Intermittent fasting is not a diet, it's a pattern of eating. This is a set schedule of eating meals, daily so that you limit WHEN you’re eating. The Intermittent Fasting method that I’m going to be using is the 16/8 method: Also called the Leangains protocol. This involves skipping breakfast and restricting your daily eating period to 8 hours (I’m doing 1:30–9:30 p.m.) Then you fast for 16 hours in between. The goal will be to maintain the regular eating habits that I have in my life while limiting the time that I can eat those meals in. When you fast, several things happen in your body on the cellular and molecular level.The body adjusts hormone levels to make stored body fat more accessible while cells also begin repair processes and change the expression of genes. This change in the bodies metabolic and hormonal levels occurs in several areas such as Human Growth Hormone (increases and helps with fat loss and muscle gain), insulin (specifically insulin sensitivity, lowering the levels ), cellular repair (cells initiate cellular repair processes, including autophagy, when fasting), and gene expression (changes that can help gene longevity and protection). For more information, feel free to check out these sources: https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/intermittent-fasting-guide#effects; https://jamesclear.com/the-beginners-guide-to-intermittent-fasting; as well as other resources that I will post throughout the challenge.
Day 13:
When I think about the fact that it’s been nearly two weeks since starting this challenge, it seems like the time has flown by. I still have not gotten the timing completely correct, most of the time breaking fast at 2:00 PM or later. In addition, one of the difficulties of breaking the fast is doing so while keeping sugars and fats separate. This means that I need to avoid the tortilla in a burrito 🌯 if I’m going to break fast. Once I’ve started eating for the day, the rest of the meals are easy, it’s the making it to at least 1:30 🕜 that’s the killer.
Day 14:
Oh what a joy it is to mindfully eat when breaking the fast. The flavors of each bite are rich and intense and, now that I’m more adjusted to fasting periods, I can fully embrace the time it takes to eat with care and attention.
Day 15:
Really feeling the slump of mid-semester. I wake up tired, go through the day tired, and feel even more drained after breaking my fast. I don’t feel overwhelmed like I used to in previous years at this time, just drained. Consistently, the fasting hits hunger levels at about 11:30, nearly two hours before I can break it, and gets stronger an hour before. In spite of this, I do feel like I still have mental clarity and like I am able to handle the feelings and stave off the hunger. It does help having the distractions of the day, and I’m constantly moving throughout the day addressing behavioral issues. Some days I’m better able to meditate than others, and my exercise regimen has fallen by the wayside. This may be the root of the drainage.
Day 16:
I finally made it to eating at 1:30 PM and not later. While this isn’t a super big deal, I’m happy that it finally happened. It wasn’t a normal day, but I’m glad I got to set this designated time and stick to it. The hardest part of the day for me is still about an hour before this time and I feel a mix of emotions during this time because of the hunger. There is this mix of anxiety, frustration, desire to do something distracting, and an opposing thought of trying to accept things the way they are. A month doesn’t typically seem long, but this one does. Maybe it’s because it’s October, the fall is here, and there is far less sunlight, but I am truly living through each day and feeling each moment. This is a blessing, but can also feel like a burden.
Day 17:
Since ending the last challenge I’ve really fallen off the exercise bus, and I think it is affecting my sleep, immune system, and overall energy. I have been waking up each day more tired than the last, and there were a few times today that I started to feel ill. The weight of the feeling made making it through the day and doing a good job all that more difficult. I am also concerned about not keeping up with the exercise because intermittent fasting has the body use parts of itself for energy, the goal being primarily using the body’s fat cells. If I’m not working out to keep the muscle up, though, the easiest thing in the body to turn to energy is muscle. I will do my best this next week to develop a plan of action and stick to it.
Day 18:
Student-Led Conferences went well today in spite of not eating until 1:30 PM. This is my favorite time of the semester, because it’s an opportunity for the faculty and staff of the school to strengthen their relationships with the parents and students. I spoke with a few parents about behavior problems with kids, and one of the biggest issues that seems ever-present is what should be done regarding marijuana use/abuse. Students have become smarter and more adapted to how the discipline team looks for usage, and they no longer come to school smelling like weed or with bloodshot eyes (with the exception of some freshmen who don’t know better), and this makes the issue harder to address. Parents don’t know how to support their children and give them proper guidance, and i don’t know how to advise them on what to do to manage their nearly grown child in order to protect them from putting themselves in dangerous situations. The problem that I’m having is on how to teach students what risky behavior looks like and how to manage it. I know they are able to make their own choices and that autonomy is sacred to them, but I don’t understand how to guide them to recognize the harm that they are putting themselves in. I’m not saying that marijuana is going to hurt them, but the places and people they are getting it from can be dangerous and they are definitely making serious mistakes if they are using during the school day or selling on campus. Plus, managing this while fasting during the day sure does bring a bit of anxiety.
Chicken Breasts in the Crock Pot With Mustard-Leek Sauce (original recipe):
Ingredients:
For the Marinade
1/3 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
1/2 teaspoon salt, plus more for the slow cooker
1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, finely minced
1 tablespoon fresh sage, finely minced
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
For the Slow Cooker
1 shallot, finely minced 1 leek, trimmed and cleaned, cut into thin half moons 3/4 cup chicken stock 1 tablespoon cornstarch 1 tablespoon whole-grain mustard 2 tablespoons dry white wine 1/3 cup heavy cream 12 ounces egg noodles 3 tablespoons butter 1 handful fresh chives, finely chopped
How to cook it up!
1. Add all the marinade ingredients except the chicken to a mixing bowl. Stir to combine. Place the chicken in the marinade. Cover and store in the refrigerator overnight.
2. The next day (about 3 to 4 hours before you would like to eat) Add the shallot and leek to the slow cooker, along with a pinch of salt.
3. Add the chicken stock and cornstarch to the slow cooker, and stir to combine. Make sure the cornstarch is dissolved in the chicken stock with no lumps.
4. Add the mustard, white wine, and heavy cream, stirring once more to combine everything.
5. Add the marinated chicken to the slow cooker, discarding excess marinade.
6. Set the slow cooker to low, and cook for 3 to 4 hours. When about 3 hours have passed, boil water in a large pot and cook the egg noodles according to the directions on the package.
7. Check the chicken to make sure it is fully cooked. Chicken should still be soft and juicy, but not pink.
8. Toss the cooked egg noodles with butter and set aside.
9. When the chicken is fully cooked, transfer it to a cutting board and slice it into medallions. Taste the sauce in the slow cooker. Add more salt as needed.
10. Arrange some chicken atop a portion of egg noodles. Top with sauce. Garnish with chives.
Enjoy!