I am always amused when the “latest and greatest” is actually not so “latest.” Or when things are given fancy-schmancy names, leading us to believe that they are in some way “special” or “different” or… TRENDY! Let’s talk about Intermittent Fasting!
Now “fasting,” in plain ole’ English, means that you are not eating. “Intermittent” means at irregular intervals or not continuous or steady. Unless you are someone who eats 24/7, you are already intermittent fasting! Unless you are someone who is doing a regimen of drinking only water for days on end, you are already intermittent fasting. So, let’s ditch this ridiculous misnomer and talk about something useful… like how to fuel your body in a way that leaves you energized! In a way that avoids the bloating, the cravings, the sleepiness, and lack of energy.
But first, an important question. What is YOUR main meal?
If you are like most Americans, it’s dinner… which has come to mean the evening meal. And you usually have it after 6 PM, right? Well, it wasn’t always like that. For centuries, “dinner” (the heavier main meal) was eaten mid-day… between 11 and 3. After 6 PM, we ate “supper”… from the French word “souper.” If you guessed that the later meal was soup, you’d be right!
For a very long time, this was a GREAT system! Why? Because it worked better with our bodies’ natural rhythms. Ayurvedic tradition with its six cycles explains this very well. And by the way, it still IS a great system… and it looks suspiciously like Intermittent Fasting. HA!