Uncover the advantages of integrating chiropractic care with intermittent fasting for optimal health benefits.
Intermittent Fasting and Chiropractic Care: A Holistic Approach to Wellness
In today’s health-conscious world, individuals are increasingly turning to natural, sustainable methods to enhance well-being, manage pain, and promote vibrant health. Intermittent fasting (IF) and chiropractic care are two complementary strategies that have gained popularity for their synergistic effects, supporting weight loss, reducing inflammation, improving metabolic health, and enhancing the body’s natural healing processes. This guide explores the principles of intermittent fasting, its various approaches, its benefits, and how it complements chiropractic care to optimize health outcomes. Practical meal plans for fasting and non-fasting days are included to help individuals adopt a healthier lifestyle through integrative, nonsurgical approaches.
What Is Intermittent Fasting?
Intermittent fasting (IF) is an eating pattern that cycles between periods of eating and fasting, focusing on when you eat rather than what you eat. During fasting periods, calorie intake is minimal or zero, allowing the body to tap into stored energy, such as fat, for fuel. Unlike restrictive diets, IF offers flexibility in food choices while emphasizing timing to achieve health benefits. Research shows IF supports weight loss, improves metabolic function, and enhances overall wellness (Vasim et al., 2022).
Types of Intermittent Fasting Schedules
Intermittent fasting can be tailored to individual lifestyles and goals. Here are the most common approaches:
16:8 Method (Time-Restricted Feeding)
Description: Consume all meals within an 8-hour window and fast for the remaining 16 hours daily. For example, eat between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m., fasting until the next day.
Best For: Beginners or those with busy schedules due to its simplicity.
Example: First meal at noon, last meal by 8 p.m.
5:2 Diet
Description: Eat normally for five days and restrict calorie intake to 500–600 calories on two non-consecutive days.
Best For: Those seeking flexibility without daily fasting.
Example: Fast on Tuesday and Friday, eating normally on other days.
Alternate-Day Fasting (ADF)
Description: Alternate between fasting days (no calories or up to 500 calories) and normal eating days.
Best For: Individuals seeking intensive calorie restriction.
Example: Fast on Monday, eat normally on Tuesday, fast on Wednesday, and so on.
OMAD (One Meal a Day)
Description: Consume all daily calories in a single meal within a one-hour window, fasting for 23 hours.
Best for: Those who are comfortable with extended fasting and disciplined eating.
Example: Eat one nutrient-dense meal at 6 p.m., fast until 6 p.m. the next day.
Extended Fasting
Description: Fast for 24 hours or longer, typically once or twice weekly.
Best For: Advanced fasters or those under medical supervision.
Example: Fast from dinner one day to dinner the next (24-hour fast).
Consulting a healthcare professional can help determine the best approach based on individual needs and health conditions.
Benefits of Intermittent Fasting
Intermittent fasting offers numerous evidence-based health benefits:
Weight Loss and Fat Reduction
IF promotes weight loss by reducing calorie intake and encouraging fat burning. A systematic review found IF led to significant weight loss in overweight individuals, comparable to traditional diets (Welton et al., 2020). Time-restricted feeding also preserved muscle mass while reducing fat mass in resistance-trained individuals (Moro et al., 2016).
Improved Metabolic Health
IF enhances insulin sensitivity, lowers blood sugar levels, and reduces the risk of type 2 diabetes. It promotes fatty acid metabolism to ketones, supporting metabolic health (Vasim et al., 2022).
Reduced Inflammation
Chronic inflammation contributes to the development of pain and disease. IF reduces inflammatory markers, such as interleukin-6, aiding in pain management and overall health (Moro et al., 2016).
Enhanced Cardiovascular Health
IF improves lipid profiles, lowers blood pressure, and reduces cardiovascular risks (Malinowski et al., 2019).
Improved Brain Health
IF supports autophagy and reduces oxidative stress, thereby improving memory and delaying the progression of neurological diseases (Liu et al., 2023).
Increased Longevity
IF activates cellular repair pathways, potentially extending lifespan by supporting microbiomes and minimizing cell death (Reddy et al., 2024).
Improved Quality of Life
IF practitioners report high satisfaction, reduced cravings, and minimal side effects, such as headaches, which typically resolve without intervention (Shalabi et al., 2023).
Chronic Pain Management
IF may reduce musculoskeletal pain by lowering inflammation and improving metabolic function, with some studies showing improved pain outcomes (Cuevas-Cervera et al., 2022).
Why Combine Intermittent Fasting with Chiropractic Care?
Chiropractic care focuses on restoring spinal alignment and musculoskeletal function to enhance the body’s healing capabilities. When paired with IF, this integrative approach amplifies the benefits for pain management, reducing inflammation, and promoting overall wellness. Here’s why they work together:
Reduced Inflammation
IF lowers systemic inflammation, while chiropractic adjustments reduce nerve irritation and localized inflammation, thereby accelerating recovery from conditions such as sciatica or back pain.
Enhanced Nervous System Function
Chiropractic care corrects spinal misalignments to optimize nervous system function. IF supports this by promoting cellular cleanup and enhancing neural health.
Improved Metabolic Efficiency
IF improves insulin sensitivity and fat metabolism, thereby reducing musculoskeletal strain associated with excess weight. Chiropractic care enhances joint mobility, reducing mechanical stress.
Support for Natural Healing
Chiropractic care removes nervous system interference, while IF redirects energy to repair during fasting periods, aiding injury recovery.
Holistic Pain Management
IF addresses metabolic and inflammatory pain factors, while chiropractic care corrects structural issues, offering comprehensive relief.
