The mere idea of fasting, even intermittent fasting, may be a turn off for you. But if you or a loved one suffer from PCOS\u2014hang on. This approach can be a game changer. It certainly has been for me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
After being diagnosed with PCOS<\/a> (polycystic ovarian syndrome) last winter, I learned that poor gut health and insulin resistance were likely at the root of my hormone imbalances<\/a> and resultant infertility. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Because of this, I was intrigued to learn about the purported benefits of intermittent fasting, which involves cycling through periods of eating and abstaining from food. Many studies<\/a> suggest that restricting one\u2019s eating window each day is an effective way to balance blood sugar, fight insulin resistance<\/a>, and promote cell repair<\/a>, all of which can have a huge impact on fertility.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I\u2019ve always eaten smaller meals and snacks throughout the day, so I was initially resistant to the idea of fasting. After doing research and consulting with a doctor, however, I decided to give this method a try.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Six months after incorporating intermittent fasting into my lifestyle, my periods regularized, my digestive issues disappeared, and I became pregnant with my first child. Although I certainly don\u2019t attribute all of this progress to intermittent fasting (it was one of several lifestyle changes I made, including committing to an anti-inflammatory diet<\/a> and taking targeted supplements including myo-inositol), I believe it was a contributing factor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Today, I\u2019d like to share my positive experience with what I\u2019d call a \u201cgentle\u201d version of intermittent fasting. I\u2019ll also address why women respond differently to time-controlled eating than men.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Before beginning, I want to stress that not everyone should experiment with intermittent fasting. Dr. Steven Gundry notes in The Energy Paradox<\/em> that fasting is a form of hormesis, <\/em>or beneficial stress (123). When fasting for health reasons, one is trying to take advantage of the fact that, when exposed to mild stressors, \u201ccells engage in coordinated adaptive measures <\/em>that stimulate them to clean up, repair, and restore themselves while calming down any inflammation\u201d (125). We might compare this kind of intervention to exercising, where one is exposed to mild oxidative stress<\/a> that can help protect the body against more severe stressors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Those whose bodies are already being strained in certain ways, however, should not take on this additional burden. In particular, those who are pregnant or breastfeeding should not <\/em>attempt to fast. Putting further restrictions on one\u2019s food habits is also ill-advised for women who have suffered from an eating disorder.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In addition, \u201cBulletproof\u201d brand founder Dave Asprey emphasizes in his recent book Fast This Way<\/em> that women who choose to fast should do so \u201cin a way that doesn\u2019t overstress your body,\u201d as fasting too much \u201ccan create a stress response [in women] more quickly than it would in a man\u2019s body\u201d (200). For women, it\u2019s incredibly important not to overtax the thyroid and adrenal glands, as this would only lead to further hormonal imbalances.<\/p>\n\n\n\n With all that being said, many women can<\/em> fast in a safe and healthy manner. When learning to do so, I started by researching exactly what \u201ctime-controlled eating\u201d means, and what I was trying to accomplish through the approach.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Fasting is not a new idea\u2014it has been part of many cultures for thousands of years. Because of this, Johns Hopkins neuroscientist Mark Mattson, Ph.D. says<\/a> that \u201cour bodies have evolved to be able to go without food for many hours, or even several days or longer.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n But what does intermittent fasting look like in the modern world? First, it\u2019s important to understand that intermittent fasting does not involve reducing the number of calories you take in. Instead, it means limiting the window of time during which you consume those calories. We already do this naturally when getting a good night\u2019s sleep. Upon waking, we \u201cbreak\u201d our fast, or have breakfast! When we practice intermittent fasting, however, we intentionally extend the window of time during which we fast.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The health-related reasons for making this intentional choice are manifold. Asprey notes that, when we fast, we are essentially giving our bodies the go-ahead to stop channeling so many resources toward digestion, and to start designating those resources \u201ctoward autophagy (cellular cleanup) and rapid fat burning (ketosis)\u201d (203). Mattson suggests that when we go hours without food, our body no longer has sugar stores available and will start burning fat instead\u2014a process known as metabolic switching.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A number of recent studies<\/a> have shown that fasting lowers insulin levels and improves insulin sensitivity. This makes it a promising course of action for women with PCOS, as the condition has been tied to insulin resistance. In a 2017 study<\/a> published in Med Hypotheses<\/em>, for example, researchers proposed that intermittent fasting might improve the fertility of women with PCOS by reducing circulating levels of glucose and insulin. Reducing these levels can help the body learn to stop producing excess androgen hormones (another hallmark of PCOS), thereby significantly improving egg quality and promoting ovarian function.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The takeaway here is that the way the female body processes sugar molecules, particularly glucose, significantly affects our hormone levels. As this article from The Cleveland Clinic<\/a> explains, high blood sugar levels lead the pancreas to secrete insulin, a hormone that absorbs and uses glucose. But if the flow of insulin is constant and your cells become resistant to it, the pancreas will \u201cpump out more and more insulin\u201d so that cells get the message to lower blood sugar. When circulating levels of insulin remain high constantly, your ovaries respond by making more testosterone and other \u201cmale\u201d hormones. And this <\/em>is a problem for women because elevated levels of androgens hinder ovulation and harm egg quality, which can result in infertility.