Add Intermittent Fasting to Your Smoothie Shakedown for Better Weight Loss Results

September 28, 2020
Ann Louise Gittleman, PhD, CNS

Ann Louise Gittleman, PhD, CNS

Award-winning nutritionist and New York Times bestselling author.

Shake up your slim down with intermittent fasting!

Energy. Immunity. Metabolism. Stress eating our way through this pandemic has left many of us feeling fat and fatigued with a sluggish metabolism, concerned about keeping the immune system tuned up and in tip-top shape. I’ve heard from so many of you that the way this pandemic has shaken the whole world has left you feeling you need a reset on your self-care, and many of you are turning to the Smoothie Shakedown plan to get your metabolism back on track.

“The shakes are awesome, makes weight loss easy! My weight loss journey has had its ups and downs. I actually had given up when my neighbor mentioned the Fat Flush Smoothie Shakedown plan. WOW! I have lost 45 lbs. now and am feeling absolutely wonderful! I am a healthier and happier person with energy to spare, and my self esteem has skyrocketed. The shakes are awesome, food plan is easy to follow and the sugar cravings – gone! This plan works! It has made THE difference in my life.” ~ Barbara S., Colorado

“The Fat Flush Smoothie Shakedown has been nothing but a success for me. In the first 2 weeks I lost 15 lbs. with no trouble at all. I LOVE the taste (Cherry and Cinnamon is my favorite combo) but most of all I love the way it makes me feel— inside and out! Not only did I lose the 15 in the first 2 weeks, but I also lost almost 2 pant sizes!” ~ Gabrielle G., New Hampshire

“My job as a child-care provider can be physically demanding and I never once felt fatigued while doing this detox. Within a week I lost 10lbs and 3 inches on my waist and stomach, 1 inch on each thigh and 1/2 an inch on my arms. The rapid results were an awesome motivator and by the end of week two I had lost 20 lbs. and 5 inches on my stomach, 4 inches on my waist, 2 inches on each thigh, and 1 inch on my arms. The scale and tape measure don’t lie. Thanks, Ann Louise!” ~ Casey S., Tennessee

We’re only a few days into our Smoothie Shakedown 2-week challenge in my Fat Flush Nation Facebook group and already the weight loss results are pouring in! But what if I told you that one small timing adjustment to your smoothies and meals just 3 days per week can also boost energy, longevity and immunity? It’s called intermittent fasting and it can not only rev up your fat-burning metabolism during the Shakedown, but also help increase your energy and bolster your immunity.

Intermittent fasting isn’t some new fad or crazy marketing scheme – it’s a well-known, well-researched practice that has been used for centuries to improve overall health, energy, immunity, and metabolism – without starving or depriving yourself. You simply change the timing of when you eat – without depriving yourself of the foods and smoothies you enjoy. And it gives a turbo boost to your weight loss and rejuvenation efforts while supporting your immune health. Let’s look at how it fits into the Smoothie Shakedown plan to give you the best results.

What is Intermittent Fasting?

Intermittent fasting may seem like the buzzword of the day, but it’s actually been studied for more than a century now. Fasting of all types has been in use routinely all the way back to ancient times as an effective way to give our bodies a rest, lighten our toxic load, and to allow stressed or overworked organs to regenerate themselves. As far back as the 1920s, scientists have proven that intermittent fasting even a few days a week is as effective as a strict and lengthy calorie-restricted fast when it comes to weight loss, blood sugar control, immune boosting, and staving off a wide variety of diseases.

Intermittent fasting doesn’t change what you eat, it only changes when you eat. And you don’t have to change the quantity of what you eat, you just eat it within a shorter time frame during the day. This simple change to the timing of your meals results in more fat loss while preserving your lean muscle mass, and promotes autophagy, a process that rejuvenates the immune system and the whole body.