Personalized Care
Integrative practitioners create tailored plans that combine IF and chiropractic care with patient education to ensure adherence and optimal outcomes.
Nonsurgical Treatments and Integrative Medicine
This holistic approach incorporates nonsurgical treatments to address pain and dysfunction:
Chiropractic Adjustments
Correct spinal misalignments to improve mobility and reduce nerve irritation, effective for sciatica, neck pain, and back pain.
Targeted Exercises
Strengthen muscles, improve flexibility, and enhance posture to stabilize the spine and prevent injuries.
Acupuncture
Stimulates points to reduce pain, improve energy flow, and support metabolic balance.
Integrative Medicine
Incorporates nutrition, lifestyle changes, and stress management to address the whole person, with IF supporting metabolic health.
These therapies promote long-term pain relief and injury prevention through a patient-centered approach.
Functional Medicine’s Influence Beyond Joints- Video
Sample Meal Plans
Below are practical meal plans for fasting and non-fasting days to support a healthy lifestyle.
Fast Day Meal Plan (500–600 Calories, 5:2 Diet)
Goal: Consume 500–600 calories in one or two nutrient-dense, high-protein, low-carb meals for satiety.
Sample Day (Single Meal):
Dinner (6 p.m., ~450 calories):
Grilled chicken breast (4 oz, 187 calories)
Steamed broccoli with olive oil and lemon (2 cups, 100 calories)
Mixed green salad with cucumber and vinegar dressing (1 cup, 50 calories)
Black coffee or herbal tea (0 calories) Total: ~437 calories
Alternative (Two Mini-Meals):
Lunch (1 p.m., ~250 calories):
Hard-boiled egg (1, 78 calories)
Spinach salad with cherry tomatoes and balsamic vinegar (1 cup, 50 calories)
Grilled shrimp (3 oz, 120 calories)
Dinner (6 p.m., ~250 calories):
Baked salmon (3 oz, 175 calories)
Steamed asparagus (1 cup, 40 calories)
Herbal tea (0 calories) Total: ~463 calories
Tips:
Avoid snacking to maximize fasting benefits.
Choose high-volume, low-calorie vegetables.
Include healthy fats for satiety.
Non-Fast Day Meal Plan (Normal Eating)
Goal: Eat balanced, nutrient-dense meals focusing on whole foods.
Sample Day:
Breakfast (8 a.m.):
Oatmeal with almond milk, berries, and chia seeds (1 cup, 300 calories)
Black coffee (0 calories)
Lunch (1 p.m.):
Grilled turkey wrap with whole-grain tortilla, avocado, lettuce, and tomato (400 calories)
Raw carrots with hummus (1 cup carrots, 2 tbsp hummus, 150 calories)
Snack (4 p.m.):
Apple with almond butter (1 tbsp, 200 calories)
Dinner (7 p.m.):
Baked cod with quinoa and roasted Brussels sprouts (450 calories)
Mixed green salad with olive oil and lemon dressing (100 calories)
Dessert:
Dark chocolate (1 oz, 170 calories) Total: ~1,770 calories (adjust based on needs)
Tips:
Listen to hunger cues, as IF may reduce appetite.
Prioritize lean proteins, vegetables, and healthy fats.
Stay hydrated with water or herbal tea.
Practical Tips for Intermittent Fasting Success
Start Gradually: Begin with the 16:8 method for an easier transition.
Stay Hydrated: Drink water, herbal tea, or black coffee during fasting to curb hunger.
Plan Nutrient-Dense Meals: Focus on high-protein, low-carb foods on fast days (Jimenez, 2025).
Avoid Late-Night Eating: Eating earlier aligns with circadian rhythms (Patterson et al., 2017).
Incorporate Exercise: Pair IF with light activities, such as walking or yoga, and avoid intense workouts on fast days.
Monitor Side Effects: Temporary headaches or lethargy are common but typically resolve within a short period (Shalabi et al., 2023).
Consult Professionals: Work with a chiropractor or integrative practitioner for personalized guidance.
Potential Risks and Considerations
IF is not suitable for everyone. Pregnant women, individuals with eating disorders, or those with diabetes should avoid IF or seek medical supervision. Combining IF with intense exercise may impair musculoskeletal development in adolescents (Wang et al., 2025). Older adults or those with compromised health should proceed cautiously (Liu et al., 2023). Regular check-ins with a healthcare provider ensure safety and efficacy.
Integrating Intermittent Fasting into a Wellness Lifestyle
Maximize benefits by adopting a holistic approach:
Regular Chiropractic Care: Maintain Spinal Health for Optimal Recovery.
Balanced Nutrition: Focus on whole foods on non-fast days.
Intermittent fasting and chiropractic care offer a synergistic approach to health, promoting weight loss, reducing inflammation, and supporting natural healing. By following tailored fasting schedules, nutrient-dense meal plans, and integrative therapies, individuals can achieve lasting wellness. Consult a healthcare professional to create a personalized plan and start your journey to a healthier, pain-free life.
References
Cuevas-Cervera, M., et al. (2022). The effectiveness of intermittent fasting, time-restricted feeding, caloric restriction, a ketogenic diet, and the Mediterranean diet as part of the treatment plan to improve health and chronic musculoskeletal pain: A systematic review. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 19(11), 6698.
de Cabo, R., & Mattson, M. P. (2019). Effects of intermittent fasting on health, aging, and disease. The New England Journal of Medicine, 381(26), 2541–2551.
Liu, S., et al. (2023). The health-promoting effects and the mechanism of intermittent fasting. Journal of Diabetes Research, 2023, 4038546.
Malinowski, B., et al. (2019). Intermittent fasting in cardiovascular disorders—An overview. Nutrients, 11(3), 673.
