WHY I SKIPPED BREAKFAST-GRANDMA WANTED TO KNOW

“Ah-ah, why haven’t you eaten this morning?” Grandma asked with a puzzled look as I passed on her hot bowl of yam porridge. I smiled and replied, “I’m fasting, Grandma.” That answer only raised more questions. “Are you sick? Is this one of those diet things?” she asked.

That’s when I realized it was the perfect moment to explain intermittent fasting—not as a trend, but as a simple approach to eating with real health benefits. In this edition, I’ll break it down the same way I did for Grandma—clear, relatable, and no fancy jargon. 

What is intermittent fasting? 

Intermittent fasting is a type of eating plan which alternates between fasting and eating on a routine. Most times, the focus on diets is what to eat, but intermittent fasting is all about when you eat. At present, Intermittent fasting (IF) is one of the most popular health and fitness trends. This article aims to delve into the health advantages of intermittent fasting, inspiring readers to incorporate this practice into their lifestyle.

Types

You only eat during a specific time with intermittent fasting.There are multiple methods to do it which are all based on choosing regular time periods to eat and not to eat:

• Time-Restricted (16:8 or 14:10) Intermittent Fasting: This is one of the most commonly used methods of IF.  It involves eating only during a certain number of hours each day. For the 16:8 schedule, you fast for 16 hours a day and then eat for the remaining 8 hours. 14:10 is 14-hour fasts with 10-hour eating time.
• Overnight (12:12) Intermittent Fasting: A shortened version of time-restricted fasting is to fast overnight for 12 hours. This method is less stressful as most of the fasting period is while you’re sleeping.
• Alternate Day Intermittent Fasting: This method entails fasting every other day. You Fast for a full day, followed by another full day of normal eating. 
• 5:2 Intermittent Fasting: This method is also known as the Fast Diet. It involves eating normally for five days a week and following a  fast two days. This method is a little more flexible, as you are allowed to choose which days of the week are your fasting days.
• Warrior Diet (20:4) Intermittent Fasting: This method is a more rigorous type of IF. The warrior diet involves eating minimally (usually raw fruits and vegetables) during the day, followed by eating one large meal at night within a four-hour period. That is to say, 20 hours of eating very little is followed by a 4 hour window in which you are allowed to eat the remaining calories for the day. 
• One Meal a Day (OMAD) Intermittent Fasting: One of the most extreme methods is the OMAD diet, a 23-hour fast followed by a one-hour eating window in which you eat the entire daily calories. 

Health advantages of intermittent fasting 

There are many ways intermittent fasting may benefit the body:

• Weight loss: Intermittent fasting is an effective weight management strategy
• Lower risk of type 2 diabetes: It can reduce insulin resistance and since overweight or obesity is associated with type 2 diabetes, this means weight loss can prevent a person from developing type 2 diabetes.
• Better heart health: Intermittent fasting can improve heart health by reducing blood pressure, heart rate and blood fats.
• Better brain health: Intermittent fasting can increase growth of new nerve cells and result in better thinking and memory, as well as reduced stress and anxiety.
• Decrease of cancer: Intermittent fasting can delay the onset of tumors.
•  Increases lifespan: Intermittent fasting may extend a person's life expectancy

Tips for starting Intermittent Fasting 

If you want to give intermittent fasting a try, these tips will get you started:

Think about your lifestyle: If family dinners are important to you, it doesn’t make sense to start fasting every day at 3 p.m. Think about which option best fits your life.

What's your aim: What are your goals for fasting: to lose weight, live longer, control your blood sugar? With the goal in mind, it makes everything easy. 

Eat healthy: Intermittent fasting isn’t a substitute for healthy eating. In other words, aim to eat plenty of fruits and vegetables, whole grains, and lean protein. Eating during a very small window and not focusing on healthy eating can be nutritionally inadequate.

Hydrate: Make sure you drink plenty of water when fasting so you don’t get dehydrated.

Plan before you start: Plan and prepare meals ahead of time so you have healthy foods ready to grab when you’re hungry. That way you’ll be less likely to fill up on snacks once your fasting period is over.

Don’t overdo it: Start with lesser hours at the beginning. You can always increase as your body adjusts or tolerates

Don't give up: Results may be slow to manifest but keep moving and your body will thank you in the long run. 

Is intermittent fasting safe for everyone?

While intermittent fasting may be beneficial for someone trying to lose weight, it isn’t for everyone. Always talk with a healthcare provider before starting a new diet or eating pattern, especially if you have a known medical condition. It may be unsafe for:

• Children and teens under age 18.
• Women who are pregnant or breastfeeding.
• People with type 1 diabetes who take insulin. 
• Those with a history of eating disorders.
• Age over 65
• Those with heart, kidney, or liver disease
• Have low blood pressure
• Take medications such as blood thinners, diuretics, blood pressure medications, or medications that affect your blood sugar

Keep in mind that intermittent fasting may have different effects on different people. Talk to your doctor if you start experiencing unusual anxiety, headaches, nausea or other symptoms after you start intermittent fasting.

By the time I finished explaining, Grandma nodded slowly. “So it’s not starving, it’s just timing,” she said thoughtfully. “Hmm… maybe that’s why we only ate twice a day when I was younger.”

We both laughed, but she had a point. Intermittent fasting isn’t new—it’s just a name for something many of our elders practiced naturally. Whether it works for you or not, understanding it helps you make better choices.

And yes, I eventually had that yam porridge—just a little later in the day!

See you soon....