You try to exercise and eat right because you know these habits are good for your health including your heart and mind.  After all, cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in the United States. Scientists have found that your eating window plays a crucial role in both losing weight loss and improving your cardiovascular health. In fact, restricting your eating window within a certain period of time, commonly known as intermittent fasting, can both help and prevent heart disease.

Fasting is a practice that involves not eating or avoiding certain foods for a fixed period. People have practiced fasting for centuries, primarily for religious purposes. In recent years, intermittent fasting has become increasingly popular with people looking to lose weight or improve their health.

At Vascular Care Specialists of Los Angeles, Dr. Mathew Cheung and Dr. Peter Lin discuss how intermittent fasting can improve your cardiovascular health. In this article, they share some clinical studies which showed the benefit of intermittent fasting in improving your health. You can also learn many different ways you can do intermittent fasting.

Intermittent fasting means that you don’t eat for a period of time each day or week. it doesn’t specify which foods you should eat but rather when you should eat them. In this respect, it’s not a diet in the conventional sense but more accurately described as an eating pattern. Common intermittent fasting methods involve daily 16-hour fasts or fasting for 24 hours, twice per week.

Fasting has been a practice throughout human evolution. Ancient hunter-gatherers didn’t have supermarkets, refrigerators or food available year-round. Sometimes they couldn’t find anything to eat.

As a result, humans evolved to be able to function without food for extended periods of time. In fact, fasting from time to time is more natural than always eating 3–4 (or more) meals per day.

Our bodies have evolved to be able to go without food for many hours, or even several days or longer. In prehistoric times, before humans learned to farm, they were hunters and gatherers who evolved to survive — and thrive — for long periods without eating. They had to: It took a lot of time and energy to hunt game and gather nuts and berries.

Experts note that even 50 years ago, it was easier to maintain a healthy weight in the United States. There were no computers, and TV shows turned off at 11 p.m.; people stopped eating because they went to bed. Portions were much smaller. More people worked and played outside and, in general, got more exercise.

With internet, TV and other entertainment available 24/7, many adults and children stay awake for longer hours to watch TV, scroll through social media, play games and chat online. That can mean sitting and snacking all day — and most of the night.

Extra calories and less activity can mean a higher risk of obesity, type 2 diabetes, heart disease and other illnesses.

While it’s no secret that simply losing weight can improve the health of your heart and blood vessels, research shows that intermittent fasting helps the heart in other ways. For example, a recent clinical study which analyzed the benefit of intermittent fasting in over 100 obese patients showed that, after 3 weeks of intermittent fasting, the majority of these patient had significant weight loss with drop in their cholesterol. Additionally, harmful forms of fat such as triglycerides and LDS were also decreased. Similarly, their blood pressure decreased from high to normal range in more than 80% of these patients.

You can even combine this type of plan with exercise to make it even more effective. A study  published in 2018 found that eating less every other day triggered weight loss, lowered waist size, and reduced body fat in a group of people, but those who followed the eating plan and also exercised got even better results.

Likewise, practicing intermittent fasting over a long period of time has also shown to have even more heart benefits. In a large group study, doctors found that those who ate little food for one day a week over a period of several years had much less heart disease and lower rates of diabetes compared to their counterparts.

Here are some intermittent fasting benefits research has revealed so far:

• Thinking and memory. Studies discovered that intermittent fasting boosts working memory in animals and verbal memory in adult humans.
• Heart health. Intermittent fasting improved blood pressure and resting heart rates as well as other heart-related measurements.
• Physical performance. Young men who fasted for 16 hours showed fat loss while maintaining muscle mass. Mice who were fed on alternate days showed better endurance in running.
• Type 2 diabetes and obesity. In animal studies, intermittent fasting prevented obesity. And, in six brief studies, obese adult humans lost weight through intermittent fasting. People with type 2 diabetes may benefit: Most of the available research shows that intermittent fasting can help people lose body weight and lower their levels of fasting glucose, fasting insulin and leptin while reducing insulin resistance, decreasing levels of leptin and increasing levels of adiponectin. Certain studies found that some patients practicing intermittent fasting with supervision by their doctors were able to reverse their need for insulin therapy.
• Tissue health. In animals, intermittent fasting reduced tissue damage in surgery and improved results.

There are many ways to do intermittent fasting, and there is no single plan that will work for everyone. Individuals will experience the best results if they try out the various styles to see what suits their lifestyles and preferences. We will share six different ways to do intermittent fasting.

The rules for this diet are simple. A person needs to decide on and adhere to a 12-hour fasting window every day.

According to a clinical study, fasting for 10–16 hours can cause the body to turn its fat stores into energy, which releases ketones into the bloodstream. This should encourage weight loss.

This type of intermittent fasting plan may be a good option for beginners. This is because the fasting window is relatively small, much of the fasting occurs during sleep, and the person can consume the same number of calories each day.

The easiest way to do the 12-hour fast is to include the period of sleep in the fasting window.

For example, a person could choose to fast between 7 p.m. and 7 a.m. They would need to finish their dinner before 7 p.m. and wait until 7 a.m. to eat breakfast but would be asleep for much of the time in between.