Moro, T., et al. (2016). Effects of eight weeks of time-restricted feeding (16/8) on basal metabolism, maximal strength, body composition, inflammation, and cardiovascular risk factors in resistance-trained males. Journal of Translational Medicine, 14(1), 290.
Patterson, R. E., & Sears, D. D. (2017). Metabolic effects of intermittent fasting. Annual Review of Nutrition, 37, 371–393.
Reddy, B. L., et al. (2024). Health benefits of intermittent fasting. Microbial Physiology, 34(1), 142–152.
Shalabi, H., et al. (2023). Intermittent fasting: Benefits, side effects, quality of life, and knowledge of the Saudi population. Cureus, 15(2), e34722.
Vasim, I., et al. (2022). Intermittent fasting and metabolic health. Nutrients, 14(3), 631.
Wang, Z., et al. (2025). A combination of intermittent fasting and endurance exercise impedes the development of the musculoskeletal system in non-obese growing rats. Nutrition Research and Practice, 19(4), 483–496.
If you are experiencing any of these situations, then try considering intermittent fasting.
Since becoming popular in recent years, intermittent fasting is a dietary approach that lots of individuals have been using in their healthy lifestyle. During the time of the hunter-gatherer society, people have used this method for centuries as a way of survival. Studies have been shown that people used it for medicinal purposes throughout history as a medicinal remedy. Ancient Rome, Greek and Chinese civilizations used intermittent fasting in their daily lives. Fasting has even been used for spiritual reasons in certain religions, like Buddhism, Islam, and Christianity as individuals use it as a way to reflect on themselves and be closer to their deities.
What is Fasting?
Fasting is where a person does not consume food or beverages at least for twelve hours during the day. When a person starts fasting, they will notice that their metabolism and their hormones will change in their bodies. There is upcoming research that intermittent fasting can promote amazing health benefits to the body. The health benefits that intermittent fasting provides are weight loss, protective effects in the brain, decreased inflammation and improving blood glucose and insulin levels in the body.
The Different Methods
There are other methods of fasting that involves fasting from food for several days or weeks. With these different methods, they involve a shorter period that is between 16 to 24 hours. Several types of intermittent fasting are determined by the feeding window duration (when to eat the food) and the fasting window (when to avoid the food). Here are some of the other methods of fasting, which includes:
Time-restricted feeding (TRF): This type of fasting has a feeding window period from 4 to 12 hours. For the remainder of the day, water is the only thing that is allowed to be consumed. The common variation to eat this type of fasting is 16/8. This means that a person has to fast at least 16 hours every day.
Early time-restricted feeding (eTRF): This is a different variety of time-restricted fasting that is from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. After the 6 hours are up, the rest of the day is made up of this fasting period.
Alternate day fasting (ADF): This type of fasting involves a person eating one day and the next day they completely fast. They alternate between eating and fasting each day to get the benefits.
Period fasting (cycling fasting): This type of fasting involves one or two days fasting per week and for the fifth or sixth days of eating as much as a person desire. The variety of period fasting can be a 5:2 or a 6:1.
Modified fasting: This type of fasting has some methods of intermittent fasting that are similar to alternate-day fasting, but this fasting can be modified for anyone. A person can consume very-low-calorie substances during the fasting window period.
How Does It Work?
Intermittent fasting is the result of changes in the body as the hormone patterns and energy metabolism are being affected. Once a person finishes consuming food, the contents are being broken down and transforming into nutrients, so it can be absorbed into the digestive tract. What happens is that the carbohydrates are broken down and turn into glucose and absorb into the bloodstream, distributing it into the body’s tissue as the essential source of energy. The insulin hormone then helps regulate the blood glucose levels by signaling cells to take the sugars from the blood and turning into fuel for the body to function properly.
With intermittent fasting, a person is done with a meal and their glucose levels are depleted from the body. For the energy to meet its requirements the body has to break down the glycogen that is found in the liver and skeletal muscles causing gluconeogenesis. Gluconeogenesis is when the liver produces glucose sugars from non-carbohydrate sources in the body. Then once the insulin levels are low after 18 hours of fasting, a process called lipolysis begins. What lipolysis does is that the body begins to break down the fat components into free fatty acids. When there is a low quantity of glucose for the body to consume for energy, the body itself with start using fatty acids and ketones for energy. Ketosis is a metabolic state where liver cells start to help fatty acids breakdown and converting them into ketone acetoacetate and beta-hydro butyrate.
The muscle cells and neuron cells use these ketones to generate ATP (adenosine triphosphate) which is the main carrier for energy. Research has stated that the usage and availability of fatty acids combined with ketones as an energy replacement for glucose are beneficial for vital body tissues. This includes the heart, the liver, the pancreas, and the brain.
The four metabolic states are induced by fasting are referred to as the fast-fed cycle, and they are:
The fed state
The post-absorptive state
The fasting state
The starvation state
The physiological effect of intermittent fasting can also be achieved by following a ketogenic diet, which is very high fat and low carbohydrate diet. This diet’s purpose is to shift the body’s metabolic state into ketosis.
The Benefits of Fasting
There are tons of research that have demonstrated how intermittent fasting has a wide variety of health benefits, including:
Weight loss
Type 2 diabetes prevention and management
Improved cardiometabolic risk factors
Cellular cleansing
Decreased inflammation
Neuroprotection
Studies have been shown that several proposed mechanisms are responsible for these health effects of intermittent fasting and have proven to be beneficial to a person’s lifestyle.
