittent fasting, you are already having components of Paleo in your diet, having sound sleep, exercising regularly & not suffering from any stress, you should start to adopt the following:
- You should gradually start getting into intermittent fasting rather than going all in one shot.
- Your first step should be start consuming low carb diet which will prevent spiking & dipping of your hunger carving driven glucose levels
- Stop snacking in between meals, specifically after dinner.
- Shift the timings of your dinner & breakfast. Start doing your dinner early & breakfast late. Start stretching a 30 minutes interval until you reach the stage of 16 hour /18 hour fasting between dinner & breakfast.
Expect some hunger initially since your body gets used to eating when you usually feed it & your body takes time to adjust to adapt to new eating patterns. You can have non-caloric beverages such as tea, coffee in between meals. However, you have to be careful with coffee. Although it is calorie free, it spikes your cortisol levels and increases your hunger.
Some tips
- Make sure you are eating sufficient nutrient dense foods so that you do not end up in having a nutrient deficient diet. Please remember that those following paleo diet can be calcium & iodine deficient.
- Choose your eating window: If you are adopting 16:8, select if you want to have an eating window between 8 am to 4 pm or 12 noon to 8 pm. Skipping dinner is always better than skipping breakfast. Your last meals should be at least 3 hours before you sleep. Please remember that eating late at night is associated with troubled sleeping & weight gain.
- With regards to your workout goals, gaining muscle through this approach may be difficult. It is less likely that you will be bulking during the 8 hour eating window. Training in morning during fat burn/fasting state is beneficial since it improves protein synthesis & metabolic adaptation.
