Elon Musk does it. His predecessor Jack Dorsey, the former CEO and co-founder of Twitter, now X, is said to be doing it, too. Phil Libin of Evernote and Daniel Gross of Y Combinator have also reportedly ditched three-meal diets in favor of an increasingly popular eating pattern: intermittent fasting.
Maybe you’ve already limited your eating time to six to eight hours a day. Or maybe you go 24 hours without eating a few days a week. If you don’t, chances are more than a couple of your coworkers do.
A growing body of research suggests that intermittent fasting has numerous health benefits. But how does intermittent fasting affect your performance at work?
“From an evolutionary perspective, fasting is when your brain works its best,” he says. Mark Mattson, Ph.D.author Intermittent Fasting Revolution “If you’re an animal in the wild and you can’t get food for a few days, your mind and body better be working optimally or you won’t survive.”
How does intermittent fasting work for us who are trying to survive the rat race in the concrete jungle?
Is intermittent fasting healthy?
Many people believe that intermittent fasting can help with weight loss. Some research suggests that intermittent fasting can help ward off cancer, dementia, heart disease, and diabetes, and even help slow the aging process altogether.
All of these benefits may be due to increased insulin sensitivity and reduced inflammation. When you fast, your body responds better to insulin, the hormone that regulates blood sugar. With better overall blood sugar control and less circulating sugar to burn, your body turns to burning fat instead.
Better blood sugar control and less body fat may reduce overall inflammation, which appears to play a role in many diseases associated with aging.
How quickly do intermittent fasting effects occur?
Trying to prevent dementia that may not affect you for decades might be reason enough to commit to rescheduling your meal times. But could intermittent fasting give you an edge before that, too?
There are not many studies on the direct effects of fasting on human brain performance, but animal research has shown many examples of benefits.
Studies in mice show that within a few weeks of following the new schedule, levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) increased. This brain molecule plays a role in learning, memory, and the formation of new connections in the brain. BDNF also helps ward off depression and anxiety.
“Once the animals adapt to intermittent fasting, we see lower levels of anxiety, which makes them better able to focus, and then we see improved learning and memory,” Mattson says.
Learning and remembering better on an empty stomach may seem counterintuitive. Many people would say they simply can’t think straight on an empty stomach. It doesn’t seem to help you stay at your peak performance at the office. But these feelings are fleeting.
“You just have to adapt to it,” says Mattson. “It’s like exercise: If you haven’t been exercising and you start running, you won’t feel any better at first. It takes a few weeks to a month for your system to adapt.”
Once your body is forced to Start burning fat for energy.Instead of sugar, the fog should clear as your focus increases. Fasting can also improve sleep because you finish your digestion earlier in the day. High-quality sleep brings a host of benefits, including a sharper mind.
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Prepare yourself for success
There are several different types of intermittent fasting schedules. One sets a six- to eight-hour eating window, where you get all your calories for the day during a certain time period, such as from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Outside of that window, you only drink water, black coffee, tea, or other calorie-free beverages.
Another option: Fast for a full 24 hours for one or two days a week. A third option involves choosing two or more days a week to eat only 500 calories, and eating normally on the other days.
Before you start, keep in mind that “this isn’t for everyone,” says Carolyn Suozzi, a registered dietitian and spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. “If you’re pregnant, breastfeeding, taking insulin for diabetes or have a history of eating disorders, we don’t want to go down this road.”
If you’re not sure if it’s safe for you, talk to your doctor. Once you’re ready, try these tips:
start small
If you normally eat three main meals with snacks in between, spread throughout your waking hours, suddenly fasting for 18 hours a day may be difficult at first. Start with a 12-hour eating window, say from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m., and then make this window a little smaller each week.
Don’t forget nutrition.
Some people think they can eat whatever they want during the fasting period. If you want to feel your best during the fasting hours and reap all the health benefits of this lifestyle, eating a balanced diet rich in fruits, vegetables, fiber, whole grains and lean protein, says Susie, “will help you succeed.”
Remember to moisturize.
You can drink as much water as you want during fasting hours, and you should: “Some people may get headaches and mistakenly think that this is a side effect of fasting, when in fact they are just dehydrated.”
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