Conclusion
Intermittent fasting has been practiced for centuries and has gain popularity in recent years. It involves abstaining from consuming foods for at least 12 consecutive hours by turning the fat cells into energy for the body to function. The health benefits that intermittent fasting provides is beneficial for an individual who is trying to maintain a healthy lifestyle. Some products help provide support to the gastrointestinal system as well as making sure that sugar metabolism is at a healthy level for the body to function.
The scope of our information is limited to chiropractic, musculoskeletal, and nervous health issues or functional medicine articles, topics, and discussions. We use functional health protocols to treat injuries or disorders of the musculoskeletal system. Our office has made a reasonable attempt to provide supportive citations and has identified the relevant research study or studies supporting our posts. We also make copies of supporting research studies available to the board and or the public upon request. To further discuss the subject matter above, please feel free to ask Dr. Alex Jimenez or contact us at 915-850-0900.
References:
Dhillon, Kiranjit K. �Biochemistry, Ketogenesis.� StatPearls [Internet]., U.S. National Library of Medicine, 21 Apr. 2019, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK493179/#article-36345.
Hue, Louis, and Heinrich Taegtmeyer. �The Randle Cycle Revisited: a New Head for an Old Hat.� American Journal of Physiology. Endocrinology and Metabolism, American Physiological Society, Sept. 2009, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2739696/.
Stockman, Mary-Catherine, et al. �Intermittent Fasting: Is the Wait Worth the Weight?� Current Obesity Reports, U.S. National Library of Medicine, June 2018, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5959807/.
Zubrzycki, A, et al. �The Role of Low-Calorie Diets and Intermittent Fasting in the Treatment of Obesity and Type-2 Diabetes.� Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology: an Official Journal of the Polish Physiological Society, U.S. National Library of Medicine, Oct. 2018, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/30683819.
Why is it that the ketogenic diet and intermittent fasting always seem to fall within the same topic of conversation? This is simply because intermittent fasting may be utilized as an instrument to achieve ketosis, the metabolic state associated with the keto diet. During intermittent fasting, the human body is depleted of glycogen stores. Once these glycogen stores are eliminated, fat stores are then released into the bloodstream in order to be converted into energy molecules, known as ketones, from the liver.
What is Ketosis?
Ketosis is a metabolic state which uses ketone bodies, or ketones, as fuel for energy. On a normal carbohydrate-based diet, the human body burns glucose as its main fuel source, where excess glucose is subsequently stored as glycogen. If the human body cannot utilize sugar as fuel for energy, it will utilize glycogen as fuel for energy. Once glycogen is depleted, you begin to burn fat. The ketogenic diet generates a metabolic state which enables you to break down fat into ketones, or ketone bodies, in the liver for energy.
There are 3 major types ketone bodies found in the blood, urine, and breath, including:
Acetoacetate: The type of ketone which is created first. It may be converted to beta-hydroxybutyrate or flipped into acetone.
Acetone: Made spontaneously in the breakdown of acetoacetate. It is a very volatile ketone and it is frequently detectable on the breath once an individual first enters ketosis.
Beta-hydroxybutyrate (BHB): The type of ketone which is utilized for energy and is most abundant on the bloodstream as soon as you’re completely into ketosis. It is the kind that is located in exogenous ketones and what blood tests quantify.
Intermittent Fasting in the Keto Diet
Intermittent fasting is composed of eating within a specific feeding window rather than eating throughout the day. Each individual, whether they are conscious of it or not, fasts intermittently from dinner to breakfast. There are lots of methods to intermittent fasting. A few individuals fast for 16-20 hours intervals on alternate days while others follow a 24-hour day fast. The most common intermittent fasting variety is the 16/8 method, in which you eat in an 8-hour window followed by a 16-hour fasting window.
Other fasting programs incorporate the 20/4 or even 14/10 methods. Other people follow 24-hour fasts one or two times each week. Intermittent fasting can get you in ketosis quicker because your cells will immediately absorb your glycogen stores and begin burning fat. However, what about once you get into ketosis? Is intermittent fasting worth following consistently? Following the ketogenic diet and intermittent fasting can be a great addition towards an individual’s overall health and wellness, providing various health benefits.
The keto diet and intermittent fasting can provide the following health benefits, including:
Healthy weight-loss
Fat reduction, not muscle reduction
Balancing cholesterol levels
Enhancing insulin sensitivity
Maintaining blood glucose levels steady
Health Benefits of the Ketogenic Diet
The ketogenic diet dramatically reduces your caloric intake, forcing your body to burn fat instead of sugar, which makes it a powerful tool for weight reduction. While individual results vary, the keto diet has always resulted in a decrease in body fat in a selection of situations. Within a 2017 study, subjects who followed a very low carbohydrate keto meal program significantly decreased body fat percentage and body fat mass, losing an average of 7.6 lbs and 2.6 percent body fat while preserving lean muscle mass.
Likewise, a 2004 research detecting the long-term consequences of a ketogenic diet in overweight patients discovered that the weight and body mass of those patients diminished dramatically over the span of two decades. Individuals who radically reduced their carb intake saw a substantial decline in LDL (bad) cholesterol, triglycerides, and enhanced insulin sensitivity. In 2012, researchers compared a ketogenic diet to eating fewer calories for overweight kids and adults. The results showed kids after the keto diet lost significantly more body fat. They also revealed a dramatic decline in insulin levels, a biomarker of Type 2 diabetes.
Health Benefits of Intermittent Fasting
Studies have shown that intermittent fasting may be an effective weight loss tool, more powerful than just cutting calories. In one analysis, intermittent fasting has been proven to be as successful as constant calorie restriction in combating obesity. In studies done by the NIH, there was reported weight reduction with over 84 percent of participants, regardless of which fasting program they picked.
