Intermittent Fasting

Top 5 Research-Backed Benefits of Green Drink

December 15, 2023 Chef V

Top 5 Research-Backed Benefits of Green Drink

Want to know the benefit of green drink?

Pretend that as you’re reading the following sentence, you’re 8 years old and I’m your mommy:

“Eat your vegetables!”

What did you think to yourself when your mom lectured you about eating your veggies?

“Yeah, yeah, whatever mom. I want pizza!” (And if you were a sassy kid, you said that to her out loud.)

Now that you’re older and smarter, you know mom was right. Unfortunately, very few people seem to have wisened up, at least when it comes to nutrition. Shockingly, the Centers for Disease Control estimates that only 1 out of 10 people in the USA eat enough servings of fruits and veggies.

Sipping on Green Drink is the easiest way to get your daily dose of health-boosting veggies. In fact, 16 ounces of Green Drink is the equivalent of 3 servings of fresh vegetables. Studies show that green, leafy veggies offer numerous positive outcomes for health. Here are my top 5 Green Drink health benefits:

green drink and losing weight

#1: Weight Loss & Metabolism

First benefits of green drink: The 7 certified organic green leafy veggies in my Green Drink are rich in calcium. Most people are familiar with calcium as a bone-building mineral. But calcium, especially from veggies, also helps with weight loss. That’s because calcium helps the body burn fat, rather than storing it.

Research shows that diets high in calcium-rich green, leafy veggies boost metabolism. And one study suggests that when you consume enough calcium, it stifles the desire to eat more.

The same study found that women who consumed diets poor in calcium had more body fat, bigger waistlines, and higher bad cholesterol levels than those who consumed moderate or large amounts of calcium.

Here’s another way my Green Drink leads to a slimmer waistline. Because it’s made using cold-blended processing, much of the fiber from the veggies are preserved.

Studies show that fiber intake is inversely associated with body weight and body fat. In other words, the more fiber you consume from veggies, the more likely you’ll be able to manage your weight.

And, of course, another way fiber helps you lose weight is because it helps keep your bowel movements regular.

I could go on and on about how green leafy veggies helps you lose weight. But let’s move on to the next benefit of Green Drink.

green drink and diabetes

#2: Lower Blood Sugar Levels

Second benefits of green drink: Research shows that because kale contains a significant amount of fiber, it prevents post-meal elevation of plasma (blood) glucose.

Researchers believe that kale lowers blood sugar because it increases intestinal viscosity in the gut. What’s intestinal viscosity? You see, in your gut, when you eat fiber, it interacts with water to create a gooey, gel-like substance. Although hearing that fact might be, well, unappetizing, this gel substance in your gut is great for normalizing blood sugar.

The gel also prevents you from feeling hungry, mainly by slowing down your digestion. Don’t confuse slow digestion with slow metabolism. Slow digestion is beneficial for weight loss and blood sugar. When your body burns up food too quickly, you get a hankering for junk carbs.

For this reason, kale is considered a superfood for people with type 2 diabetes. But you don’t have to eat raw kale to get the blood-sugar-lowering benefits. Just Green Drink it (as long as it’s cold-blended like my Green Drink)!

green drink and gut health

#3: Gut Health

Third benefits of green drink: Some people are focused with how their gut looks from the outside (6-pack abs). But the health of you gut on the inside is even more important. The bacteria in your gut controls all aspects of your health, from how effectively your body burns fat to your mood as well as the appearance of your skin.

If you drink my Green Drink everyday, you’re supplying your good bacteria with their favorite food. The 7 veggies contain prebiotic fibers. You can think of prebiotic fiber as energy dots that Ms. Pac Man gobbles up.

Again, don’t believe my hype alone. Let’s look at the science, too. In one study, a veggie-juice-based diet was shown to improve gut health. In the study, the participants consumed only a vegetable/fruit juice blend. By the fourth day, the researchers noticed less harmful strains of gut/stool bacteria and more beneficial bacteria. Having enough friendly critters in your gut, as creepy as it may sound, is necessary for sustained weight loss and other health benefits.

Chef V making green drink

#4: Detox

Fourth benefits of green drink: Diets rich in green leafy veggies improve liver function and fatty acid profiles, says a study. When your liver is functioning more optimally, toxins are better eliminated. This keeps you healthier and enhances weight loss.

Your liver has to be in optimal condition in order to properly detoxify and break down dietary fat. If you have a “sluggish” liver, you’ll have trouble losing weight.

The study concludes that green leafy veggies not only improves liver health but also lowers the risk of cardiovascular disease and high blood pressure.

Bonus points for Green Drinks! And all it takes as drinking one bottle a day. That’s one of the easiest, most affordable detox strategies you’ll ever find.

chefv and coconut with kale

#5: Mood, Energy, Skin, Sleep, Concentration, Stamina & More

Fifth benefits of green drink: There are so many ancillary benefits to consuming green leafy veggies everyday. From feeling happier and more energetic, to having healthier looking skin, to sleeping more soundly and not suffering from brain fog.

There are so many ways that Green Drink will transform your life. And all it takes is sipping a minimum of 16 oz. a day. You don’t have to shop, chop, blend, or clean up. Pretty easy, right?

References:

1: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/03/090312115053.htm

2: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15797686

3: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5103670/

4: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5438379/

5: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4228256/

Chef V’s Green Drink Plan

December 14, 2023 Jean Yates

At Chef V, we love Green Drink, in case you couldn’t tell.

But, as crazy as it might sound, some people are scared of the delicious green stuff. They mainly associated it with long-term juice cleanses.

However, you don’t have to be a detox juice cleanse master to enjoy fresh juice, regardless of what’s in it. There are plenty of ways to work some of that green drink into your everyday routine. You might even want to give a Chef V detox a try!

Are You Eating The Perfect Amount Of Protein?

March 20, 2023 Chef V

arms holding weights

Certified Nutritional Therapist, Veronica Wheat, founder of ChefV.com, has surprising news about the protein intake for the average American. Find out if your protein consumption is supporting your health…

I couldn’t believe it when I came across a study that said that most Americans aren’t eating enough protein.

Seriously? We’re the land of burgers. Steak. Wings. Chicken fingers. Bacon. Pork chops. Protein powders. And enough dairy products till the cows come home…

So how can most Americans be deficient in protein? Aren’t most Americans getting too much? Never mind that most Americans’ protein intake consists of factory-farmed meat and dairy. I’m not talking about protein quality here … just straight up grams of protein.

Well, a study from the Journal of Nutrition, Health & Aging examined the food intake of nearly 12,000 participants. Based on the data, a third of the people were eating 30 grams of protein LESS than they should be.

30 grams of protein is roughly half the amount of protein that an average woman should consume every day. That’s a huge amount of protein that the study participants were missing.

salmon, nuts, beef, protein sources

How Much Protein Should You Eat Every Day?

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the recommended daily allowance (RDA) for protein is 56 grams per day for men and 46 grams per day for women. This is not a one-size-fits-all recommendation. For example, if you lift weights or are pregnant (like yours truly; I need a minimum of 60 grams per day according to UCSF), you’ll need more.

