Table of Contents
Introduction 9
Chapter 1 Intermittent Fasting Basics 11
What Is Intermittent Fasting? 12
The Fed State 13
The Fasted State 14
When Your Body Starts Burning Rat 15
What Are Ketones? 16
Fasting and Ketosis 17
Don't You Need Carbohydrates to Survive? 18
What about Starvation Mode? 19
Intermittent Fasting versus Calorie Restriction 20
The Downsides of Calorie Restriction 21
Intermittent Fasting Helps Control Your Hunger 22
What Is Leptin Resistance? 23
How Fasting Helps Improve Leptin Resistance 24
Trimming Your Waistline 25
Improving Your Metabolic Health 26
You Burn More Calories Too 27
Fat As an Energy Source 28
Fasting Balances Blood Sugar and Insulin Levels 29
The Problem with Chronic Inflammation 31
Reducing Chronic Inflammation 33
Keeping Your Heart Healthy 34
Improving Your Brain Health 35
Protecting You from Cancer 36
Making It Less Likely for Cancer to Return 37
It All Comes Down to Autophagy 38
Chapter 2 Why Women Are More Sensitive to Fasting 39
What Are Hormones? 40
Women's Reproductive Hormones 41
The Monthly Hormonal Cycle 43
The Effects of "Starving" on Reproductive Hormones 44
The Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Gonadal (HPG) Axis 45
The Effect of Calorie Restriction 47
Hormonal Changes During Menopause 49
Signs of a Hormonal Imbalance 51
Things That Disrupt Hormones 53
What Is Stress? 54
The Type of Stress Matters 55
Good versus Bad Stress 56
Fasting Is a Form of Stress 57
Stress Overload 58
The Effects of Fasting Stress on Women 60
How the Stress Response Works 61
The Problems with Cortisol 63
Stress, Progesterone, and Estrogen 65
What Is Estrogen Dominance? 66
Stress and insulin 67
Other Hormones Affected by Stress 68
Fasting and the Nervous System 70
Women Are More Stressed Than Men 71
Women Have Higher Nutrient Needs 73
Stress Relief First, Intermittent Fasting Second 74
Chapter 3 Getting a Handle on Stress and Hormones 75
Signs You Need to Start with Hormone Balancing 76
Prioritizing Stress Management 78
Do Yoga 79
Practice Meditation 80
Learn How to Breathe 81
Breathe Deeply 82
Keep a Journal 83
Listen to Uplifting Music 84
Call Out Your Negative Voice 85
Prioritize Tasks and Avoid Procrastination 86
Get Enough Sleep 87
Create an Ideal Sleep Environment 88
Reduce Your Caffeine Intake 90
Consider Stress-Supporting Supplements 91
Support Your Digestive Health 92
Ditch Endocrine Disruptors 94
Go Organic 95
Choose Nontoxic Beauty Products 96
Swap Out Your Cleaning Supplies 97
Get Rid of Plastic 99
Stay Active 100
Choose Your Foods Wisely 101
Ditch the Low-Fat Mentality 102
Get Connected 103
Ask for Help 104
Chapter 4 Best Fasting Approaches for Women 105
Decide When You're Ready to Start Fasting 106
Ease Into Fasting instead of Diving Right In 107
Crescendo Fasting 108
Time-Restricted Fasting 109
The 16/8 (Leangains) Method 111
Alternate-Day Fasting 112
The 5:2 Method 113
What Is Your Circadian Rhythm? 114
Circadian Rhythm Fasting 115
Circadian Rhythm Fasting and Your Hormones 116
Spontaneous Fasting 117
Choosing the Best Plan for You 118
Figuring Out Your Fasting Schedule 119
Sticking to Your Fasting Schedule 120
Intermittent Fasting Schedules to Avoid 121
Who Shouldn't Fast at All 122
Fasting and Eating Disorder Recovery 123
Getting Enough Calories 124
Figuring Out Your Calorie Needs 125
Do You Have to Count Calories? 127
Getting Enough Micronutrients 128
Determining the Right Diet for You 130
The Best Way to Break Your Fast 131
Taking Your Body Measurements 132
Is Fasting Working for You? 133
Chapter 5 Other Ways to Make Sure You Feel Good 135
The Best Foods to Eat 136
Choose High-Quality Foods 137
The Best Drink Choices 138
Get Enough Protein 139
Eat More Fat 140
Carbs and Your Cycle 141
Avoid Sugar As Much As Possible 142
The Problems with Gluten 143
Ditch Gluten 144
Plan and Prep Your Meals in Advance 145
Distract Yourself from Hunger 146
Drink Lots of Water 147
Make Sure Your Water Is Clean 148
The Importance of Electrolytes 150
Spread Out Your Intake 151
Exercise and Fasting 152
To Eat or Not to Eat Before a Workout 153
Some General Exercise Guidelines 154
How to Do High-Intensity Exercise 155
More Exercise Tips 156
Change Your Protein with Your Exercise Routine 158
Sleep versus Exercise 159
Taking Targeted Supplements 160
Listen to Your Body 161
Don't Beat Yourself Up 162
Chapter 6 Your Questions Answered 163
Will Supplements Break My Fast? 164
Can I Drink Coffee in the Morning? 165
Are Diet Sodas Okay to Drink While Fasting? 166
Will Intermittent Fasting Make Me Lose Muscle? 167
Isn't Breakfast the Most Important Meal of the Day? 168
Is Fasting Safe for Women with Thyroid Issues? 169
Should I Fast During My Period? 170
What If My Period Stops? 171
Can Fasting Trigger an Eating Disorder? 172
Why Do I Feel Nauseated in the Morning If I Don't Eat? 173
Is It Best to Combine Fasting with Keto? 174
Can I Fast If I Have Hormonal Problems, Like PCOS? 175
Will Fasting Help with Endometriosis? 176
Will Intermittent Fasting Slow My Metabolism? 177
Is There a Best Time of Day to Fast? 178
Do I Still Have to Count Calories? 179
How Long Does It Take to Start Seeing Results? 180
Are There Any Side Effects from Intermittent Fasting? 181
Can I Fast If I Work the Night Shift? 182
Can I Drink Alcohol While Fasting? 183
Will Fasting Make My Blood Sugar Too Low? 184
Do I Have to Eat If I'm Not Hungry? 185
Why Am I Not Losing Weight? 186
Is It Normal to Feel Hungry All the Time? 187
Can I Take the Weekends Off? 188
Chapter 7 Meal Plans 189
Intermittent Fasting Recipes 190
Keto Meal Plan 202
Low-Carb Meal Plan 204
Paleo Meal Plan 206
Gluten-Free Meal Plan 208
Clean Eating Meal Plan 210
Vegetarian Meal Plan 212
Vegan Meal Plan 214
Resources 216
US/Metric Conversion Chart 218
Index 220