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Intermittent Fasting For Leaky Gut, Rapid Healing, and Weight Loss

Intermittent Fasting For Healing a gluten belly

Click here for video transcript.

Intermittent Fasting for a gluten belly

Intermittent fasting is a dietary strategy that addresses the timing of food consumption in a pattern that typically trends toward longer breaks between meal times allowing the gut a prolonged period to rest and recover. There are several different types of fasting strategies. The video above discusses four different types of fasting that have been shown to have tremendous benefits on health and healing.

What are the benefits of Intermittent Fasting?

One of the cheapest and easiest health tools you can access is fasting. Fasting has been shown to be beneficial for a variety of different diseases and health problems. These include rheumatic diseases (rheumatoid arthritis), chronic pain syndromes, hypertension, and metabolic syndrome, obesity, cancer, digestive disorders, and more. Most recently, nutritional – intermittent fasting is making a come back. Many doctors and patients are gravitating toward the use of fasting as a tool to aid in recovery and as a lifestyle change to promote improved health. Some of the benefits of intermittent fasting include:

  • Regulates Insulin
  • Activates beneficial genes (SIRT genes) that aid in metabolic repair, reduce the risks of cancer, and turn on antioxidant systems
  • Activates Growth Hormone
  • Accelerates Weight Loss
  • Improves Energy
  • Improves Mood
  • Aids Micro-biome
  • Helps Repair Leaky Gut
  • Gives the GI tract more downtime to recover

intermittent fasting for healing

Types of Fasting Strategies

  • 16:8 – This strategy consists of a 16 hour window of resting the gut, and an 8 hour window in which we can eat. This is typically done by eating an early dinner followed by a late breakfast. This ensures a 16 hour period where the gut is at rest. During the 8 hour window of eating, a person will consume their daily caloric need. This is not a restricted calorie diet.
  • 20:4 – This fasting strategy consists of a 20 hour window of resting the gut followed by a 4 hour window in which food is eaten. Like the 16:8 fast, the 20:4 fast is not a restriction of calories.
  • 24 Hour Fast – This diet is somewhat self explanatory. It consists of a complete food restriction over a 24 hour period of time. This strategy is best done in intermittent bouts – i.e. choosing 1-2 days per week to implement the fast. It is best to work with a doctor to help you monitor your health if you struggle with advanced diabetes.
  • Liquid Fast – This dietary strategy consists of consuming only liquids – broth, soups, juicing, water, etc. The intent of a liquid fast is to reduce the digestive stress on the gut while still maintaining consistent nutritional intake. A liquid fasts works well for people who struggle with indigestion, or those who experience severe gastrointestinal stress no matter what they eat.

Who Can Benefit From Intermittent Fasting?

In truth, anyone can benefit from IF. The metabolic benefits have been studied and applied to numerous health conditions. Maybe the better question to ask is –

“Who should be careful or even potentially avoid intermittent fasting?” There are some health conditions or circumstances to consider:

  • Pregnancy or breastfeeding. Fasting for these women may not be the best idea as growing babies require solid and consistent nutrition. Although there can be circumstances where intermittent fasting can be helpful, seek professional guidance or supervision if you are pregnant of nursing.
  • Diabetics – particularly type I or insulin dependent diabetics.
  • Those who struggle with blood sugar regulation problems – hypo/hyperglycemics

If you are not sure, or you have had trouble with intermittent fasting, don’t go it alone. Find a health professional with experience in this area to help guide you.

References

  1. Cavalcoli, F., Zilli, A., Conte, D., Massironi, S. (2017). Micronutrient deficiencies in patients with chronic atrophic autoimmune gastritis: A review. World J Gastroenterol. 24(4), 563-572. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v23.i4.563.
  2. Gammoh, NZ. and Rink, L. (2017). Zinc in Infection and Inflammation. Nutrients. 9(6). pii: E624. doi: 10.3390/nu9060624.
  3. Laires, MJ. and Monteiro, C. (2008). Exercise, magnesium and immune function. Magnes Res. 21(2), 92-96.
  4. Michalsen, A. and Li, C. (2013). Fasting therapy for treating and preventing disease-current state of evidence. Forsch Komplementmed. 20(6), 444-53.
  5. Patterson, RE. and Sears, DD. (2017). Metabolic Effects of Intermittent Fasting. Annual Review of Nutrition. doi: 10.1146/annurev-nutr-071816-064634.

 

 

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25 Responses

  1. How important is it to IF, every single day? For example: I have a business lunch today at noon. If I go famished, I will be wea to make the proper-better choices. Kind of like grocery shopping, when your hungry. I would like to have a little something before?