It seems really easy to eat 50-60 grams of protein per day. And again, I bet you, like me, think that most Americans are getting way more protein than that. I came across articles that suggest this. Like this one that says “Most Americans eat twice the protein they need.”

But here’s the shocking truth. According to the CDC’s National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), the average person consumes far less protein than they need. In fact, some estimates suggest that up to 80% of the population may be protein deficient.

What about you? Are you getting enough protein in your diet? Before we try and figure that out, let’s review why getting enough of this macronutrient is so essential for your health.

Plant Based Protein Vs Plant-Based Meat

Protein Powder: What you Need to Know

The Power of Pea Protein

Chef V’s Protein Balls

Top Benefits of Protein In The Diet

Sinking your teeth into a morsel of protein not only tastes good and curbs hunger.

(Sorry, I have to interject here that I’m a natural plant-based protein advocate. I recommend limiting animal protein to relatively clean, healthy sources like wild salmon.)

And here’s other reasons why you need to eat enough protein every day.

Contains amino acids that support healthy skin
Boosts metabolism
Prevents muscle loss and bone fractures
Repairs and builds lean muscle
Maintains strong nails and lustrous hair
Regulates blood sugar levels
Supports the immune system

And last but not least, for women, eating enough protein has been shown to reduce the risk of heart disease and heart attacks. In fact, a study in the Journal of the American Heart Association says that PLANT-BASED protein lowers risk of premature death, heart disease and dementia.

But here’s the thing about protein. You have to eat enough of it every day. That’s because our bodies don’t store excess protein to be used for repairing and supporting the body when needed.

Nope, excess protein, unfortunately, just like carbs, gets stored as body fat.

Why Are People Not Getting Enough Protein?

With so many protein sources to choose from, what are the reasons many people are protein deficient?

For starters, blame it on fast food culture. Most people in the U.S. do not lead a European lifestyle. We rush from one project and appointment to the next. We’re always on the go. We don’t take the time to make well-balanced, nourishing meals.

Instead, many of us wolf down a sandwich for lunch. Then late at night, to make up for the lack of calories consumed during the day, many people snack on processed foods. But those chips, crackers and pretzels barely have any protein. Plus they’re loaded with cheap, rancid vegetable oils and excess sodium.

—-> Don’t have time to eat healthy? Then drink healthy every morning. It’s easy and delivered fresh to your front door. Learn more about Chef V Delivery Plan.

Another reason that some people don’t eat enough protein is they simply don’t realize they need more of it. Older people, especially, need more protein to prevent muscle wasting.

The bottom line is that for many people, it’s feast or famine with protein. One day you’re eating a whole steak for dinner. And then the next, it’s back to toast and coffee for breakfast, a turkey sandwich for lunch and then spaghetti for dinner. That’s not enough protein.

almond milk

How Can You Tell If You’re Protein Deficient

Here’s how you can tell if you need to up your protein intake:

You’re frequently tired and have low energy
You have cravings for snacky foods, especially anything with added sugars
You feel weak
You get sick often
You’re moody and irritable

You can easily keep track of your protein intake with apps, many of which are free or low cost. Remember, aim for a minimum of 50 grams a day. I think a little more is actually ideal, so shoot for 60 if you’re a female and 70 for men. The standard formula is 0.8 grams for every 2.2 pounds you weigh. So if you weigh 150 pounds, you should eat 55 grams of protein a day.

To determine how much of a food you need to eat, try this chart from cancerdietician.com.

Best Protein Sources

Here are my favorite protein sources:

Chef V’s Ultra Vegan Protein Shake (which comes with Chef V’s CLEANSE programs).
Lentils (make sure they are pre-soaked to avoid bloating)
Beans (same issue as lentils)
Non-processed soy (tempeh, edamame)
Nuts
Nut milks
Eggs (pasture-raised only)
Salmon and other sustainable wild-caught fish.

wild salmon in river

How Can You Get Enough Protein?

In our land of abundance, getting enough protein should not be hard. I recommend eating protein three times a day. Every morning, I begin my day with a 16 ounce serving of Organic Green Drink. About half an hour later, I’ll make a smoothie with vegan protein powder like brown rice or pea. I always include protein with lunch and dinner. And if you need some healthy meal creation ideas, check out my recipes here as well as my e-book, Making Cleansing Easier, which is included with all my CLEANSE and DETOX programs.

Protein is a dish, best served hot or cold every day.

The Best Foods to Break Intermittent Fasting

January 5, 2023 Chef V

The best weight-loss program is always the one that works best for you. So it’s great news that so many people have succeeded with their intermittent fasting programs. If you’re in the midst of an intermittent fast, or planning one, you have nothing but good vibes from us at Chef V. Plenty of customers have found great success with green juice intermittent fasting using Chef V green drinks. But with any organic cleanse, it’s essential to keep your eye not just on the finish line, but beyond it.

You can’t just break an intermittent fast by getting right back into the hamburgers and donuts. Not only does that sabotage all your hard work from intermittent fasting, but it can potentially give you serious digestive issues as well.

If you’re looking for the best foods to break intermittent fasting, then we’ve prepared a list, including some of our favorites here. Of course, remember that there’s also Chef V’s own great products as well. When it comes to the best smoothies to break intermittent fasting, you shouldn’t miss out on our own recipe included in our cleanse!

Why finding the best foods to break intermittent fasting matters

We understand. You’re getting to the end of your intermittent fasting period. You’re starting to dream of big, juicy hamburgers, or giant buckets of ice cream. But there are a few things you need to consider.

Firstly, decide to undergo intermittent fasting not only to lose weight, but to control your eating habits better. By indulging in the foods you were trying to cut back on, you risk swinging the pendulum all the way into binge eating.

But there are also more immediate reasons to be careful what you eat. The best foods to break intermittent fasting will be easy to digest, low on carbs, and low on sugar. Why does this matter? A major diet shift is going to cause some significant changes to your metabolism and digestive system. If you don’t find foods that meet those criteria, you’re likely to end up in serious digestive distress and with uncomfortable bloating.

Our favorite examples of fast-breaking foods and beverages

Apple cider vinegar

Apple cider vinegar is a beverage that is finally getting the buzz it deserves. We’ve always enjoyed using it as an ingredient in healthy pick-me-ups. However, apple cider vinegar is great on its own, cut with water to make it go down easier. Even two tablespoons is going to be amazing for your gut health.

Avocado

Ah, is there anything that avocado can’t do? Some people have argued that the fat content of an avocado disqualifies it from being a good food for breaking fast. However, most of these are healthy fats. When you add on all the antioxidants, vitamins, and potassium, and the low calorie count, avocados start to look like a great food to break fast with.

Broccoli

Don’t forget cauliflower either! These veggies, when cooked, tend to be easy on the stomach and easy to digest. They’re also full of tons of vitamins and minerals, just like many of the darker, leafy greens, but more on them later.

Fermented foods

This is a broad category of foods, everything from yogurt to kimchi to sauerkraut. The reason they’re on this list is that they contain a lot of good gut bacteria, as well as compounds that promote the growth of those good gut bacteria. This helps you stay gut healthy even as you start to eat to break your fast with solid foods.

