Intermittent fasting: what we learned from the world's biggest study with Prof. Tim Spector & Gin Stephens
3Description
Did you know that intermittent fasting can have significant health benefits? By aligning your eating schedule with your body's natural rhythms, it can bolster heart health, enhance insulin sensitivity, and support weight loss.
In today’s episode, Jonathan, Prof. Tim Spector, and Gin Stephens dive into the world of intermittent fasting, with a focus on time-restricted eating.
Gin shares essential tips for beginners and explains what it takes to be successful. Tim explores the groundbreaking findings of The Big IF Study from 2022, the largest exploration of intermittent fasting to date. They also unpack controversies and describe who might want to avoid fasting.
Gin Stephens is an intermittent fasting advocate, New York Times bestselling author, and podcast host. Gin has been living the intermittent fasting lifestyle since 2014.
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Tim Spector is a professor of genetic epidemiology at King’s College London, director of the Twins UK study, scientific co-founder of ZOE, and one of the world’s leading researchers.
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If you want to uncover the right foods for your body, head to zoe.com/podcast, and get 10% off your personalized nutrition program.
Want ZOE Science & Nutrition’s top 10 tips for healthier living? Download our FREE guide.
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Timecodes:
01:25 Quick fire questions
03:25 What is intermittent fasting?
04:35 What are the most common types of fasting?
06:00 The circadian rhythm and fasting
08:22 The Big IF study explanation and results
13:41 Breakfast misconceptions explained
16:01 How do the Big IF study results compare to other research?
18:56 What are the health benefits of sticking to the Big IF study?
24:00 What is Tim’s intermittent fasting schedule like?
25:40 Jonathan's experience with the Big IF study
28:04 What is metabolic flexibility?
32:43 Practical advice for getting started.
35:40 Cephalic phase insulin response
40:30 Is there an ideal length for an eating window and time to start?
43:20 Can you eat whatever you want?
44:30 Can people over 70 years of age fast safely?
51:21 Summary
Mentioned in today's episode:
Flipping the metabolic switch: Understanding and applying the health benefits of fasting in Obesity
Books by Gin Stephens:
Is there a nutrition topic you’d like us to explore? Email us at podcast@joinzoe.com, and we’ll do our best to cover it.
Episode transcripts are available here.
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Don't make it too complicated. The key is you need to go low carb, once you eat low carb and stop snacking, you'll naturally intermittent fast. Just follow your feelings. Easy.