Halle Berry has been totally committed to health and fitness lately. Her Instagram is full of all kinds of workout videos, tips and healthy recipes. Once a week, she even does Fitness Fridays with her trainer, Peter Lee Thomas.
This past week, the actress gave followers an even more inside look at how she stays in such killer shape. Even though she’s always been open about her keto diet (which she does to maintain both her weight and diabetes), she recently shared that she also practices intermittent fasting.
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“I normally skip breakfast and I sort of fast and I do my green drink or I do my bullet coffee,” she shared in her Instagram story. She further explained that she usually only has two meals a day.
Although she didn’t directly claim this to be the 16:8 diet, it does sound like that’s what it could be. Nutritionist Rania Batayneh, MPH explains that a 16:8 diet is where individual ‘fast’ for 16 hours and then eat whatever they want during the remaining eight. “The main difference between intermittent fasting and other diets is that intermittent fasting does not restrict what or how much you eat, just when you eat it.”
She explains that possible benefits of this type of eating habit is an improvement in insulin sensitivity, initiating autophagy, “which is essentially the cleanup of damaged and useless molecules and cellular debris,” as well as decreasing chronic inflammation.
“Fasting, or not eating for a longer block of time, is one of the most efficient ways to get your body to burn fat,” explains Ilana Muhlstein, MS, RDN. ” The thought is that if you combine the two very restrictive regimens [Keto and intermittent fasting], that you would see the most rapid rate of fat burn.”
However, she notes that this is not the most healthy or sustainable approach to weight loss. “They should not be viewed as long term solutions to lose weight.”
Batayneh says intermittent fasting can, for the most part, be safe. However, those with conditions such as diabetes or who have trouble regulating blood sugar, women who are pregnant, individuals with a history of eating disorders, those with low blood pressure should consult with a doctor or dietitian before trying it.
“If you’re generally well-nourished and healthy, it should be safe to try, although you may feel hungry, weak, and irritable the first few times you enter a fasted state,” says Batayneh. “Make sure to drink calorie-free liquids (coffee is fine, but isn’t necessarily the most hydrating) when you’re fasting, and include electrolytes.”