Nuts

Nuts pack a ton of nutrients into a small package, and are a great way to start boosting vitamin intake after a fast. Some nuts are also high in protein, which will be good for giving you energy. Don’t forget seeds either—chia seeds are popular for fast breaking too.

Smoothies

Smoothies give you all the hydration of a drink or juice, but with some extra fiber and nutritional value as well. There’s a reason so many people love smoothies for breakfast. You can put in all the fruits and vegetables you love to make your own smoothie recipes. We certainly recommend a lot of berries and bananas if possible.

Soups

Like smoothies, soups are a perfect balance between solid and liquid foods. This makes them an easily digestible and suitable transition from a juice cleanse or fast back into a more solid diet. There’s also a ton of great soup recipes out there for you to try; find one that works best for your taste and nutritional needs. Fill them up with plenty of healthy vegetables. Bone broth is also popular among many non-vegans for breaking fasts.

Spinach

Spinach is a real hard hitter when it comes to nutrition in food. However, you can put any of the dark leafy greens in this position, including kale and swiss chard. Dark leafy greens are loaded with vitamins A, B2, B6, C, E, and K. They also include plenty of calcium, iron, magnesium, and potassium. When it comes to the overall nutritional punch, the dark greens are hard to beat. They’ll also do wonders for your digestion, prevent constipation, and regulate blood sugar. If you cook them, they go down easily as well.

Break your fast with Chef V

Chef V’s signature cleanse has everything you need to power through your intermittent fasting. Unlike other blended juice cleanses, Chef V provides detox soups and detox smoothies to give you everything nutritionally needed to meet your goals.

However, Chef V’s green drink is great on its own. Packed with vitamins and minerals, it’s a great companion to any fast-breaking food. Even at the end of your intermittent fasting, Chef V is there to back you up!

Intermittent Fasting + Green Drink

November 19, 2022 Chef V

Trying to lose weight and get those abs to poke out? Try intermittent fasting AND breaking your fast with my Chef V Green Drink. Even better: do an early-morning yoga routine, before your first meal of the day. It doesn’t have to be very long. Even 10 minutes will do wonders. That combo works great for me … and you should see what my husband looks like. (Wink)

I’m having a little bit of a dilemma. Maybe you can help by telling me what you think.

You see, Brandon, my husband (and CEO of my nationwide Green Drink and Cleanse delivery operation) is looking like one of those Greek God statues you see in a museum.

Whereas in the past when “six-pack” was synonymous for Brandon with beer, these days, six-pack refers to his absolutely chiseled abs. Actually, 8-pack is more like it.

Brandon is absolutely shredded, chiseled and lean. He hasn’t put an ounce of flab on even though we’ve been under a lot of stress lately opening up our new Chef V store in New Jersey (NYC metro area).

So where’s the problem, you might be wondering? After all, isn’t every lady’s dream to have a gorgeous, sexy partner?

The problem is … he’s starting to look leaner than me. That ain’t right! So should I tell him to stop doing what he’s doing?

Actually, here’s what I’ll do. I’m going to put aside my petty insecurities and rechannel that negativity into something positive. And that’s sharing with you these 3 super easy things that Brandon has been doing these past six months that have resulted in his mad sexy physique.

It seems so easy. And in fact, it is. I’ve actually been doing the three things he’s been doing, too. It’s just that my weight has stabilized and I’m not really looking to break a plateau or anything.

Without further ado here are the three things you can easily do to melt body fat….

intermittent fasting table 16:8 method

What Do Beyonce & Brandon Have In Common?

Besides a killer smile that seems to stop time, what Queen Bey and my hubby have in common is success with intermittent fasting.

Human beings have been intermittent fasting since prehistoric times. But as a diet, this is the one method that seems like it has the potential to kill the diet industry. In other words, it’s not a gimmick, like this:

Brandon, Bey, and thousands of other people, are experiencing very impressive intermittent fasting results.

And the reason why is simple. You’re not doing a crazy starvation diet like the Master Cleanse (fasting on lemon water for several days) or the hCG diet (500 calories a day plus an injection of a pregnancy hormone) or the baby food diet (no explanation needed).

Intermittent fasting restricts when you eat, not what you eat. There are a few different ways to do intermittent fasting (I.F.). Brandon prefers the 16/8 method. That’s when you eat only during an eight-hour window and fast for the other 16 hours.

Fasting for 16 hours is a form of mild stress. That might not sound good to you. After all, most people have too much stress to begin with. But the mild stress from intermittent fasting can actually help you live longer.

And there’s no doubt I.F. will make you leaner.

Making Cleansing Easier Cookbook

How Does Intermittent Fasting Work?

Researchers are now just starting to discover why intermittent fasting can help make you live longer. (If you want to geek out on how it works, read this article published by Harvard University.)

But I.F. might take some getting used to. This is especially true if you’re prone to feeling “hangry,” you know, that combo of feeling hungry and angry at the same time.

A lot of times, though, you think you’re starving when you’re actually not. What’s more likely is that you’re used to eating a lot of starchy and sugary foods and your brain/belly axis of evil is saying, “Mmmm, give me more … now!”

If you can lower the amount of sugars and starches in your diet, those hangry feelings will likely fade away like your waistline.

And here’s why….

Unless you’re running an ultramarathon, a good chunk of your meal will be stored as sugar (glycogen) in your liver. However, after not eating anything for 16 hours, your sugar storage tank, so to speak, will be depleted.

So what does your hot bod do for energy if it doesn’t have any sugar to burn? It starts using fat for energy. Specifically, your fat cells release ketones (fatty acids). These ketones are converted in the liver as usable energy for your brain. Ketones also get released into your bloodstream to supply the rest of your body with energy.

My book, Making Cleansing Easier, is full of recipes for foods with low, healthy levels of sugars and starches. Use it to reset your appetite.

Survival Mode But Not Starvation Mode

Sorry, I seem to have gotten carried away and slightly geeked out. All you really need to know can be summed up in one sentence: By not eating for 16 hours your body goes in survival mode and burns fat for energy.

Try fasting for 12-14 hours for a week or two before working your way up to 16 hours. That’s what Brandon did. (I tried calling Bey to find out how she got started but she hasn’t returned my call … yet. haha)

Just to be clear, I.F. is not a starvation diet. True starvation is going for many days without food. But since we’re still wired like our prehistoric ancestors, our bodies go into survival mode. And to survive, our bodies shift from burning carbs for fuel to fat.

Is it making sense now why I.F. is so easy? And you don’t have to be crazy strict about sticking to 16 hours of fasting. If you go one day cutting it down to a 14 or 15 hour window, you’ll still see results.

Jill Ramirez testimonial

Breaking the Fast Without Breakfast

And if you follow this second tip for easy weight loss success, you’ll experience even more impressive results.

You might be tempted to break your 16-hour fast by pigging out with a large breakfast. But there’s two reasons why you shouldn’t do it. First of all, your stomach’s holding capacity will shrink after not eating for 16 hours. Thus, you simply won’t feel like or be physically able to eat a large stack of pancakes.

Secondly, you don’t want your first meal of the day to put you in a food coma. Instead, drink a couple glasses of water first thing when you wake up. And when it’s time to break your fast, have a Green Drink. The seven certified organic greens will help wake up your belly and gently cleanse your system.

