Is Intermittent Fasting right for you? 3 things to consider

Did you know that most health research is done on men? It wasn't until what the new generation is calling the 'late' 1900's that researchers were encouraged to include women in studies. I get it, women have way more health variables due to hormones and possibility of pregnancy.

BUT we need to keep this in mind when we consider new health trends. I've been a big fan of intermittent fasting and I've experienced some great benefits. And there are definite considerations when it comes to women.

1. Hormones....adding a stressor like this can wreak havoc on already imbalanced hormones. Even if your hormones are balanced its beneficial to practice IF in rhythm with your cycle.

2. Stress....if your nervous system is always in fight or flight mode, IF is often too much for your system to handle and will continue to throw you down the stress tanker.

3. Calories/Macros/Micros.....This is a huge pitfall for women especially. A key piece to IF is to make sure you're getting all of the calories and nutrients you need within that smaller window. But that can be really hard, and reality is we often praise ourselves for eating less anyway. The problem is your metabolism usually slows way down and you start experiencing issues with deficiencies with both macro and micronutrients. This often tanks your energy even more.

A lot of my clients are super frustrated because they have been practicing IF without seeing any benefits. The scale won't budge, their clothes don't fit any better, and their energy keeps tanking. All while their husbands or male partners are thriving.

Reality is...we are not the same as men! We are not smaller versions of men, or feminine versions of men. And we can celebrate this, and also learn how to take care of our bodies better. So if you've been trying IF and not seeing the benefits that you desired, I recommend you take a look at where you're at here. Our bodies are wise and always trying to protect us!

**often we'll notice benefits with changes like this in the short term but over time those benefits diminish or reverse and we just think we're not trying hard enough. Stop the shame game and move forward with awareness and wisdom.