  2. Dear Dr. Osborne,

    Thank you for so generously, kindly and thoroughly sharing your vast knowledge.youve already made a positive difference in my life and attitude. You are one of my heroes. Thank you, thank you, thank you. 💕

  3. Dear Dr Osborne,

    Thank you very much for your invitation to The Truth About Cancer LIVE. For some reason I won’t be able to open the link you have sent to me and it said that “Safari cannot open the page because the server cannot be found.”

    By the way thank you for sending me The leaky gut solutions Guide, I ‘ll read it and infact i have ordered the supplements that you have recommended to me today. Also please help ! And please check your email wich I sent today regarding consultations for overseas clients reside in Australia.

    For the sake of my following you for so many years please help me save my health and life back ! I’m very eager to get help from you ! Please ,please, please do help me urgently !

  4. Dear Dr. Osborne,

    I’ve been fasting 1-6 full days, water and tea only. Sometimes I have so much energy I can’t sleep. I’m pretty mad that the food industry has us all fooled about the three meals or 5-6 meals. I did that when I competed in Physique competitions. I’m never going back to that!! I’m in very good physical condition. Before I started fasting I ran 5 miles most mornings. I would like to incorporate running again but I want to continue fasting. Is this possible? Sometimes I have trouble focusing but for the most part nothing negative. Should I try running only on days I actually eat?

  5. Intermittent fasting – can you have a bullet proof coffee as part of the fasting phase? Specifically on the 16:8. Many thanks

  6. Dr. Osborne I was diagnosed with Fibromyalgia and allergy related asthma. I have suffered in the last year with the fibro and the medicine left me extremely fatigued and brain fog! My rheumatologist told me to go “gluten free” so I did!! I ate everything “gluten free” in the stores and still was not quite feeling myself. My daughter bought me your book No Grain No Pain and it has changed my life so much! First off I was taken back at the store shelf gluten free products info in your book. In one week I have been weaning myself off the Duloxetine(poison) and strictly going by your book and I have had more energy then I have had in over a year! I haven’t even finished your book yet and it has already helped me so much! As a child I suffered with asthma, hives, skin allergies and just sickly all the time….now I know why! 🙏🏻 Thank you

  7. I was diagnosed by my naturopath as insulin resistant and also have leaky gut and candida. I also auffer from joint pain. and inflammatoon. Is intermittent fasting good for me if I am insulin resistant?

    1. Irina,
      Yes this can be an effective tool, however; you should consider medical monitoring of your blood sugar if you are taking insulin or medications affecting insulin.
      All the best,
      Dr. O

  8. Hi Dr. Osborne!!! I have gone off of eating gluten just over a year ago, and dairy and coffee 3 to 4 months ago. I am off of all pain meds, which I never even thought was possible, plus I am currently down 74 pounds. I have been doing intermittent fasting for a few months now, and that has been life changing. Thanks so much for your teaching and encouraging people to do what is healthy and right for them. I have never felt better than I do right now, and I am so excited about the future.

    Many thanks

  9. Hi Dr. O, I have noticed that the women in the stadiums watching the World Cup look very fit, but most of the women at the Astros games look obese. Why is this? We need more fasting at baseball games.

  10. Dear Dr Osborne,

    Thank you for all the guidance you give so generously. I am doing the 16:8 IF. I also have a chronic condition for which I take a prescription drug which has to be taken “in the morning”. Is 11 am not too late in the morning to take the medication? What do you think?

  11. I’m hoping you’ll beable to answer this quesion. You mention something about people with type A blood have a hard time digesting protein. I’ve had my daughter on a powdered Collagen Broth which has = O Tatal Fat,= O Saturated Fat = 0 Trans Frat = 0 Choiesterol = Sodium 290mg 13% = Total Carbohydrate 2gm 1% = Dietary Fiber 0g 0% = Total Sugar 0g 0% = Includes 0g Added Sugars 0% = Protein 15g
    She has become very bloated lately and I’m not sure whats causing the problem. I know we have not eating right these last couple of month due to get to gathers funerals and other stress things. But she also have special needs and it hard for me to really tell what happening. But she has never gotten bloated like this. I though the bone broth would help but after you talked about the protein in type A, Now I’m wondering if I’m giving her too much. she’s been drinking it every everymorning. Please let me know what you think. Also when she has gotten off track before she has never gotten bloated. Thanks,

  12. My Gastroenterologist has suggested I may be gluten sensitive I have had severe diarrhea since January 2018. I am trying but not everything that says gluten free is. I have headaches all day and sometimes difficult breathing. Saw a Neurologist and test do not indicate anything wrong. ENT throat say I just need therapy for balance. Heart Dr says everything seems fine but I did have two stents put in I am so frustrated. Now they suggest antidepressants I am already on Clonosapam