Much like ketosis, intermittent fasting increases fat loss while preserving lean muscle mass. In one study, researchers reasoned that fasting led to greater weight loss compared to a low-carb diet, though the overall caloric consumption was exactly the same. If you are attempting to lose weight, then a keto diet or intermittent fasting can be a massive help. But that is not where the rewards stop.
Intermittent Fasting and the Keto Diet for Mental Health
Both intermittent fasting and the ketogenic diet can provide various mental health advantages. Both have been clinically shown to boost memory, improve mental clarity and focus, as well as prevent the development of neurological disorders like Alzheimer’s and epilepsy. On a carb-based diet, changes in glucose can cause changes in energy levels. During ketosis, your brain employs a more consistent supply of fuel: ketones from the fat stores, leading to better productivity and psychological performance.
Whenever you’ve got a consistent and clean energy source from ketones, the brain works better. In addition to this, ketones are better at protecting your brain. Studies reveal that ketone bodies might have antioxidant properties which protect your brain cells from free radicals and oxidative stress. In one study conducted on adults with diminished memory, the growth of BHB ketones in their own blood helped enhance cognition. Also, when you’ve got difficulty staying focused, your hormones can be to blame.
Your brain has two chief neurotransmitters: glutamate and GABA. Glutamate will help you form new memories, and get your brain cells to communicate with one another. GABA is what helps restrain glutamate. If there is too much glutamate, it can cause brain cells to quit working and finally perish. GABA is there to control and slow down glutamate. If GABA levels are reduced, glutamate reigns free and you experience mental fog. Ketones stop damage to cells by processing surplus glutamate into GABA. Considering that ketones raise GABA and lessen glutamate, they assist in preventing cell damage, preventing cell death and enhancing mental focus.
Researchers believe that intermittent fasting enhances memory, decreases oxidative stress, and conserves learning abilities. Since your cells are under moderate strain whilst fasting, the top cells adapt to the stress by improving their particular ability to deal with these circumstances while the weakest tissues die. This is much like the strain that your body gets when you reach the gym.
Exercise is a kind of stress that your body adjusts to improve and get more powerful. This also applies for intermittent fasting: so long as you are still alternate between routine eating habits and fasting, it is going to continue to benefit you. Implying equally that ketosis and intermittent fasting will help improve your cognitive functioning because of the synergistic and protective effects of ketones.
The ketogenic diet and intermittent fasting are two different nutritional strategies which provide many common health benefits. According to various research studies, both the keto diet and intermittent fasting can help boost ketones, helping the body burn fat more efficiently than any other nutritional strategy. And when these are utilized together, they definitely form a powerful dietary program. The article above discusses the differences between the ketogenic diet and intermittent fasting as well as demonstrates the health benefits of both of these dietary programs and how they can help improve overall health and wellness. Dr. Alex Jimenez D.C., C.C.S.T. Insight
The Perks of Intermittent Fasting and the Keto Diet
The ketogenic diet and intermittent fasting possess similar health benefits because both approaches involve ketosis. Ketosis has lots of physical and mental advantages, from weight loss to enhanced brain function. People following a ketogenic diet may use intermittent fasting as a tool to achieve ketosis and enhance their general well-being. The scope of our information is limited to chiropractic and spinal health issues. To discuss the subject matter, please feel free to ask Dr. Jimenez or contact us at�915-850-0900�.
Curated by Dr. Alex Jimenez
Additional Topic Discussion:�Acute Back Pain
Back pain�is one of the most prevalent causes of disability and missed days at work worldwide. Back pain attributes to the second most common reason for doctor office visits, outnumbered only by upper-respiratory infections. Approximately 80 percent of the population will experience back pain at least once throughout their life. The spine is a complex structure made up of bones, joints, ligaments, and muscles, among other soft tissues. Injuries and/or aggravated conditions, such as�herniated discs, can eventually lead to symptoms of back pain. Sports injuries or automobile accident injuries are often the most frequent cause of back pain, however, sometimes the simplest of movements can have painful results. Fortunately, alternative treatment options, such as chiropractic care, can help ease back pain through the use of spinal adjustments and manual manipulations, ultimately improving pain relief. �
The benefits that come from a ketogenic diet are much like those of any strict low-carb diet. The effect may be greater since protein is significantly more restricted. This raises ketones more, and reduces insulin (the fat-storing hormone).
Weight Loss
Turning your body to some fat-burning machine has clear benefits for weight loss. Fat burning is significantly increased while insulin, the hormone that focuses on fat-storing, drops considerably. This produces the perfect circumstances.
About 20 scientific research of the maximum category (RCTs) reveal that, compared to other diets, low-fat and ketogenic diets result in more effective weight reduction.
Reverse Type 2 Diabetes
A ketogenic diet is excellent for reversing type 2 diabetes, because it lowers blood-sugar levels as well as also helping to reverse the negative effect of elevated insulin levels from this condition.
Improved Mental Focus
Ketosis ends in a steady stream of gas (ketones) to the brain. And on a ketogenic diet you stay away from swings in blood glucose. This contributes to the experience of concentration and attention.
A lot of people use keto diets specifically for improved mental performance. Interestingly, there is a frequent misperception that eating a great deal of carbs6 is necessary for proper brain functioning. When ketones aren’t available but this is only true.
Following a couple of times (up to a week) of keto adaptation, through that people can experience some difficulty concentrating, have headaches and be easily irritated, both the human body and mind can run smoothly on ketones.
Inside this state, lots of men and women experience more energy and enhanced mental focus.
Increased physical endurance
Ketogenic diets may vastly increase your physical endurance, by giving you constant access to all of the energy of your own fat stores.
