Intermittent Fasting….

The new buzz words… the new fad!

Let’s face it, the incidence of many illnesses seems to be rising and fast but cancer in particular. I do ask myself, is it because I have reached my forties? I always thought I would be talking health in this way in my fifties but everything seems to have sped up, in my world at least!

People are taking their own health more seriously, looking into their diets and exercise routines or lack of. We meet and we talk about health and what ailments we’ve had that week, which doctors appointments we went to, who braved a smear test and it is all quite amusing!!!

With all this in mind and my big ploy to beat my chemo fatigue all by myself came my research into Intermittent Fasting.

With all research, my advice…..

• Do your own research for yourself
• Your findings should be in published medical journals, ongoing or completed clinical trials or trusted websites.
• Forums will give you hints and highlights but also personal opinions
• As per my previous blog on ‘I am not a statistic’, one size never fits all so you need to think about you and your situation
• Speak with your team about anything new to see if they have any concerns or advice. They are the experts and often have the experience through other patients
• Always check the dates of your findings and make sure you are looking at recent findings as well as older published articles.

https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/10-health-benefits-of-intermittent-fasting

So fasting, I know many folk have heard of or done the 16:8 fasting method in particular but for those who haven’t, you basically fast for 16 hours and get all your nutrition in the remaining 8 hours. At first thought, you may think 16 hours sounds like a crazy amount of time to go without food but if dinner is done by 7pm, you can have your brekko at 11am the next day.

Tried and tested, it is very doable! I am currently on chemo break so has been a good time to try this and works very well. I have played about with the timings and last meal at 6pm or 7pm works best for me. Weekdays is just perfect. Saturdays is day off!! Its weekend, often out or meeting friends, have to be flexible.

Fasting in this way has many benefits and I did my research in particular to fasting on chemotherapy. The only complications would be if the “person” had already lost weight and could suffer from malnutrition! Well there is no concern of any mal anything with me !!!!

This fasting routine amongst other things is supposed to combat fatigue, helps loose weight. The other thing being that it is supposed to enhance the effects of chemotherapy on cancer cells as opposed to normal cells, boost the immune system and reduce side effects caused by the toxic chemo drugs.

Most of the trials are in pre-clinical phase but showing promising results…. for the mice anyway!! Small people trials have been conducted but not many have published results as yet.

Here is what I have found in relation to fasting and chemo. Do your own research on general fasting and try it!! If anyone does and gets on well or shifts a few lbs, do let me know!!

https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT01175837

https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/324169.php

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5870384/

Anyway….. I hope this reaches the right people. I will start speaking with nurses and oncologists about this. My team are all very scientific and factual so if it makes sense and is not some off the wall idea, they are happy for me to try things…… all things aside, I need to give myself the best possible chance for my body to heal and stay strong.

So after a week of Intermitent fasting, yesterday I was all a bit late with everything so had brekko at 12 o clock, lunch at 1pm, went to a friends house and had pizza at 5pm and then 18 of my family went out for Indian food in the evening cos it was saturday and was day off !!!!!!

Live without restrictions!!!! Everything in moderation…… except on a saturday !!!!

Tomorrow, I need to go for urgent bloods for a brand new issue but I’ll get to see what everything is doing from that result so it is all good !! Never a dull moment !!

These girls…… close to 15 years friendship here ……. made me belly laugh yesterday and I haven’t done that for a while!!!