  13. Help. I have had diarreah since last January. Gastrologist says may be gluten sensitive. Wake up every Morning with head ache also have acid reflux. Saw Neurologist and says everything seems ok. Referred to ENT. Said to do therapy for dizziness. Referred to therapist for depression. Heart specialist says ok even though I have two stents put in Already on clonasapam. Do not really want to do antidepressants. Having a real problem going gluten free and acid reflux limits. Lost 32 pounds have had colonoscopy endoscopy cat scan stress test. Therapy for pain in left shoulder for more than a year. Any suggestions

  14. Hi…I have been diagnosed with SIBO and taking Xifaxan (for 2 weeks) and neomycin for 10 days and on a very limited diet (for 5 weeks)…no sugar, starches, carbohydrates, etc. I am now just eating regular meals with hours of breaks in between. This all seems to be working, but I am concerned after 5 weeks as to how I will add some other foods to my diet. Can’t do this for too long, as I am losing weight.

  15. I have been been tested via blood, GI tract and Dutch testing to get a handle on my health imbalances. My aggravating symptoms that pushed me toward testing are…. weight gain, brittle nails, thinning hair, sagging wrinkled skin (not normal to aging but highly irregular and all of a sudden) vertical lines in nails that are severe and deforming, cataracts in eyes (40 upon testing), fatigue, brain fog, short term memory loss, interrupted sleep pattern (usually would sleep soundly for 10 hrs now cant sleep 2 hrs without waking) although I can return to sleep easily for the most part. Extreme flatulence, bloating with or without eating but worse when eating.
    The results :
    DUTCH test says all of my sex hormones are very low except for cortisol. Cortisol is normal. Remedy: biocreams and oral DHEA & DIM.
    Blood test says I have gluten sensitivity, sluggish thyroid, high potassium, parasite presence, high white blood count, above normal oxygen in red blood cells.
    GI tract test says I have two parasites Giardia (1.94e3) & Entamoeba Histolytica (9.65e3), also leaky gut and low digestive enzymes.
    Remedy: Herbal Parasite cleanse , prebiotic, probiotic, liver support tincture, thyroid support tincture (iodine), zinc tincture, B complex tincture, Quercetin, Selenium, Magnesium, Turmeric, Garlic, Apple cider vinegar tabs, multi vitamin, chewable C.
    I also ate 1 cup a day pumpkin seeds with oxy powder to cleanse parasites 5 days on/5 days off for three cycles and will do another on the full moon for good measure.
    RESULT THUS FAR: sleep quality improved greatly, no more hot flashes, (never had any other menopausal symptoms but the flashes) I assume the flashes are gone because of the biocreams and the sleep improved because of absence of parasites.
    NOW my focus is on leaky gut. Your video stated a juice fast may be the best option in my situation but you said not cruciferous because its too harsh. You failed to say what food is not too harsh. Can you please state acceptable foods to juice that cause healing for a leaky gut? I enjoy mountain hiking all day long and long bike rides too. Can I continue this practice twice a week without harming my gut healing process?
    I usually fast 2 days a week, 4 days a month and two weeks a year for over 30 years. I am a white female 56 years old, 165 lbs, 5’11” tall, (Normal weight is 145) But you stated fasting for lengths of time may not be beneficial in certain cases. Do I sound like one of those cases? I have noticed lately that fasting seems more difficult due to desire to eat when normally hunger would stop and i could fast very comfortably. Any ideas why fasting is harder now? My appetite has been very strong lately and difficult to control. I am a raw foodist vegan but feel driven to eat more fruits and vegis than normal and I don’t know why. I do not crave sweets or breads or grains. Can you help me understand why my appetite is so driven to eat? and What else might I need to test to connect the dots? Thank you, 850 464 1902 call EST anytime.

  16. I have a lot of unknown gut issues, so it seems IF would be very beneficial for me. However, I have low blood sugar. How can I stay safe while doing IF? Thank you!

  17. I have done this for 5 years well since May 11 2017. I then gluten free and done intermittent fasting. It saved my life. I don’t say that lately and it was one of the hardest things I’ve ever gone through in my life. I was 459 lb and last week I weighed in at 208. I didn’t have to lie on my license for the first time. I’m proud of every ounce of my 208 lb. People don’t recognize me. They asked me all the time what I do and it really is simple I do it 4/20. I also take 800 mg of magnesium a day and two tablespoons of coconut oil. It really is that simple. I also am allergic to gluten. I miss food sometimes. When I die I want a real Pizza. The way I feel today and how my life is is so different. My body is completely transformed inside and out according to my blood work. Anyone who would love to talk about it I would love to it I don’t know where to start telling people my story though.

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