The body’s source of stored carbohydrates (glycogen) only lasts for a few hours of intense exercise, or less. But your fat stores hold sufficient energy to easily last for weeks or perhaps months.
When you’re accommodated to burning primarily carbs — like most individuals are now — that your fat stores aren’t readily accessible, and they can not fuel your brain. This results in needing to fill up by eating before, during and after exercise sessions that are longer. Or even simply to fuel your everyday activities and prevent “hanger” (hungry and irritable). On a ketogenic diet this dilemma is solved. As the body and brain can be fueled 24/7 from the stores that are powerful, you can keep going.
Whether you are competing in a bodily endurance event, or just trying to remain focused on reaching some other target, your body gets the fuel it needs to keep you going and going.
Two Problems
So how is it possible that the majority of people feel that carbohydrates are essential to do exercise? There are just two reasons. Not, and to unlock the power of ketogenic diets for bodily endurance rather suffer reduced performance, you’ll need:
Enough fluid and salt
Fourteen days of adaptation into burning fat — it does not happen immediately
Metabolic Syndrome
There are many studies demonstrating that low-carb diets improve markers of metabolic syndrome, such as blood lipids, insulin levels, HDL-cholesterol, LDL particle size and fasting blood sugar levels. Improvements have been demonstrated to be greater when carbs and protein are limited to some the point of becoming.
Epilepsy
The ketogenic diet is a proven medical therapy for epilepsy that’s been utilized since the 1920s. Traditionally it has been used in children with uncontrolled epilepsy despite drugs.
More recently it has also been tested successfully by adults with epilepsy, with similar good results. There are randomized controlled trials that demonstrate the potency of the ketogenic diet in seizures in patients with epilepsy.
Employing a ketogenic diet in epilepsy is that usually enables people to take less anti-epileptic drugs, while staying seizure-free. It is not uncommon to even be in a position to completely stop taking these drugs.
As a number of medications have side effects, such as nausea, reduced concentration, personality changes or even reduced IQ — being able to shoot less or no medications can be enormously beneficial.
More Prevalent Advantages
The advantages will be the most frequent ones. However there are many others that are potentially even more unexpected and, at least for some people, lifechanging.
The scope of our information is limited to chiropractic and spinal injuries and conditions. To discuss options on the subject matter, please feel free to ask Dr. Jimenez or contact us at 915-850-0900 .�
By Dr. Alex Jimenez
Additional Topics: Wellness
Overall health and wellness are essential towards maintaining the proper mental and physical balance in the body. From eating a balanced nutrition as well as exercising and participating in physical activities, to sleeping a healthy amount of time on a regular basis, following the best health and wellness tips can ultimately help maintain overall well-being. Eating plenty of fruits and vegetables can go a long way towards helping people become healthy.
A ketogenic diet, or keto diet, is a diet, which turns your system into a fat-burning machine. It has some initial side effects towards health and functionality, as well as many advantages for weight loss.
A ketogenic diet is comparable to other rigorous low-carb diets, like the Atkins diet plan or LCHF (low carb, higher fat). These diets wind up being ketogenic more or less by accident. The main difference between LCHF and keto is that protein is restricted in the latter.
A keto diet plan is made specifically to lead to ketosis. It’s possible to measure and adapt to achieve optimal ketone amounts for wellness or for bodily and psychological performance. Below, you can learn how to use keto to achieve your personal goals.
What is Ketosis?
The keto in a ketogenic diet stems in the fact that it leaves the body to create small fuel molecules known as ketones. This is an alternate fuel for your body, used when blood sugar (glucose) is in short supply.
Ketones are produced if you eat hardly any carbs (that are quickly broken down into blood sugar) and only moderate levels of protein (excess protein can also be converted to blood sugar). Ketones are produced in the liver, from fat. They are then used throughout the entire body as fuel. The brain is an organ which requires a lot of energy to function and fat can’t be used for energy by it. The brain can only run on glucose or ketones.
On a ketogenic diet your entire body switches its fuel source to operate almost entirely on fat. Insulin levels become very low and fat burning increases dramatically. It becomes easy to get into your fat stores to burn them off. If you are trying to drop weight, this is obviously excellent, but in addition, there are other benefits, such as less appetite and a continuous supply of energy.
Once the body produces ketones, it’s supposedly in ketosis. The quickest way to get there is by fasting, not eating anything, but obviously, it is not feasible to fast. A ketogenic diet, on the other hand, can be eaten forever and also results in ketosis. Without even having to fast, it has many of the benefits of fasting. including weight loss.
What to Eat on a Ketogenic Diet
Here are typical foods to enjoy on a ketogenic diet. The amounts are net carbs per 100 g. To remain in ketosis, lower is generally better:
The most essential thing to achieve ketosis is to stay away from eating most carbohydrates. You will need to keep intake ideally under 20 grams but under 50 grams per day of carbs is accepted. The fewer carbs the more successful.
Try to avoid
Here is what you shouldn’t eat on a keto diet, meals full of sugar and starch, including starchy foods such as bread, rice, pasta and potatoes. These foods are much higher in carbohydrates, as you can see.
The amounts are g of digestible carbs per 100 g (3.5 oz), unless otherwise noticed.
This usually means you will want to completely prevent sweet sugary foods, also starchy foods such as bread, pasta, rice and potatoes. Basically follow the guidelines to get a diet that is low-carb that is rigorous, and remember it is assumed to be full of fat, not high in protein.
A rough guideline is under 10 percent energy from carbs (the fewer carbs, the more successful), 15 to 25 percent protein (the lower end is more successful), and 70 percent or more from fat.