There are other methods of doing I.F. such as the 5:2 method. This is when you take a couple days a week and eat only 500 calories.

Regardless of what I.F. method you choose, always break your fast with a Green Drink. Another benefit is you’ll be providing good bacteria in your gut with food (prebiotic fiber) that they need to multiply and keep your immune system strong.

The healthier you are, the better your fat burning potential.

Yoga Before Breaking the Fast

And if you really want to accelerate your weight loss, do some moderate exercise before your first meal of the day. I prefer doing yoga shortly after I wake up. Depending on when I finished the previous night’s meal, I might take a 16 oz bottle of Green Drink with me to stay hydrated during class.
Keep in mind that having a Green Drink will break your fast even though it’s not a meal. The simple reason why is that it has calories and will provide glucose (blood sugar) for your liver to burn.

However, let’s say I’m done dinner at 8 p.m. If I’m taking a 10 a.m. yoga class, I might sip on a bit of Green Drink throughout the class. I’m not super strict about always doing a 16-hour fast window; that’s more Brandon’s thing.

But the key takeaway here is that you should give exercising before breaking your fast a try. You’ll already be in fat-burning mode. And light exercise like these 3 detoxifying yoga poses may help accelerate your weight loss. Just make sure not to do any strenuous exercise when you’re first getting used to I.F.

So there you have it. Three simple strategies for long-term weight loss success: try eating only during a 8 hour window (work your way up to a 16-hour fast); break the fast with Green Drink and do some yoga in the morning before breaking the fast.

Kickstart Your Fat Loss With Chef V’s Intermittent Fasting Cleanse!

Need someone to hold your hand getting started with Intermittent Fasting? Want to maximize your body fat burning potential?

Let me help! Introducing Chef V’s Intermittent Fasting Cleanse, where on each day (you choose: 4, 7 or 14 days), you get 16 oz. of Green Drink, one packet of Chocolate Protein Shake and one Detox Soup (alternates between Carrot Ginger and Sweet Potato Curry). And that’s just for your “break-fast.”

For lunch and dinner, you’ll be using my Healthy Eating Guidelines, which includes the following 3 easy to follow things:

Eat This, Not That Chart (takes the guesswork out of what to eat)
Healthy Portions Chart (takes the guesswork out of how much to eat)
Download of my recipe book Making Cleansing Easier, with delicious healthy recipes for smoothies, snacks, soups, appetizers, salads, entrees and desserts.
Recommendations for non-caloric drinks to keep your energy up during your fasting window (including my recipe for Electrolyte Cocktail).

Intermittent Fasting isn’t a diet. It’s a lifestyle! And with Chef V’s IFC, you’ll quickly learn how to combine time-restricted feeding with healthy eating habits you can use for the rest of your life.

Boost your Immune System: Eating Healthy

November 1, 2022 Jean Yates

Flu season might be severe this year, according to the medical community. So how to avoid getting it?

There’s no cure right now for the flu and the best way to fight it off is to increase your resistance. And that means eating healthy to boost your immunity.

I’ve built my little Green Drink and Cleanse/Detox empire over the last decade in part by telling people what to eat. A big reason why I created my Making Cleansing Easier Cookbook along with all the other Healthy Eating Resources you get when you’re on a Green Drink Plan is because when I first started Chef V, I was asked the question so many times, “Hey Veronica, what should I eat?”

More than anything, you need to keep eating healthy. When you’re stuck at home and bored, you start eating more.

Don’t buy what you don’t normally eat. Don’t stock up on cookies and chips and snacks but stick to healthy choices. If you don’t eat junk food normally you shouldn’t be eating it now.

Time to clean your body

While some people are going the snack route, a surprising number of people are saying – some of my friends have the flu – “this is the time to do a 21 day detox – its getting colder, I don’t want to eat a bunch of crap, so why don’t I have Chef V deliver a 21 Day Challenge to me for 3 weeks and make a huge change in my health.”

I think that’s sort of genius, and we’ve not advertised it, but so many people have been ordering a Detox or Cleanse from us.

Right now is a great time to cleanse – people are cleansing their houses, cleaning their surroundings, and it all fits together – cleansing to nourish your body and boost immunity. Plus you get everything you need for a 3 week Detox delivered to your door.

#1: Give Intermittent Fasting A Try

One of the reasons my hubby, Brandon, and I have kept the weight off is that we are doubling down on intermittent fasting. Intermittent fasting not only works for weight loss, it makes your mind sharper and may even support your immune system and prevent infection as this study suggests.

I’m not saying that if you do intermittent fasting, you won’t get the flu. But it’s interesting that some immunologists are exploring its protective effects. How intermittent fasting supports the immune system is the same way it can help you prevent weight gain while working from home.

You see, when you don’t eat anything for 16 hours—the best way to do intermittent fasting is to limit your calorie-intake window to 8 hours a day, i.e. 12 noon to 8 p.m.; Brandon and I shoot for a 17-hour fast most of the time—your body starts repairing itself. Digestion takes a ton of energy. By giving your digestive system a rest, your body can focus on fixing itself. This process is known as autophagy.

Technically, autophagy does not directly contribute to weight loss. But by making your metabolism more efficient, fasting can lead to weight loss. And the great thing about intermittent fasting is that if you feel like snacking while working from home, you don’t have to feel guilty about it. As long as you’re eating during your 8-hour window, snack away.

For info on how to do intermittent fasting and its benefits, read this.

green drink

#2: Lose Weight Working At Home By Eating More!

If you work a normal 8 or 9 to 5 day, your first main meal will be at around noon. Actually, before your first meal of the day, I recommend drinking some water with trace minerals to keep your energy up first thing in the morning. You can also have green tea or unsweetened black coffee if you must have your caffeine fix. Then, between 11:30 to noon, break your fast with Organic Green Drink.

By having 8 to 16 oz of Green Drink, you’ll gently awaken your digestive system and flood your cells with high-nutrient-density leafy greens.

After having your Green Drink, wait about 15-30 minutes, then go to town. Have at it. Eat all you want until your belly is full but not too stuffed. By eating a large meal, you’ll eliminate the temptation for frequent snacking. Like I said, snacking during your 8-hour eating window isn’t a nutrition faux-pas. But in general, it’s good to give your insulin-secreting pancreas a rest in between meals as well as your other digestive organs.

If you eat your first main meal at noon, I recommend having your second large meal early in the evening like at 5 or 6. Your last meal can then be a light but satisfying one like yogurt with nuts and berries.

Many people make the mistake of not eating enough at their main meals. This is what leads to over snacking in between meals and late-night snacking, which is terrible for your metabolism. Eating too often prevents your gut bacteria from being able to be swept down from the small intestine into the large intestine (colon). See my article on SIBO for more on this subject.

blueberries

#3: Are You Hungry Or Just Bored?

True hunger is when you’ve gone 16 hours or longer without food. If your stomach is sending signals to your brain while you’re working that you’re hungry, don’t listen to the message right away.

Your brain—and belly—could be the victim of a false signal. This is especially true if it’s only been two or three hours since you last ate. If your last meal was large enough and contained the correct ratio of macronutrients (a little bit of healthy fats like avocado, and sufficient protein and low-starch carbs like quinoa and veggies), then you shouldn’t need to eat more food.

