How Women Can Fast Correctly Through Their Monthly Cycle & Different Stages Of Life

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On this podcast, Faraz Khan interviews women’s intermittent fasting expert, Cynthia Thurlow, to ask her how women can fast during their monthly cycle and in menopause and post-menopause.

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Cynthia Thurlow is a nurse practitioner, CEO and founder of the Everyday Wellness Project, and international speaker, with over 9.6 million views for her second TEDx talk “Intermittent Fasting: Transformational Technique”.

With over 20 years experience in health and wellness, Cynthia is a globally recognized expert in intermittent fasting and nutritional health, and has been featured on ABC, FOX5, KTLA, CW, Medium, Entrepreneur, and The Megyn Kelly Show. Cynthia developed her Intermittent Fasting plan after entering her forties and experiencing a health breakdown.

Intermittent fasting didn’t just help her lose weight; she had more energy, fewer cravings, and lower blood glucose levels. She has now worked with thousands of women in her private practice to make her unique program of intermittent fasting work for them, too.

Her new book, Intermittent Fasting Transformation, (March 15, 2022) offers a customizable nutrition guide to feeling your best at every stage of life through hormone balancing, lifting brain fog, weight loss, detoxification, and much more. She has now worked with thousands of women in her private practice to make her unique program of intermittent fasting work for them, too.

Cynthia’s Background In Health

Started as an ER nurse
Got disillusioned with the western medicine approach
At one point, she couldn’t do it anymore. So she left clinical medicine.
Did two TED talks on peri-menopause and intermittent fasting
Her second TED talk had 11 million views
Started helping women in mid-life with health and wellness

Why Women Gain More Weight Every Decade?

There are many reasons
Women have less lean muscle mass and more fat than men
Eating too frequently, too little protein, too much rancid seed oils
Too much processed carbs
We are living in high stress all day long
Endocrine disruptive chemicals in food
We don’t move as much, or people over exercise
Gut and hormones also play a part
Women are going into perimenopause starting at age 35 these days

What Is Metabolic Flexibility?

Metabolic flexibility is the ability to use both fats and carbs as a fuel substrate
Most people’s bodies are not able to switch between carbs and fats
Here is how to structure your meals according to Cynthia: focus on protein first, add in healthy fats, and add carbs at last.
Eat non-starchy veggies, not processed carbs.
Keep blood pressure low, keep HDL up, fasting glucose should be 75-90, even fasting insulin between 2-5, reduce waist circumference under 45 for men and under 35 for women.

What Can You Eat Or Drink During Fast

Black tea and coffee
Water
Unflavored electrolytes

How To Fast During Reproductive Years

If you’re a thin woman under the age of 35, there is no reason to be fasting every day
It’s important to align your fasting with your menstrual cycle
The day you start mensturation until ovulation…(day 1-14), this is the estrogen dominant phase
Women can push themselves a bit more during this phase, fast longer, eat low carbs, workout harder
The luteal phase is when progesterone dominates…women should take it easy during this time
In luteal phase, it’s recommended to go easy on workouts and eat differently, and not fast as much
Best to do a shorter 12-13 hour fast during the luteal phase
It’s also important to incorporate variety in your fasting plan
After menopause, women can fast very effectively…can fast the same as men

Are There Circadian Factors To Consider When Fasting?

It’s best to eat earlier in the day. For example, break fast at 9 or 10 am and finish your last meal by 3 or 4 pm.
A higher carb meal is better eaten at mid-day rather than late in the evening
We have melatonin clocks in the gut
During follicular phase, women can eat carbs later in the day
During luteal phase, its best to eat them early in the day