Is Intermittent Fasting Safe for People Over 50?
When Nancy Irwin, 69, saw how well intermittent fasting helped a couple of her friends lose weight, she decided to give it a try. The Los Angeles psychologist wanted to drop a few pounds and reduce the amount of fat around her midsection. She also had a more serious concern: “I’m insulin resistant and could kick into pre-diabetes if I’m not really mindful.”
Intermittent fasting involves restricting food to certain hours of the day or days of the week. There are different ways to go about it. Irwin settled on a daily regimen in which she eats only between noon and 7 or 8 p.m. “The beauty of this program is you choose your window,” she says, adding, “I’m really not hungry in the mornings.”
Irwin shed 13 pounds — impressive — but she is especially delighted with the other outcomes. “I sleep well, have energy and my skin glows,” she says. “I wouldn’t say my belly is as flat as when I was in my 20s and 30s, but it’s way better. My clothes hang better, and I’ve lost a dress size.” Significantly, she now finds it easier to keep her A1C level — a measure of blood sugar over time — in the normal range.
Excerpted from AARP
