Intermittent Fasting Basics for Women: The Complete Guide to Safe and Effective Weight Loss with Intermittent Fasting

by Lindsay Boyers, Lameece Issaq (Read by)

Overview

Simplify intermittent fasting to create lasting weight loss and health benefits with this practical, easy-to-follow guide to fasting for women.

Intermittent fasting is taking the world by storm with its health and weight loss benefits. But questions about whether delaying when you eat is safe has made some question its efficiency. But when done correctly, intermittent fasting can be an excellent, easy tool for women to lose weight and boost their metabolism in no time.

Intermittent Fasting Basics for Women includes information on the benefits of fasting, crescendo fasting, how to enhance your fast with the right foods, how to tell if fasting works for you, and how to get your body ready to reap the rewards from this simpler lifestyle. With over twenty-five sample meal plans with vegan, vegetarian, and keto options, you will always have the tips and tricks you need for success. Make the most of your fast and start living the healthier life you’ve always wanted today.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781797129143
Publisher:	Simon & Schuster Audio
Publication date:	04/13/2021
Series:	Basics Series
Product dimensions:	5.80(w) x 5.60(h) x 0.60(d)

About the Author

Lindsay Boyers is a holistic nutritionist specializing in the keto diet, gut health, mood disorders, and functional nutrition. Lindsay earned a degree in food and nutrition from Framingham State University, and she holds a Certificate in Holistic Nutrition Consulting from the American College of Healthcare Sciences. She has written twelve books and has had more than 2,000 articles published across various websites, including MindBodyGreen, Healthline, Livestrong, The Spruce, and VeryWell. Lindsay truly believes that you can transform your life through food, a proper mindset, and shared experiences and that’s what she aims to convey to her readers.

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