<\/p>\n\n\n\n My primary goal in practicing intermittent fasting is to help my body learn how to process sugar in a healthy manner, with the secondary goal of balancing my hormones and improving my reproductive health. Below, I\u2019ll share my experience with fasting in the form of four actionable tips. These are strategies I\u2019ve used successfully, and that I believe other women may find helpful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I started simply by not eating any snacks after dinner. Many doctors suggest that this is a good idea for almost everyone, as we sleep better when we aren\u2019t digesting. After a while, I then moved breakfast back an hour each day. By the end of the process, I was fasting from 7 pm (when I finished dinner) to 11 am (when I ate a late breakfast). By doing so, I had accomplished a 16:8 ratio of fasting to eating, a cycle that works well for many people. And, in essence, I wasn\u2019t actually skipping any<\/em> meals. This was intentional, as I was not looking to lose weight. I simply grouped breakfast, lunch, and dinner much closer together than before and cut out unhealthy snacks as much as possible. Many women also do well and reap benefits from a more conservative fasting window, such as 14:10 or 12:12.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It\u2019s best not to fast every day, lest your body think you have limited resources. I usually fast on weekdays, but not on the weekend. You can also try fasting every other day\u2014something Asprey points to as a strategy that works well for many women, so that the body gets the message that it is not in a state of famine or stress.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Throughout the process, it\u2019s important to listen to your body. On mornings when you feel particularly hungry, eat something! Once you\u2019ve been practicing fasting for a while, you\u2019ll understand the difference between cravings for carbs your body doesn\u2019t actually need to function well, and food it needs to combat that day\u2019s unique stressors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you\u2019re fasting for health benefits, you\u2019ll be grateful for a hack that makes the experience less uncomfortable from the start. Although some people stick to a strict \u201cwater\u201d fast, researchers have determined that the body remains in a \u201cfasting\u201d state as long as we don\u2019t take in any calories from protein and carbs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In practice, this means that you can add some pure fat, like butter (or ghee or coconut oil, for lactose intolerant folks like me) to your morning tea or coffee during your fast. Then, blend it up to make a creamy latte-like drink. To make it a full \u201cBulletproof\u201d coffee, you can also add a tablespoon of MCT oil, an oil derived from coconuts, that helps elevate your ketone levels to give you mental clarity and energy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I\u2019ll never forget a friend telling me how terrible he felt after breaking a fast by eating a huge portion of deep-fried fish and fries. Learn from his pain and try to focus on optimal nutrition when you aren\u2019t fasting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n My experience with the Autoimmune Protocol<\/a> had already shown me the importance of nutrient density and diversity. I find that I reap the most benefits from fasting when I\u2019m careful to eat plenty <\/em>of protein, healthy fats, and complex carbs after my fast, and lots of non-starchy veggies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n For me, the benefits of gaining metabolic flexibility through fasting didn\u2019t involve weight loss. I wasn\u2019t looking to burn fat by fasting, but instead for a way to get off the sugar rollercoaster and start processing sugar more efficiently.<\/p>\n\n\n\n After fasting intermittently for only a couple of weeks, I found that I no longer desired <\/em>to keep snacking all day long. I found that I had more energy than before, and that my body was more resilient after nights with less sleep. And though I haven\u2019t been retested for insulin resistance, I can certainly attest that my PCOS symptoms, including anovulation and high androgen levels, have improved greatly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n As with most dietary protocols, intermittent fasting is not a one-size-fits-all approach, and it\u2019s important to determine what works best for your unique body. If you decide you\u2019d like to give intermittent fasting a try, I encourage you to speak with a doctor or nutritionist before beginning. You can also do your own research by reading this in-depth study<\/a>, or by reading Dave Asprey\u2019s meticulously-researched book Fast This Way, <\/em>particularly the chapter on intermittent fasting for women.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Surprising Connections Between PCOS, Dysbiosis, and Gut Health<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n How Whole30 Helped Me Manage my PCOS and Overcome Infertility<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n Insulin Resistance, PCOS, and Fertility Health: Are you at risk?<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\nWhy intermittent fasting isn’t for everyone<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
What Is intermittent fasting?<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
How might intermittent fasting affect women’s hormone levels?<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
My experience with intermittent fasting<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
1. Find the right fasting window by building your endurance slowly<\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
2. Don’t fast every day<\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
3. Try incorporating fat into your fast<\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
4. Fuel your body with healthy foods<\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
My takeaways from practicing intermittent fasting<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Want to try intermittent fasting?<\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Additional reading<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n