What to Drink on a Ketogenic Diet
So what do you drink on a keto diet? Water is ideal, and so is tea or coffee. Use no additives. A small amount of milk or cream is OK (but beware of caffe latte!) . The glass of wine is fine.
How Low is Keto?
The fewer carbohydrates you consume, the larger the effects on fat and blood sugar will be. A keto diet is a strict low-carb diet, and consequently highly effective.
We recommend following the dietary advice as strictly as you can. When you are contented with your weight and health, you might carefully try eating more liberally (if you would like to).
The scope of our information is limited to chiropractic and spinal injuries and conditions. To discuss options on the subject matter, please feel free to ask Dr. Jimenez or contact us at 915-850-0900 .�
By Dr. Alex Jimenez
Additional Topics: Wellness
Overall health and wellness are essential towards maintaining the proper mental and physical balance in the body. From eating a balanced nutrition as well as exercising and participating in physical activities, to sleeping a healthy amount of time on a regular basis, following the best health and wellness tips can ultimately help maintain overall well-being. Eating plenty of fruits and vegetables can go a long way towards helping people become healthy.
There’s been a lot of discussion about the advantages of intermittent fasting (IF) in the community lately. Paul Jaminet mentions its role in the function of the metabolism as well as it’s role in boosting the immune system. In his novel, Health Diet, he discusses how IF may be helpful for those attempting to shed weight, among other benefits.
Intermittent fasting is an eating pattern where you cycle between times of fasting and eating. It does not state anything about which foods to eat, but instead when they should be eaten by you. There are numerous different fasting methods, all of that which split the days and weeks to eating intervals and fasting intervals.
Most people fast; daily, while they sleep. Fasting is often as easy as stretching that. You can drink water, coffee, tea and other non-caloric drinks, although no food is permitted during the fasting period. Some forms of intermittent fasting allow small amounts of low-calorie foods . Taking supplements is generally allowed while fasting, as long as there are no calories in them.
From an evolutionary perspective, intermittent fasting has been likely the ordinary state of affairs. There were no restaurants, no grocery stores or convenience stores, and food was not nearly as readily accessible or easy to come by as it is today. Nor were there watches, lunch breaks, programs or the sort of construction and routine we have in today’s world. This means it is very likely that our paleo ancestors had days when they ate lightly or did not eat, and possibly did move 12-16 hours between meals on a regular basis.
Therefore, while intermittent fasting is a part of our legacy, and that it can be useful in certain situations, Its not believed to be a suitable strategy for everyone. Why? Because cortisol levels can be elevated due to fasting. One of cortisol’s effects is that it raises blood glucose. In someone with blood glucose regulation difficulties, fasting can make them worse.
This has been seen again and again with many patients. Many patients have blood sugar imbalances. And it is usually not as straightforward as “high blood sugar” or “low blood sugar”. They frequently have a combination of both (reactive hypoglycemia), or strange blood sugar patterns which, on the outside, do not make much sense. These folks are not currently eating a Standard American Diet. Most of them are on a paleo-type or low-carb dietplan. Yet they have blood sugar issues.
In these cases, cortisol dysregulation is almost always the culprit. Whenever these patients try fasting, their blood sugar management gets worse. Its been frequently observed that blood sugar readings in the 90s and even low 100s are recorded from fasting, in spite of the fact that they are eating a low-carb, paleo-type diet.
That’s why intermittent fasting is often not recommended for those who have blood sugar regulation issues. Instead, its suggested that they eat every 2-3 hours. This helps to maintain stable blood sugar during the day and prevents cortisol and other stress hormones like epinephrine and norepinephrine from becoming involved. When patients that have been fasting and experiencing high blood sugar readings switch to eating this way, their blood sugar numbers almost always hastens.
There’s a controversial standpoint about how eating every 2-3 hours is “normal” in the evolutionary view. But neither is driving in traffic or staying up till 2:00am on Facebook. It’s not a set of rules, although the paleo template is there to direct us. This should also be a reminder that there’s no “one size fits all” approach when it comes to healthcare. Successful therapy depends on addressing them and identifying the underlying mechanisms.
The scope of our information is limited to chiropractic and spinal injuries and conditions. To discuss options on the subject matter, please feel free to ask Dr. Jimenez or contact us at 915-850-0900 .�
By Dr. Alex Jimenez
Additional Topics: Wellness
Overall health and wellness are essential towards maintaining the proper mental and physical balance in the body. From eating a balanced nutrition as well as exercising and participating in physical activities, to sleeping a healthy amount of time on a regular basis, following the best health and wellness tips can ultimately help maintain overall well-being. Eating plenty of fruits and vegetables can go a long way towards helping people become healthy.
Intermittent fasting is not a diet, but a diet program that is supposed to accelerate fat loss and muscle development compared to traditional eating schedules. It is promoted primarily from the scientific community, however, there are no scientific research (as of February 2014) who have affirmed intermittent fasting to gaining muscle while losing weight.
With metabolic restriction, intermittent fasting may lead to weight reduction. In a recent review (Varady, 2011) and a recent randomized clinical trial (Harvie et al., 2011), many writers concluded that intermittent fasting and daily caloric restriction are equally effective at promoting weight loss in overweight and obese individuals. No research to date has been performed with athletes that require upkeep of strength, muscular size, and function.
Intermittent Fasting Approach & Scientific Support
There have been many suggested methods for intermittent fasting, from skipping a single meal daily to eating only every other day. The majority of these diets are encouraged through webpages, blogs, and books published by exercise and diet enthusiasts.