What intermittent fasting can do for you:

  • Burning belly fat while holding on to your lean muscle mass
  • Increasing your fat-burning metabolism
  • Reducing systemic inflammation and oxidative stress
  • Better blood sugar control with decreased insulin resistance
  • Improve heart health
  • Triggers cell cleansing and repair, strengthening the body and the immune system
  • Encourages healthy gene expression
  • Optimizes hormone levels
  • Enables a longer, healthier life span because of autophagy
  • Reduced risk of chronic and degenerative diseases
  • Better brain health

How Autophagy and Intermittent Fasting Boost Immunity

Autophagy is a fancy word for the process of cellular “self cleansing” that even a 12-hour overnight fast induces. It starts 2 hours into fasting, peaks at 6 hours, and runs its course after 12 hours. It’s important for the health and survival of our cells, and plays a key role in the health and strength of our immune system, as well as our longevity.

This rejuvenation process flushes out cell-killing toxins and can delay the onset of degenerative diseases. It also improves our chances to fight serious diseases, including cancer. But if you are already struggling with a chronic illness, be sure to check in with your healthcare provider before attempting any type of fast, including intermittent fasting.

Add Intermittent Fasting To Your Smoothie Shakedown

Incorporating intermittent fasting into your 2-week Smoothie Shakedown is much easier than it sounds. You simply pick 2 or 3 days of each week that you’ll enjoy your 2 smoothies and one satisfying meal within a 10-hour timeframe. For instance, you’ll enjoy your morning smoothie at 8 am, have the second one at noon, and finish your evening meal by 6pm. Feel free to adjust these times to best suit your lifestyle, but keep it to the 10-hour window for best results. Even on intermittent fasting days, clear liquids like cranwater and herbal teas are encouraged at any time, not just within the 10-hour window.

In addition to all of its immune boosting and energizing effects, intermittent fasting activates a fat-burning metabolism you don’t have access to on a normal eating schedule. By restricting your eating to a 10-hour window, you give your body 2 hours of prime fat-burning time you wouldn’t have otherwise. As a result, you’ll lose even more weight without any other changes to the Smoothie Shakedown.

Once you are done digesting your food for the day, your body enters into a state of rest. After 8 hours of rest, you enter into the fasting state – where the magic happens. Insulin levels are low and burning fat becomes much easier. Fat that isn’t accessible during the times you are digesting and absorbing can be mobilized and eliminated from the body during the fasting state.

Intermittent fasting can be incorporated into any healthy lifestyle. So once you are done losing weight with the Smoothie Shakedown, I recommend transitioning to my Fat Flush plan if you want to continue to lose fat and preserve lean muscle mass through this practice.

Not onboard yet for our Slimdown Shakedown? It’s never too late to start! Go to my Smoothie Shakedown website to shop supplies and get started!

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Ann Louise Gittleman, PhD, CNS, is an award-winning New York Times bestselling author of more than thirty books including The Fat Flush Plan series and her latest book, Radical Metabolism. She’s been rewriting the rules of nutrition for more than 40 years and is internationally recognized as a pioneer in the field of diet, detox and women’s health issues. 

For a FREE daily dose of tips and strategies for maintaining healthy weight, conquering insomnia, and much more…check out my Radical Health Tips.

I’d like to meet and greet you on my Facebook groups, so won’t you check us out at the Radical Metabolism RevolutionFat Flush Nation, or my Inner Circle!

4 Comments

  1. Beth

    What a great idea! I never thought of doing this and I do know about the benefits of intermittent fasting. I”m doing the Shakedown now and will try it!

    Reply
  2. Wendy

    I didn’t realize fasting was so important for detox. I’ll need to wait til the weekend to try it though.

    Reply
  3. Pamela

    So interesting to hear how fasting actually works. I am eager to try it now that you have explained it.Thank you.

    Reply
  4. LaVerne

    I’ve been hesitant to try this but you make it sound so easy and it has so many benefits. Thanks

    Reply

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