How many times have you come across influencers and ads on social media promoting intermittent fasting for weight loss, increasing energy and feeling great?

The issue for us as women is that we get half the story, none of the results we’re really after and rarely does it turn into anything we can sustain over time. You’re left feeling frustrated, anxious, still overweight and bloated, and more like your energy has taken a nosedive.

The Fasting MD is on set this time with Lisa, Dr. Amy Shah, and the way she simplifies fasting for women that works in alignment with our cravings, our hormones and monthly cycles is seriously a Game Changer! Dr. Amy Shah is a double-board certified medical doctor specializing in food allergies, hormones and gut health. Her book, I’m So Effing Tired, is more like a groundbreaking blueprint for women to take control of their health like never before.

In this episode Dr. Shah is laying out the foundational things we need to understand as women about our menstrual cycles and how to fast effectively to maximize your energy levels, your quality of sleep, and your hormones. Today is about how we stop fighting our biology, give ourselves grace, and learn to customize your approach to fasting, and why you’ll want to start fasting, like today (or at least tomorrow).

Key Pointers from Dr. Shah:
3-5 days Before Your Cycle: Avoid fasting, exercise, and big decisions - Eat high fiber, low glycemic foods. Focus on self care.
Days 1-3 of your period - hormones are resetting, pay attention to how you are feeling.
Day 14 of Your Monthly Cycle: Testosterone is spiking. Time to go harder on workout and make big confident bold moves during this time.

How to Check-In with Yourself:
How is your energy level?
How is your sleep?
How are your cravings?
How are your hormones?

Check out Dr. Amy Shah’s book, I’m So Effing Tired: https://www.amazon.com/Im-So-Effing-Tired-Burnout/dp/0358446422

SHOW NOTES:

0:00 | Introduction to Dr. Amy Shah
0:37 | Boosts How You Feel Every Day
5:19 | Fasting In Flow With Your Cycle
11:55 | How Fasting Improves Gut Health
17:28 | The Power of Circadian Fasting
22:56 | Live Healthier Without Sanitizing
25:35 | Relationships & Your Gut Health
34:05 | Sleep, Hormones, & Feeling Younger
51:42 | How Fasting Reduces Inflammation
58:25 | Stress-Eating “Comfort Foods”
1:06:15 | Customize Intermittent Fasting
1:16:00 | How to Eat For Your Cycle

QUOTES:

“Just like a nature walk is so good for you as a form of exercise [...] Circadian fasting, looking at time of day, and eating with the rhythm of the earth and with yourself is equivalent to a nature walk, everyone will benefit…” [1:27]

“You’re feeling how the bacteria in your gut are feeling and what they walkie talkie to your brain.” [3:33]

“Learn your cycle, it’s a vital sign.” [6:04]

“Your confidence right now, your anxiety level, your happiness is coming from your gut…” [12:49]

“Think about how biologically to support yourself, [17:05]

“The circadian rhythms are everything, 80% of our body’s functions depend on circadian rhythms.” [19:23]

“Your immune system needs to see other people, other bacteria, other illnesses. It needs that stimulation to be able to be as healthy as it can be.” [24:13]

“Start to eat and live with your circadian rhythm, improve your diet quality, [...] you can feel twenty years younger.” [45:23]

“Inflammation is total body health, and that’s where we’re going wrong in this world. We are eating foods that are so inflammatory, they are signals in our body that there is a problem.” [52:52]

“We’re eating sugar, emulsifiers, toxic chemicals in our food, morning, afternoon, after lunch, as a snack, as a drink, at night right before bed and then you expect our body to be able to clear all that by the next day” [55:10]

“Until you experience an alcohol free, a toxic food, toxic-person free life, you don’t know what you’re missing.” [56:10]

“When you have a little win that’s surprising or that’s just random, celebrate when it’s on the path to something positive.” [1:04:50]

“The difference between a diet and a lifestyle is that the diet leaves you depleted of energy [...] When you’re on the right path you’ll feel clearer, more energy, you’ll have better sleep…” [1:09:41]

“We want women to win in this world, and you have the power to do that, and you give it your best shot at certain times of your cycle.” [1:15:53]

“Keep in your mind that you want to get stronger and you want your energy to get bigger then you start to lose that restriction and that poor relationship with food and society [1:22:58]

Follow Dr. Amy Shah:
Website: https://amymdwellness.com/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCA7tFT-irXLTQAmGQefWaXw/featured
Twitter: https://twitter.com/amyshahmd
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fastingmd/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/drconfidential/