Fasting for 16 hours a day, leaving an eating window of 8 hours, is called the 16:8 method.

During the 16:8 diet, males fast for 16 hours each day, and females fast for 14 hours. This type of intermittent fast may be helpful for someone who has already tried the 12-hour fast but did not see any benefits.

On this fast, people usually finish their evening meal by 8 p.m. and then skip breakfast the next day, not eating again until noon.

A study on mice on a high fat diet found that limiting the feeding window to 8 hours protected them from obesity, inflammation, diabetes, and liver disease, even when they ate the same total number of calories as mice that ate whenever they wished.

People following the 5:2 diet eat standard amounts of healthful food for 5 days and reduce calorie intake on the other 2 days.

During the 2 fasting days, males generally consume 600 calories and females 500 calories.

Typically, people separate their fasting days in the week. For example, they may fast on a Monday and Thursday and eat regularly on the other days. There should be at least 1 non-fasting day between fasting days.

There is limited research on the 5:2 diet, which is also known as the Fast diet. A study involving 107 overweight or obese women found that restricting calories twice weekly and continuous calorie restriction both led to similar weight loss. The study also found that this diet reduced insulin levels and improved insulin sensitivity among participants.

There are several variations of the alternate day fasting plan, which involves fasting every other day.

For some people, alternate day fasting means a complete avoidance of solid foods on fasting days, while other people allow up to 500 calories. On feeding days, people often choose to eat as much as they want.

One study reports that alternate day fasting is effective for weight loss and heart health in healthy and overweight adults. The researchers found that the 32 participants lost an average of 5.2 kilograms (kg), or just over 11 pounds (lb), over a 12-week period.

Alternate day fasting is an extreme form of intermittent fasting, and it may not be suitable for beginners or those with certain medical conditions. It may also be difficult to maintain this type of fasting in the long term.

Fasting completely for 1 or 2 days a week, known as the Eat-Stop-Eat diet, involves eating no food for 24 hours at a time. Many people fast from breakfast to breakfast or lunch to lunch.

People on this diet plan can have water, tea, and other calorie-free drinks during the fasting period.

People should return to regular eating patterns on non-fasting days. Eating in this manner reduces a person’s total calorie intake but does not limit the specific foods the individual consumes.

A 24-hour fast can be challenging, and it may cause fatigue, headaches, or irritability. Many people find these effects become less extreme over time as the body adjusts to this new eating pattern.

People may benefit from trying a 12-hour or 16-hour fast before transitioning to the 24-hour fast.

The Warrior Diet is a relatively extreme form of intermittent fasting.

The Warrior Diet involves eating very little, usually just a few servings of raw fruit and vegetables, during a 20-hour fasting window, then eating one large meal at night. The eating window is usually only around 4 hours.

This form of fasting may be best for people who have tried other forms of intermittent fasting already.

Supporters of the Warrior Diet claim that humans are natural nocturnal eaters and that eating at night allows the body to gain nutrients in line with its circadian rhythms.

During the 4-hour eating phase, people should make sure that they consume plenty of vegetables, proteins, and healthy fats. They should also include some carbohydrates.

Although it is possible to eat some foods during the fasting period, it can be challenging to stick to strict guidelines on when and what to eat in the long term. Also, some people have trouble eating such a large meal so close to bedtime.

There is also a risk that people on this diet will not eat enough nutrients, such as fiber. This can increase the risk of cancer and have an adverse effect on digestive and immune health.

It can be challenging to stick to an intermittent fasting program. The following tips may help people stay on track and maximize the benefits of intermittent fasting:

• Staying hydrated. Drink lots of water and calorie-free drinks, such as herbal teas, throughout the day. This can help ensure you get enough electrolytes, sodium, and potassium chloride.
• Avoiding thinking about food. Plan plenty of distractions on fasting days to avoid thinking about food, such as catching up on paperwork or going to see a movie.
• Resting and relaxing. Avoid strenuous activities on fasting days, although light exercise such as yoga may be beneficial.
• Making every calorie count. If the chosen plan allows some calories during fasting periods, select nutrient-dense foods that are rich in protein, fiber, and healthful fats. Examples include beans, lentils, eggs, fish, nuts, avocado, and unprocessed meats.
• Eating high-volume foods. Select filling yet low calorie foods, which include popcorn, raw vegetables, and fruits with high water content, such as grapes and melon.
• Increasing the taste without the calories. Season meals generously with garlic, herbs, spices, or vinegar. These foods are extremely low in calories yet are full of flavor, which may help to reduce feelings of hunger.
• Choosing nutrient-dense foods after the fasting period. Eating foods that are high in fiber, vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients helps to keep blood sugar levels steady and prevent nutrient deficiencies. A balanced diet will also contribute to weight loss and overall health.

At Vascular Care Specialists of Los Angeles, we strive to provide the best service, care, and results possible. If you have circulation problem related to your arteries or veins and would like to seek consultation with a vascular surgeon, give us a call at 626-275-9566 to schedule an appointment. You can also visit us at www.vcsla.com for more information.