You can satisfy your sweet tooth after a meal by having a large handful of berries and a tiny piece of dark chocolate. This is why I emphasized eating a big meal above.

But if you’re accustomed to snacking every couple hours, it’s probably not true hunger you’re experiencing. What’s likely happening is that the yeast in your gut loves feasting on the sugars in your small intestine, from the crackers and other carb-heavy snacks. And after the yeast digests your yummy snack, it will tell your brain to feed it some more. After all, your brain and gut operate in a continuous feedback loop (no pun intended).

If you feed your gut low-sugar, low-starch foods, the yeast in your gut won’t proliferate; it will be kept in check by your friendly bacteria. And that means your belly—when properly nourished—won’t send your brain a signal to snack yet again.

#4: Sleep, Exercise, and Stress

One of the most powerful weapons in your immune-boosting arsenal has to be one of the easiest – sleep! Not getting enough sleep can ruin your immune system. (If you have difficulty sleeping, a blended juice cleanse might be just what you need!)

Exercise, even in small amounts, is also great for keeping your immune system ready to go. Not only will exercise support a stronger immune system, but it can help you keep your weight low – and as we mentioned, high weight is an immune system risk.

One of the most important things is, of course, to simply not stress out too much about it. It might seem counterintuitive, but worrying too much about your immune system can… weaken your immune system. The mind and body are connected, so stress on one will affect the other. It sounds crazy, but stress is never good for your health in any way.

Veronica and Coco

Calorie Counting vs. Intermittent Fasting: Which One Is Better For Weight Loss?

October 12, 2022 admin

Let’s say your best friend’s wedding is coming up and you’re the maid of honor. How best to lose those stubborn 5-10 pounds so you can squeeze into that sexy, new dress? Should you drastically cut down on calories? Or should you just eat whatever you want as long as you’re doing intermittent fasting for 10-14 hours per day? Which method does science say is better for weight loss? Keep reading to find out….

Calorie Restriction Vs Intermittent Fasting: The Latest Weight Loss Science Weighs In

Back in 1991, a group of 8 people embarked on an experiment of living in a self-contained artificial ecological environment near Tucson, Arizona. Think high-tech commune, but instead of hippies, the group consisted of a physician, as well as other doctors and researchers. They embarked on what was to be a two-year self-sustaining attempt at growing their own food. The domed facility they lived in was called Biosphere 2. The goal of the researchers was to assess the feasibility for future space colonists to grow their own food.

While the food-growing effort wasn’t as challenging as that of Matt Damon’s in the hit film, “The Martian,” in which Damon’s character survives by fertilizing the Martian soil with his own poop, nonetheless, the 8 researchers quickly realized that they wouldn’t be able to grow enough food in the domed environment to sustain them.

In just so happened that one of the researchers was a devotee of calorie-restricted diets and author of a book about the subject. What better opportunity to conduct on experiment on calorie restricted diets. The 8 people living in Biosphere 2 (4 men, 4 women) reduced their calorie intake 30%.

Although calorie restriction (CR) has been studied for over 100 years, the Biosphere group is believed to be one of the first (if not the first) experiments on CR on humans.

If you want me to cut to the chase and say if calorie restriction is good for quick weight loss, I have some good news and bad news. I’ll give you the bad news first…. There are no studies on calorie restriction conducted over a short period of time such as a week or two. However, long-term studies conducted on primates reveal that calorie-restriction diets prolong life span. In fact, in one experiment, rhesus monkeys who live in captivity and fed a regular diet typically live about 26 years, whereas those who live in captivity and fed a CR-diet, can live up to 40.

In addition, besides weight loss, humans on CR diets have also reported lower blood pressure, lower cholesterol, and improved blood sugar levels. So clearly, CR is the way to go if you want to lose weight, right?

Well, hold on…not so fast.

(the photo below is a before after photo of a Biosphere experimenter who used calorie restriction while living in the biosphere.)

The Dark Side of Calorie Restriction

Although the scientists living in Biosphere 2, by the end of the two-years, had better health markers than before the experiment started, there was one huge downside to their calorie-restriction experiment: they looked like skeletons. One of the researchers had his weight drop to 119 pounds from 150.

More recent experiments on calorie restriction also show some potential pitfalls. For example, a 2008 study, involving 143 people on a CR diet revealed that some of the dieters experienced trouble sleeping, and had low libido and lower overall energy during the two-year trial. And here’s one more downside the experiment group faced: they were hungry most of the time.

Going two years feeling hungry most of the day is an awfully long time. In fact, some of the researchers who participated in the Biosphere experiment said they obsessed about food, mentally, for much of the two years. The takeaway is that while CR diets may improve some important health markers, not everybody will be able to stick to it for life; it’s simply unsustainable.

Even if you’re trying to lose weight for just a short time, there’s a better way than strictly slashing your caloric intake….Intermittent Fasting: Science Says Superior For Weight Loss

Although fasting has been practiced by humans since prehistoric times, studies on how fasting affects the body has only been conducted since the 1940s. As of late, intermittent fasting has become a popular way to lose weight, increase energy and focus and other health benefits.

My husband, Brandon, and I have been doing intermittent fasting for a while and we both love it. I even recently launched an Intermittent Fasting Cleanse, which combines the 16-hour fasting window with my Organic Green Drink, Protein Shake, Detox Tea and Detox Soup.

Intermittent fasting is a much easier and more liberating way to get leaner and stay lean than CR Diets. In fact, with intermittent fasting you don’t have to count a single calorie. But after you go 16 hours without eating anything, your tummy will shrink and you’ll get full much faster. So in the end, you’ll likely eat less calories anyway with Intermittent Fasting but you’re not starving or depriving yourself.

I still recommend breaking your 16-hour fast with Green Drink and then waiting a half hour or s

Although studies on 16-hour fasting are few, owing to the recent popularity of this diet (actually, I consider it more of a lifestyle than a diet), the research on it is encouraging. Studies show that a 16-hour fast does in fact lead to consuming fewer calories. But it also shows that it can boost metabolism, lower insulin levels and blood sugar, and yes, lead to weight loss.

So next time you need to drop some weight for a special occasion, or just because, don’t starve yourself. Eat whatever you want (within reason) until your belly is content. Just make sure you’re going at least 14 hours from the end of your dinner until your next meal (no snacking). Ideally, shoot for 16 hours before you break your fast. And for even better results, break your fast with Green Drink and try not to snack in between meals.

Going 16 hours without eating will force your body to burn its own stored body fat for energy instead of stored sugar. In comparison, even if you eat 30% less calories on a CR diet, if you’re eating throughout the day, you might not burn as much body fat. Plus, you run the risk of being malnourished.

The verdict is in: intermittent fasting is much better for you weight loss and overall health than drastic calorie restriction.

Despite Its Buzz, Are Doctors On Board With Intermittent Fasting?

August 21, 2022 Chef V

We’re all down with the Intermittent Fasting trend here at Chef V. My husband, Brandon, looks totally chiseled because of it. Several of our Customer Relations Specialists have lost lots of weight following it. And their cravings for sugary snacks have diminished like their waistlines because of following a time-restricted diet plan. And me? Well, I’ve been doing Intermittent Fasting before it was even recognized as a health trend. I credit it greatly for the reason why I wake up buzzing with energy.

