Intermittent Fasting Codes: Fast, Eat and Reverse series. Fast is intermittent fasting, eat is how to eat during eating window and reverse is reversal of age. Follow the codes for a wellness journey. Want more details! Send an email to me. Email: jacobkurian@hotmail.com
Lockdowns, life indoors disrespecting circadian rhythm etc have introduced a new addition to the old problem- sleep deficit.And sleep deficit could be the single most important wellness threat.Ask anyone from Southern Africa, they’ll say ‘you sleep like a baby’ to Rooibos Tea.Health benefits like antioxidants, prevention of heart problems, cancer, diabetes etc. are scientifically proven. (see attached article).Ancient wisdom is above scientific research. Though not proven with detailed research, this zero calorie, caffeine free and tasty drink without practically any side effects is an ideal drink for inducing sleep and during fasting hours of intermittent fasting too.I just got mine from Amazon and I need some good sleep.
Breaking any long fast has a science to it ensuring that some of the fasting benefits are not immediately compromised. Like in everything else, traditions and nature give answers and solutions. Here’s adopting wisdom from two ancient practices. One is for breaking Ekadashi fast and the second for breaking Ramadan fast. So, after a 20 hour water only fast, I have this made for breaking fast. A tablespoon of yogurt mixed with sliced Amla (gooseberry) and crushed red cheera (spinach) Have 3 dates along with it. It’s 3 and not 2 or 4, as told by a colleague when I was working in Kuwait. Odd number of dates are taken for breaking fast.
The second wave is too serious for us in India and even in Kerala where we’re getting into the official lockdown starting today.
Last year we were caught unawares in Bangalore, going there for a couple of weeks, but staying on for 10 months due to travel restrictions etc.
Life turned upside down, almost everything got adapted and we thought that was the end of the pandemic. But not so. This time it’s heartbreaking, lack of oxygen is man made and slow vaccination due to negligence. The only consolation is that my state Kerala is supplying excess oxygen elsewhere.
Homes are now identified as primary source of virus spread. If so, it’s individual responsibility to stop it. That’s by protecting others as different from staying away from others.
One of the many ways in doing that is with self discipline. And one area in that includes wellness. Lead a healthy life and the immunity and resistance protect others around us too.
My agenda for six packs is back. Home routine includes yoga, walking and anabolic high intensity interval training. All ably supported with extended intermittent fasting.
And be a mentor to those wanting to start the best wellness program, intermittent fasting.
When I did 36 hours of continuous fasting as part of intermittent fasting, a friend asked if I see any benefit and my answer sounded ‘There goes, but for the grace of God, me’. That comparison makes any pain quite joyous.
If I take a stock on this birthday, I have a few things! To start with I am now a bank customer from a banker. That’s after working in 6 banks in 11 locations spanning 5 countries.
Sportsman never retires, my main activity is around Masters Swimming where the super ambitious target is a medal in the world championship.
En route, is the wellness program. Intermittent Fasting is a lifestyle. It’s a little beyond that, I am mentoring a group towards the lifestyle.
Other things which would make me busier than in my previous years include plantingtrees, becoming an ardent nature lover, restorer of traditional dishes and cooking, continue working towards a six pack, target autophagy on a daily basis to reverse ageing.
Above all, a loving husband, proud father, super grandfather, a good friend to all including the growing circle of social media friends.
The single candle symbolising ‘the number ONE’ is not on a cake but something very special and loving. This is the traditional Kerala steamed bread pudding. The white icing is rare and unique of whipped egg white with lime juice and sugar.
I have adopted intermittent fasting as a lifestyle. Clearly it’s the best wellness program and benefits range from weight loss to prevention of deadly diseases like Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and cancer and then to the dream benefit of reversing ageing.
Having seen and enjoyed some benefits, I am keen to be a serious practitioner of this program and look for information wherever available. I even mentor a group of fasters.
Apparently there’s no fixed schedule suited for everyone. Benefits vary from individual to individual and one needs to arrive at the best schedule to make it a lifestyle.
I have 19:5 as the lifestyle, that is 19 hours of fasting with 5 hours for eating. As the picture above shows I have been strict, exceeding fasting time many a day.
That’s when I hear that a cheating day is good for better results. After reachingso far in life cheat is not a word I like.
But I looked at it again. Perhaps this cheating has some scientific background. Here I am to cheat my body mechanism preventing it from adjusting to my lifestyle by slowing down my body metabolism. That is adjusting it to work with the less quantity of food at a fixed time.
That won’t help as I want the body to dig into my stored fat when food based energy is finished. So cheat it by occasionally showing that I have more food if I want. So cheat by eating more frequently on one day of a week.
If interested in fasting and in knowing what I have learned, let me know.
Wellness is the desire for all of us. We can have different measures for it. It’s important that we have a plan for our desires.
Wellness coaching is a tricky thing. There are numerous methods and recommendations towards a healthy life. Then how to choose a good one poses a challenge
The best way to do that is to set our own goals and try out what suits and works best for us.
That means, we need to be researchers. Look at recommendations and statistics, but test and evolve what’s good for us.
If I share my experience, I have found intermittent fasting as something really working. I consider Gin Stephens book ‘Delay, Don’t Deny’ as a good guide for it. She narrates based on own experiences, tests and trials.
Goals differ from people to people. I have set what could be considered as a very tough goal of acquiring six packs. That’s to look good.
Looking good is perhaps equally important like being healthy. Weight loss for many of us is looking good.
Personally, I don’t want to sacrifice much while going for the looking good and younger goal. One such sacrifice sought to be avoided is eating my favourite sweets.
Technically, internet fasting is okay when anything is eaten but confined only to the eating window. That perhaps take care of the sweet tooth. But there’s more to be done.
Losing fat, weight and toning up muscles need some extra bit of efforts. What if avoiding sugar and processed food help the task better. Well, worth giving a try.
So it’s worthwhile to look at diet, workout, and fasting to gain the best results.
For me they will be intermittent fasting as a lifestyle, some sensible eating during the window, exercises for weight loss and muscle building and swimming.
What we have to do is to select what work for realising the goal and make it the lifestyle.
Kurian 