“I skip dinner almost every night. I have my last meal around 3pm. Then that’s it, fasting until the next morning. It’s a habit that makes me feel very good, since 2016 now. And today, if I eat after a certain time, I feel weighed down and I can’t sleep».
What he talks about breaking latest news Mario Cattalini57 years old, industrial chemist with a specialization in corrosion protection systems and illustrious husband – the wife, Antonella Violabiologist, researcher and professor at the University of Padua is the one who, last January, sparked the controversy on the “dangerousness of wine” – her name is intermittent fasting. To understand what it is we asked Philip Ongarofirst Italian doctor to be certified in anti-aging medicine in the United States, already a point of reference for astronauts at the European Space Agency (ESA) and author of Longevity mission (Sparrow&Copper).
Doctor, we often hear about intermittent fasting. What is that?
«Also known as an intermittent diet, this diet is a form of temporary abstinence from food whose goal is to create a metabolic silence for at least 16 hours. And that is the time necessary for the body to activate the repair mechanisms of our cells. To put it in a pop way it is the actualization, emphasized, of the saying: “Breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince, dinner like a pauper”. With a variation on the theme: here the anticipation of dinner is exacerbated».
Sixteen hours without touching food is not a few…
“Real. They also require a high degree of self-control. Manifesting itself in the ability that a person has to keep the sense of hunger at bay, intermittent fasting represents the measure of his willpower on one of man’s most primal instincts. In addition, during the period in which you eat, you must ensure that you have an adequate intake of the essential nutrients. In short, it is a matter of eating a little less, but better».
In concreto?
“During the same day, an adult person in perfect physiology – that is, without existing pathologies – can decide to fast and eat in a ratio of 16 to 8, also known as the Leangains scheme. That is, he can decide to abstain from food for 16 hours continuously and eat in an orderly manner for the remaining 8. Let me give you an example. Suppose you have breakfast at 7 in the morning. From this time to the following 8, i.e. until 3 pm, in addition to breakfast I have to eat lunch, dinner and possibly two snacks. With intervals that, proportionally, are equivalent to those between meals on a “normal” day. Again within the hypothesis, with a breakfast at 7, the snack could be more or less at 9, the lunch at 11, the snack at 13 and dinner at 15. In any case according to need. From 15 onwards it is no longer allowed to eat. Only calorie-free liquids are allowed: above all water, tea, but also herbal teas and unsweetened coffee ».
From breakfast to dinner, what can we put on the table?
«Any food serves the needs and well-being of our body. In the right quantities in relation to age, gender and lifestyle. And with some caution. For example, when it comes to cereals, I preferably suggest whole grains: barley, spelt, millet, oats, rice, buckwheat, to name a few. As for proteins, the animals – from fish, meat more white than red as indicated by the WHO, eggs, milk and derivatives – are to be alternated with vegetables: legumes, cereals, dried fruit. This in general. Then each person is unique and, while remaining in physiology, when it comes to making changes to one’s diet it is always good practice to consult a specialist: he will be the one to provide tailor-made indications taking into account age, gender, lifestyle ».
Who is intermittent fasting recommended for?
«To all those who want to age in health as long as they do not have metabolic problems or eating disorders. In my opinion, one could start from the age of 40-45, from an anti-aging point of view. Attention: Intermittent fasting does not replace proper nutrition. The specification is due: it happens that, strengthened by the 16 hours of abstinence, some people feel legitimated to go astray by resorting to industrial, excessively processed foods or particularly abundant meals. No. In the 8 hours set aside for breakfast, lunch and dinner it is important to maintain a certain regularity or you risk nullifying all the advantages».
What do they translate to?
“Intermittent fasting is a kind of stimulus hormetic. In other words, if dosed in the right way it produces a reparative and reinforcing response from the body, as happens in the case of physical training. Which, incidentally, should always be done: better in the 8 hours in which you feed yourself. In the period of time, that is, in which there is more energy to use.
Back to the benefits, studies point to important changes. The most significant one concerns the cells of the body which, in this phase, start the repair and autophagy processes against the damaged “sisters”. Improvements then in the level of insulin resistance. And of systemic inflammation, which tends to decrease. The hormonal profile also records changes: the anabolic hormones that favor the mobilization of fat (testosterone and growth hormone in particular) increase and, consequently, the risk of the onset of metabolic diseases such as diabetes, hypertension, but also cardiovascular and oncological”.
What are the disadvantages?
Not everyone is able to fast for 16 hours. Overstepping, I repeat, could be counterproductive. The real disadvantage, however, concerns sociability. Intermittent fasting doesn’t leave much room for stretchy behaviors. Going out to dinner with friends, for example, could be a problem. You can get together, but only water at the table. Alternatively unsweetened drinks ».
Can you make intermittent fasting a continuous lifestyle?
«I believe that personal experience is worth a lot. If a person, I mean in health and strength, is constant in maintaining this alternation, why not? After all, the body does not lack for anything. When, on the other hand, there were drops in energy, lack of concentration, tiredness, then it is advisable to stop. And consult a specialist for any course changes».