But even though us Chef V peeps have had success with it, I wanted to see what the mainstream medical community thinks about Intermittent Fasting. After all, anybody can have short-term success when they modify how–and when–they eat. But that weight can quickly come back on and then some. And more than that, certain diets can have unintended consequences. Remember when low-fat diets were all the rage? People started eating tons of carbs instead, which has greatly contributed to the obesity and diabetes epidemic.

So, are doctors on board with Intermittent Fasting?

Health Experts See Great Promise In Intermittent Fasting

I don’t need a doctor to tell me that Intermittent Fasting works for weight loss. I’ve seen it with my own eyes. I’ve even read an incredible story in People about a physician who lost 125 pounds because of time-restricted feeding.

But beyond incredible weight loss success stories, I was really interested in finding out about the effects of time-restricted feeding on heart health. After all, many people who struggle with their weight also have other chronic health problems such as high blood pressure and type-2 diabetes.

I was happy to discover that Monique Tello, a medical doctor, who is a contributing editor with Harvard Health Publishing, is all in favor of Intermittent Fasting. She says, “[Intermittent] fasting, when combined with a healthy diet and lifestyle, can be a particularly effective approach … for people at risk for diabetes.”

Dr. Tello was also impressed by a University of Alabama study, which concluded that after five weeks, the Intermittent Fasting group had dramatically lower insulin levels and significantly improved insulin sensitivity. The test group also had significantly lower blood pressure. Not only that, the group also had significantly decreased appetite.

Intermittent Fasting: It’s Good For Your Heart (And May Prevent Cancer)

Fasting for short periods of time isn’t just good for your belly. It’s also good for your heart. According to a web article on the highly-regarded academic medical center, Cleveland Clinic, temporary fasting can help lower blood pressure, reduce cholesterol, control diabetes and reduce weight.

These four health markers constitute the greatest risk for developing heart disease.

Cleveland Clinic even acknowledges that some studies also show that “fasting may help prevent cancer or increase the effectiveness of chemotherapy treatment.”

The good news about Intermittent Fasting keeps rolling in. Consider this article in the New York Times, which says that more studies are showing that eating late at night and snacking during the day is a major culprit of weight gain and metabolic dysfunction. The recipe to break this cycle: time-restricted feeding.

The NYT article references a study of prediabetic men. The men who ate only during a six-hour window had lower insulin, reduced levels of oxidative stress, less nighttime hunger and significantly lower blood pressure.

Doctors Warnings About Intermittent Fasting

Just like everything else in life, there are pros and cons about doing intermittent fasting. From a health perspective, some doctors and researchers are warning people about temporary fasting. The reason? Not eating for, say, 16 hours (which is how long I recommend not having calories), can deplete your cells of electrolytes. Electrolytes are like spark plugs for your cell; they ignite cellular energy.

That’s why I recommend having a non-caloric electrolyte drink before you go to bed and when you wake up. A simple way to get electrolytes without breaking the fast is adding a teaspoon of Himalayan sea salt to a glass of water. Or buy some cream of tartar. (Cream of tartar tastes nothing like tartar sauce. In fact, it’s often used in baking.)

Another thing you should keep in mind about intermittent fasting is that you shouldn’t pig out when you break the fast.

“You don’t want to shock the system,” Dr. Haitham Ahmed tells the Cleveland Clinic. Ahmed recommends breaking the fast by snacking on a few dates or other dried fruit. Then take a break, he says, and then eat fruit and other light foods at first.

I both agree and disagree with Dr. Ahmed. I agree that you shouldn’t eat a huge meal when you break your fast. But eating dates and then more fruit after that? I strongly disagree. Just eating a few dates contains 25 grams of sugar. And eating more fruit? That’s going to add more sugar to your system. Sure, natural fruit sugar is better than added sugars in junk like soda, but isn’t the name of the game when it comes to weight loss and other positive health outcomes curbing sugar intake?

That’s why I recommend breaking your fast each morning with 16 oz of Organic Green Drink, which contains 7 leafy green vegetables, and a wee bit of organic apple and apple juice to sweeten things up. Containing only 3 grams of sugar per 8 oz., Green Drink is a great way to start your day and get your daily dose of disease-fighting antioxidants.

After having Green Drink, you can eat a sensible breakfast (example: an egg or two with low-carb/high-fiber bread and a slice of turkey bacon and a serving of fruit).

I’m sure most doctors would get on board with my recommendation to combine Green Drink with Intermittent Fasting.

Chef V

Chef V’s Guide to Why Meal Timing Matters

February 21, 2022 Chef V

Sometimes it’s not what you eat, but when you eat. Our bodies are more than simple biological machines. We’re creatures of nature, and like everything in nature, timing is everything. Animals sleep and eat on a schedule and with the seasons. However, modern conveniences have broken the human need for timing.

We can eat whatever we want, when we want. But this convenience comes with some consequences when it comes to maintaining weight. And we’re not just talking about how easy food access can make it challenging to maintain a diet.

Meals and timing

To understand how humans go with the natural flow, it’s essential to understand the concept of circadian rhythms. These are physical, mental, and behavioral changes that follow a twenty-four-hour cycle, and affect most living things, from plants to humans. Circadian rhythms are influenced by the changing light, as day goes to night, and determines things like sleep schedule and even metabolism.

This means your body is absolutely affected by the time of day. It has meaningful consequences for your eating habits as well. For example, your body tends to increase its metabolism for eight hours or so while asleep. It’s a good idea to restrict all meals to roughly a twelve-hour block during the day. Leave all the time outside that block for your body to handle digestion.

When you have meals within that time period also matters. While it’s different for every person, in general, it seems that eating meals earlier in the day, and putting more focus on those earlier meals, is better for overall health and weight control. So get a healthy breakfast and lunch! Too often people skimp on these crucial meals, and then gorge themselves at dinner.

Obviously, there are some extra considerations to take into account when it comes to planning mealtimes. For example, your doctor may recommend you adjust eating times if you have particular conditions, such as diabetes.

If you think nutritionists would be interested in how mealtimes affect weight gain and loss, you’d be absolutely correct. Many nutritionists have expanded the idea of more strictly dividing our eating and resting-from-eating times. This is why the idea of intermittent fasting has emerged. This is the concept that planning meal times is just as important as planning what to eat.

One of the most interesting (to us) forms of time-restricted eating is “time restricted feeding.” This refers to a program by which you start restricting yourself to that twelve-hour eating window mentioned earlier but then gradually close that window. In essence, the idea behind intermittent fasting is that you’re increasing the amount of time in a day your body spends on digestion and metabolism.

So while you might start out by restricting all your eating to a twelve-hour window, with time-restricted feeding, you can start organizing meal timing to shrink that window down to ten or even eight hours. This means the time to metabolize your meals is only going up. Even if you keep your caloric intake roughly the same as usual, by restricting that caloric intake to a specific time period, you can start to see weight-loss results.