Up to now, regardless of the focused marketing of intermittent fasting into the athletic community, there are just a few well-controlled, scientific research exploring the effects of intermittent fasting on the body composition and performance in athletes. Currently, the majority of the scientific evidence for the health benefits of intermittent fasting has arrived from animal studies (Longo and Mattson, 2014) and the unwanted effects of intermittent fasting have originated from Muslim athletes throughout Ramadan (review: (Chaouachi et al., 2009), both with restricted ability to be translated into the overall athletic community. Even more and more human research have been conducted to confirm claims discovered in animals, many studies have been with patients with a certain illness or condition (ex. Rheumatoid arthritis, hypertension, and obesity) rather than in healthy, energetic individuals.
Similarities Among Strategies
The different intermittent fasting approaches tend to emphasize their differences (and therefore purported superiority) however, there are also many similarities. Among the advantages of the form of caloric control is that it allows people. Instead of linking “appetite” with “panic” or even “want” (Ganley 1989), “hunger” can theoretically be newly associated with “achievement” or “pride”, or simply dismissed.
Really, with any method, there’s a critical transition period of approximately 3-6 weeks through which the human body and mind adapt to the new eating schedule (Longo and Mattson, 2014). This period can be extremely uncomfortable, as restricted eating was anecdotally associated with intense hunger, irritability, loss of stamina, loss of libido, along with other unwanted side effects (Dirks and Leeuwenburgh 2006; Johnstone 2007; Heilbronn, Smith, et al. 2005). When the body is accustomed, however, the hunger levels may decrease and disposition might become more favorable in contrast to prior to the program began. Elevated mood and diminished hunger on caloric restrictive diets are noted in some (Wing et al. 1991) although not all (ex. (Heilbronn, Smith, et al., 2005) research.
Intermittent fasting isn’t a weight loss program per se; only if calories are restricted will somebody lose weight. Although intermittent fasting is one way to limit intake of total calories to achieve weight loss (Varady et al., 2009; Varady, 2011; Harvie et al., 2011), there have not been any studies to date on athletes who prioritize maintenance of muscle size and strength. In actuality, there are conflicting views on whether intermittent caloric limitation. daily calorie restriction greatest maintain lean muscle mass (Varady, 2011; Johnstone, 2007).
All of these approaches emphasize the value of the nutritional quality of the meals that are consumed. Nutrients like fiber, fat, protein, vitamins, and minerals are crucial for good health and, because nutrients aren’t consumed while fasting, they are especially important when breaking the fast. Additionally, drinking a lot of water has been encouraged both to stay hydrated and to alleviate hunger. John Berardi of Precision Nutrition (see “More info”) allows green powders, green tea, and branched chain amino acids during his quick, but it’s unknown how these supplements influence appetite, energy levels, muscle synthesis/breakdown, or the general advantages of intermittent fasting.
Exercising and Intermittent Fasting
All intermittent fasting approaches can be damaging to athletic gains for several reasons. To begin with, meals in close proximity to your workout are essential for optimal performance, healing, and muscle gain (Aragon and Schoenfeld, 2013). Secondly, greater appetite sensations can hinder compliance in addition to increase the potential to over-consume meals when it becomes available (Hawks and Gas,t 1998). Despite the frequent belief that you will burn off more fat if you exercise while firming, performing aerobic exercise in the fasted state is not recommended (review: (Schoenfeld 2011)). Actually:
Performing aerobic exercise following consuming carbohydrates doesn’t hinder fat oxidation (Febbraio et al., 2000; p Bock et al., 2008),
Performing aerobic exercise fasted will also promote reduction of lean muscle mass, since muscle will be burned for fuel (Lemon and Mullin, 1980),
Exercising at a fasted state often does not result in an optimal exercise. In contrast, having readily available energy will allow optimal performance that will burn off more calories overall and lead to the Greatest gains (Loy et al., 1986; Schabort et al., 1999),
Exercising at the fasted condition, fed state reduces static and dynamic balance and can increase the risk of harm (Johnson and Leck, 2010).
There are fewer studies investing the effects of doing resistance training in the fasted vs. fed state, but it is anticipated that the same points hold true.
Intermittent fasting recommends consuming at least 5 grams BCAAs before a workout when exercising during your fasting period. There’s no proof substantiating that claim, although this bolus of BCAAs in your blood flow theoretically could help maintain muscle protein throughout the exercise. In one study, a BCAA infusion prior to a workout in the fasted state failed to enhance performance in one set of individuals onto a rated incremental exercise test (Varnier et al., 1994). So that you can enjoy a complete meal that is post-workout advocates also advise to program your schedule, but they tend to dismiss the importance for pre-workout nourishment.
As you can see, all diet programs share a frequent theme of compartmentalizing “fasting” and “eating” periods. Because there is no one method that’s best so many versions of those diets exist. Further, some individuals who attempt fasting use a hybrid of present approaches to discover a technique that is successful.
Most importantly, intermittent fasting isn’t suggested for pregnant women, women that are breastfeeding, people with diabetes, or other people who wish to closely regulate their blood sugar. In addition, there has not been a study on participants that are underweight, very old, or very young.
The scope of our information is limited to chiropractic and spinal injuries and conditions. To discuss options on the subject matter, please feel free to ask Dr. Jimenez or contact us at 915-850-0900 .�
By Dr. Alex Jimenez
Additional Topics: Wellness
Overall health and wellness are essential towards maintaining the proper mental and physical balance in the body. From eating a balanced nutrition as well as exercising and participating in physical activities, to sleeping a healthy amount of time on a regular basis, following the best health and wellness tips can ultimately help maintain overall well-being. Eating plenty of fruits and vegetables can go a long way towards helping people become healthy.
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