Intermittent Fasting for PCOS



Intermittent fasting (IF) is one of the hot 'fads' around PCOS currently but, does it live up to the hype?

WHAT IS INTERMITTENT FASTING?

IF is not a diet as it doesn't dictate what to eat, and how much to eat. IF is simply an eating window that can support any 'typical' diet. The most common forms of IF will be 16:8 (16 hour fast, 8 hour eating window), 20:4 (20 hour fat, 4 hour eating window) or 5:2 (two days per week eating under 500 calories - ouch). The fasted window = no calories. Water is fine and so is any liquid that contains zero calories.

POSSIBLE BENEFITS OF INTERMITTENT FASTING FOR PCOS

👉 Insulin levels drop significantly (up to 20-31%) helping to reverse insulin resistance but, not 100% proven in women.

👉 Reduce inflammation and oxidative stress

👉 Improvement in risk factors, including blood pressure, total and LDL cholesterol, blood triglycerides

👉 Increased fat loss but, this will simply be down to the fact some will find that only being able to eat at certain times will better allow them to achieve a calorie deficit.

CONCERNS FOR INTERMITTENT FASTING FOR PCOS

⛔ With insulin resistance, for some individuals, going many hours without ay food may trigger poor moods, poor energy, and increased hunger and cravings

⛔ For anyone with previous eating disorders or those with a bad relationship with food. IF may not be ideal as the vast majority of your day you will be heavily restricted.

CONCLUSION

I'm neither for or against IF. I'm 100% for whatever works for you! If you're interested in IF, try it, see if you like it and if it works for you - it may, it may not. Let me know if you have any questions.

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