Benefits of intermittent fasting

What’s really intriguing about intermittent fasting is the benefits it offers beyond simply weight loss. Intermittent fasting has been linked to better control of critical bodily functions, such as blood sugar, blood pressure, insulin sensitivity, and inflammation management. It turns out that humans, biologically, probably aren’t used to being able to grab midnight snacks from a fridge! Embracing intermittent fasting can help you fight back against a host of health issues beyond letting you take better control of your weight.

Green juice and intermittent fasting

When looking up time-restricted eating, you’re sure to hear a lot of discussion about intermittent fasting drinks. It’s no surprise, given that juice cleanses and intermittent fasting are somewhat related. Both harness your body’s own metabolism to enter a “fasting mode” where fat gets burned at an accelerated rate. Both use the health benefits of fasting periods to tackle issues, such as blood sugar management.

But there’s no reason to keep the two separate. Intermittent fasting and green drinks can be one of the best nutrition crossover events out there! Firstly, a green drink is a great way to go about breaking your fast. Too many people look at intermittent fasting as a “free ticket” to eat whatever during the non-fasting period. While the idea is to focus on timing, it should be noted that what you eat could have significant effects. If you break your fast with a fatty or sugary meal, you could be in for some headaches.

What your body really needs after the fasting period is a ton of nutrients. This is where the concept of intermittent fasting drinks comes in. With green juice for intermittent fasting, you can get all the vitamins and minerals you need to get back in action and ready for the day.

Get the best in green drink with Chef V

When it comes to green juice for intermittent fasting, you can’t get much better than Chef V’s signature green drink. Always blended for maximum nutritional impact, our green drink will give you everything you need to recharge when undertaking intermittent fasting, or one of our juice cleanses.

We have plenty of other great products for time-restricted eating as well. Need detox smoothie recipes for intermittent fasting? How about some detox soups? Both are available in our cleanses. No matter how you want to tackle your weight loss goals, Chef V is here to back you up.

People are Talking.. About Chef V Cleanses and Green Drink

January 13, 2022 admin

People are talking about Chef V!

We love testimonials at Chef V! Because it works! We get thousands of emails a year telling us how successful our cleanse was and/or how someone’s life has been changed by realizing how easy it is to be healthy. Get 50% off on a cleanse.

If you aren’t into cleansing, do as I do and just have a Chef V Green Drink everyday for breakfast. It’s life changing. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day but yet no one has anything healthy for breakfast. Try Chef V first thing in the am and see how different your life is!

At my Women’s Wellness Retreat in Carlsbad, CA, new and long established Green Drink customers (in the photo above) took a break from the day’s activities to talk about how Green Drink makes living healthier easier – my motto!

People are saying…

Shawna F – “Excellent customer service. Great product! I did the 5 day and it came with everything I needed and clear instructions.”

Becky S,: “The juice taste so good and it makes me feel so good too!”

Claudia P. “Great customer service! Chef V followed up with me before picking up my order and they rearranged pick up date to accommodate my needs. Definitely would do 3 day Brunch again, and of course I recommend for anyone looking for a cleanse and get a kick start to their weight loss!”

Hannah: “Response from customer service was prompt, helpful, friendly, and straight to the point. Food was delicious especially the soups and the tropical green drink. I was afraid that it would be harsh and make me go to the bathroom constantly, but none of that occurred. I felt lighter and had more energy. My second concern was I would be hungry. Surprisingly I was full and satisfied throughout.”

– Thanks for the kind words! ‘ Veronica Wheat, Chef V

3 Tips For Eating Right If You’re Working From Home

October 18, 2021 Chef V

Veronica working from home

If you had an office job pre-pandemic, you probably only ate when everybody else took their lunch break and maybe a quick afternoon snack. But now that so many of us are working from home, temptation is just around the corner all day long. Chef V’s got some tips for you to slim your waistline in no time. Here are 3 tips for eating right while working from home...

I know a thing or two about being tempted by food at the workplace. After all, I was a private chef for many years. That’s where my name, Chef V—aka Veronica—comes from. (I’m a marketing genius.)

Anybody who has ever had a food job be it server, line cook, head chef or cashier knows all too well that gnawing feeling in your belly when you have to pull a long shift and you don’t have time to even pop a crumb in your mouth.

But then, after that long shift is mercifully over, you overcompensate by stuffing your belly until it feels like it’s going to pop like a balloon.

These days, however, probably just like you, I’ve been working from home more often. And when you’re just steps away from the kitchen with no boss breathing down your neck and no time constraints save for the occasional Zoom meeting, the kitchen beckons like an inviting pool of mud to a pig.

When you’re absentmindedly snacking all day and then continue snacking at night while getting your Netflix on, it’s so easy to gain weight. So here’s my tips for preventing overeating and gaining weight while working from home.

#1: Give Intermittent Fasting A Try

One of the reasons my hubby, Brandon, and I have kept the weight off while working from home is we doubled down on intermittent fasting during the pandemic. Intermittent fasting not only works for weight loss, it makes your mind sharper and may even support your immune system and prevent infection as this study suggests.

I’m not saying that if you do intermittent fasting, you won’t get COVID. But it’s interesting that some immunologists are exploring its protective effects. How intermittent fasting supports the immune system is the same way it can help you prevent weight gain while working from home.

For info on how to do intermittent fasting and its benefits, read this.

#2: Lose Weight Working At Home By Eating More!

By having 8 to 16 oz of Green Drink, you’ll gently awaken your digestive system and flood your cells with high-nutrient-density leafy greens.

blueberries

#3: Are You Hungry Or Just Bored?

You can satisfy your sweet tooth after a meal by having a large handful of berries and a tiny piece of dark chocolate. This is why I emphasized eating a big meal above.

But if you’re accustomed to snacking every couple hours while working from home, it’s probably not true hunger you’re experiencing. What’s likely happening is that the yeast in your gut loves feasting on the sugars in your small intestine, from the crackers and other carb-heavy snacks. And after the yeast digests your yummy snack, it will tell your brain to feed it some more. After all, your brain and gut operate in a continuous feedback loop (no pun intended).

Conclusion

If you want to avoid overeating while working from home, do intermittent fasting, eat one to two large meals during working hours and learn to differentiate true hunger from boredom and habit. If you do feel hungry, drink a tall glass of water with a squeeze of lemon juice and go for a quick walk. I bet you’ll go back to your work feeling refreshed and not hungry.

Veronica black cat tropical, green drink

Intermittent Fasting: The Diet That Tells You When To Eat, Not What to Eat

April 7, 2021 Jean Yates

CBD oil

Intermittent fasting might sound like a desperate weight loss starvation protocol to some, but it’s quite the opposite. In fact, you can eat until your belly’s content and still lose weight—but only within a specific window of time.

Move over Atkin’s. You, too, South Beach. Zone Diet: you’re so last decade….

The latest diet trend is intermittent fasting. Not familiar with intermittent fasting? After reading this, you’ll know the basic facts and health benefits of intermittent fasting (IF). And you’ll certainly be hearing about intermittent fasting more and more in the mainstream media. It seems poised to become just as popular as household-name diets, if not more so.

That’s because, first off, it’s not really a restrictive diet. And secondly, despite its relatively recent entry into the mega-billion diet marketplace, it’s actually thousands of years old.

There are a couple other primary reasons why intermittent fasting will likely surge in popularity. Peer-review research supports it for weight loss and other benefits. Furthermore, it’s really easy to stick to the diet, unlike many other popular weight-loss schemes. (Ahem, Master Cleanse, we’re talking about you.)

But let’s not get too far ahead of ourselves. First, let’s learn some basic facts about intermittent fasting.

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Intermittent Fasting: how old is it?

Although this may be one of the first times you’re hearing about IF, the practice of it dates back to prehistoric times. In fact, fasting as a practice is a mandate in holy texts such as the Old Testament and Koran.

The type of fasting in the Old Testament differs from that of the Koran. And this difference illustrates a couple popular ways of fasting. In the Old Testament, religious fast days (such as Yom Kippur) require adherents to the Jewish faith to abstain from all food and drink, usually for 25 hours (from sunset to nightfall). As for the Koran, holy book for over 1 billion Muslims, the holy month of Ramadan is an example of an intermittent fast. During Ramadan, observers eat only between nightfall and sunrise.

Intermittent Fasting: how do you do it?

There are a couple primary ways to do intermittent fasting for weight loss (religious overtones aside). First, is a calorie restriction diet. And it works like this: 2-4 days a week, you eat way less calories than you usually do. For example, on Tuesdays and Thursdays, you restrict your intake to about 500 calories. This method (alternate day fasting) is gaining in popularity. But there’s another method of IF that I prefer….

Before discussing what the second kind of intermittent fast is, let me get this out of the way first. Intermittent fasting is not starvation. When some people hear “fasting” they equate it with food abstinence. As a certified nutritional therapist, I consider starving yourself of vital nutrients just to lose a couple pounds (say, to squeeze into a wedding dress) the worst thing you can do for your health.

And let me just also add that this second type of intermittent fasting, which I’m about to describe, I’ve seen first hand how well it works.

My husband, Brandon, is a IF guinea pig. Intrigued by it, Brandon has been doing intermittent fasting for over a year now. I gotta say I think I’ve fallen back in love with him (don’t worry, babe; I didn’t really ever fall out of love with you). His abs are now like a Greek statue; his slight fast food belly melted away.

Intermittent fasting: time-restricted feeding

The second kind of intermittent fasting, the protocol that’s really benefited Brandon and lots more people, is called “time-restricted feeding (TRF).”

And it works like this. At first, you only eat during a 12-hour window. It really doesn’t matter when. This is one reason why Brandon and lots of others love intermittent fasting. You’re probably familiar with one of the golden rules of nutrition that you shouldn’t eat late at night. Well, with TRF, you throw that theory out the window.

Eventually, with TRF, say, after a week or two, you narrow your eating window to 10 hours. Do the simple math and that means you’re fasting for 14 hours. Then, after another week or two, you narrow the eating window by two more hours. That means you’re only eating during an 8-hour window, say, from 12 noon to 8 p.m.

The best part about TRF is that you’re not really restricting your calorie intake. Although, to be sure, your belly will shrink after fasting for 16 hours. Therefore, you’re not going to want to break your fast with a huge serving of steak and eggs. (Keep reading for tips on how to break your fast.)

But how does fasting for 16 hours a day benefit your health and help you lose weight? And get washboard abs like Brandon?

Benefits of Intermittent Fasting

Studies like this one (and this one) show that IF normalizes (reduces) the amount of fat you have in your blood. In addition, IF controls your blood sugar, increases insulin sensitivity (a good thing) and even decreases blood pressure. Moreover, intermittent fasting reduces inflammation in the body. Most importantly if you’re trying to lose weight, IF reduces body fat. And here’s the best part: studies show that it takes just 8 weeks for these benefits to manifest. (For hubby, Brandon, it was even less.)

And here are some other benefits of IF, according to research. University of California, Berkeley researchers suggest it can reduce your risk of cancer. Also, when you fast for 16 hours, it might help activate genes in your DNA that help you live longer.

To remind you, intermittent fasting isn’t really a diet, within reason, of course. You’re not going to reap the benefits of intermittent fasting if you eat lots of junk food during the 8-hour eating window. But because you can more or less continue to eat the foods you love without restricting your calories, lots of people are able to stick to IF for a long time. In fact, this study concludes, “an IF protocol has been shown to produce higher compliance.”

Anecdotal evidence doesn’t mean squat to scientists and certain consumers who need proof that something works. All I can tell you is that Brandon swears that he has more energy and is able to focus better, for longer periods of time.

Intermittent Fasting: how to break your fast

I cringe every time I hear or read about this. Allow me to explain. Every now and then, I’ll read a Facebook post. It goes a little something like this…. “So excited to start my 7-Day Cleanse and purge those toxins. One last naughty meal at the Jack In the Box before I officially start.”

Argh! No! No! You can’t eat like crap (pardon my potty mouth) right before you do a cleanse or an even longer 21 Day Detox. Absolutely not. You’ll set yourself up for nasty detox symptoms like a killer headache.

The same goes for breaking your fast. After you fast for 16 hours, the last thing your body needs (and wants) is junk food. Eating junk after fasting will negate much of the benefits of intermittent fasting (including activating human growth hormone [HGH], which helps you burn fat).

What your body needs to break the fast is a nutrient-dense drink, which will resupply your body with vitamins and minerals. Organic Green Drink is the perfect thing for breaking the fast.

What to Drink In the Morning So You Don’t Break Your Fast

As I previously state, your belly will shrink after fasting for 16 hours. (Don’t worry, it takes very little time to get used to going this long without eating. Plus, you’ll feel very energetic because your hormone levels will be more balanced.)

Thus, you’re not going to feel like breaking your fast with a big meal anyway. Keep in mind, though, that if your fasting window is 8 p.m. to noon, you can’t have any Green Drink before noon. That’s because Green Drink contains calories. So you’d be breaking your fast.

There are some non-caloric things you can have in the morning to keep you going. Brandon likes to have some black coffee. I don’t recommend adding non-caloric sweetener. That’s because it may trigger cravings for calories. That being said, add Stevia or Monk Fruit Extract if you can’t stand the taste of black coffee and need to satisfy your sweet tooth.

Another popular drink that won’t break your fast that’s been making the rounds in intermittent fasting circles combines the following ingredients: Himalayan sea salt, lime juice, apple cider vinegar, and cream of tartar. The ingredients in this bizarre concoction all have a purpose.

The sea salt provides you with trace minerals, which are essential for everything your body does. The apple cider vinegar helps your body absorbs these trace minerals. Also important is that the vinegar helps stabilize your blood sugars. This helps you stick with the fast. Next, the cream of tartar is very high in potassium, which also will help you fast for a full 16 hours. The lime juice is optional but the reason it’s added is it may help aid the body in detoxification.

Intermittent fasting: how to get started

If you’re ready to give IF a try, it’s really simple. For the first week, pick an equal 12-hour fasting/eating window. For example, eat between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. A week later, try to extend your fast time by two hours. Then, a week after that, bump it up to a 16 hour fast. And don’t forget to break your fast with some Green Drink.

Chef V Challenge Clinically Proven

December 11, 2010 Jean Yates