Articles by Monica | Fit Kitchen Blog

*The following information is not intended as medical advice. We always recommend talking to your doctor before starting a new diet.

You may have heard about intermittent fasting (IF) from a nutrition influencer, weight loss guru or a friend. It seems that IF has taken over as a huge nutrition trend in the past few years. Although it may seem like a modern trend, cultures and religions all over the world have been fasting for centuries. For example, Muslims fast each day during the religious period of Ramadan, which is currently taking place.

So why is intermittent fasting so popular and is it really all it’s cracked up to be? Is it a miracle cure for your ailments or the nutrition solution you’ve been waiting for? In this blog post I want to unpack the truths and bust the myths behind IF in order to leave you with accurate information, so you can decide if it’s right for you.

Skipping Breakfast Means I’m Fasting, Right?

Depending on the type of fasting you’re engaging in, this may or may not be true. Intermittent fasting, reduced meal frequency or time-restricted eating are all similar terms which describe a period of avoiding food, followed by a period of eating. This can be done in a variety of ways. Some people choose to fast one day and eat the following day, called an alternate fast. Others prefer to keep a consistent schedule and limit the hours in the day when they eat. The most common example would be an 8 hour eating window, followed by 16 hours without eating (8/16). Some people choose to extend the eating window to 10 hours, and fast for only 14 (10/14).

Breakfast tends to be the meal that is most commonly skipped in an 8/16 or 10/14 fast since it is often eaten alone and at home. This method allows you to continue eating lunch and dinner with your friends or family.

Won’t I Be Hungry When I’m Fasting?

It’s likely you’ll be hungry for the first couple days or week as you’re adjusting to a new way of eating, but this is to be expected. However, after this period, the data suggests that hunger levels tend to remain steady or may even decrease after a period of IF (1). Some studies reported that hunger may increase a little bit before bed time (2).

Intermittent Fasting is the Same as Any Other Diet

This one is partially true. The general principle behind any diet is that you are restricting your calories compared to what you would typically eat and compared to the calories you are expending each day. In this sense, IF is like other diets because you are restricting your caloric intake to a small time period, meaning you will likely be eating less than you normally would be.

Most of the health benefits that come from IF, like weight loss, lower blood pressure or reduced blood glucose levels are due to less calories being consumed (3). However, several studies have shown additional benefits to IF that haven’t been seen with general caloric restriction (3). In fact, some of these health benefits have been shown to occur regardless of any weight loss.

One of the theories behind why this happens is related to IF’s impact on the circadian rhythm (3, 4). The circadian rhythm has to do with the regulation of our body over a 24-hour period, from wake and sleep, to eating, hunger, mood and hormone release. It has been shown that IF can impact genes that are related to the circadian rhythm and that IF can also improve sleep quality and duration (3). This means that even if you aren’t using IF to lose weight, it may have a positive influence on your body by way of regulating your daily cycle.

Intermittent Fasting is the Magic Weight Loss Solution

It may not be magic, but it can be a solution for some people. As mentioned above, IF can be very effective in generating weight loss. Most studies done on IF have been at least 8 weeks long and these showed weight loss of about 4-8% compared to baseline weight (5). Longer studies from 12 to 26 weeks generally showed higher levels of weight loss from 8-13% (5).

When studies have compared IF to a general calorie restricted diet, they have usually found similar results in terms of weight loss (1). In the studies that followed up with participants after a period of time, they found that both groups re-gained a similar amount of weight too (1).

Drinking Water While Fasting Will Cancel Out Any Benefits

This is a complete myth! Water is essential for many functions in our body like circulating nutrients, removing waste and maintaining temperature. It’s true that Muslims who observe a strict fast during Ramadan go without water while the sun is up. This is done as an act of self restraint and to show their faith in Allah.

If you are trying out IF for health purposes, rather than religious ones, it is advised to continue drinking water during your fast time. This is especially important in hotter months and if you are exercising. Since water on its own does not have any calories or sweeteners, it will not have an affect on the body’s glucose or lipid levels. You may also choose to enjoy other beverages such as lemon water, sparkling water, tea or coffee without added sugars, sweeteners or fats. If you’re fasting for medical reasons, talk to your doctor about beverages you can drink during your fast time.

All Methods of Intermittent Fasting Have the Same Effects

This is not completely true. Several studies have shown that a variety of fasting regimens can lead to health benefits like weight loss and improved blood glucose levels. One review of many studies found that the alternate day fasting method was the most effective in generating weight loss (5). This involves no calories consumed one day and a normal diet consumed on the following day.

Intermittent Fasting is Safe for Everyone

This one is certainly a myth. As with any new diet, it’s important to check with a doctor before trying something new. IF can be especially dangerous for people who are at risk for an eating disorder, or those who require a high caloric intake. This can include women who are pregnant or breast feeding, children and teens, people trying to gain weight or muscle, and many others. For most other people, IF is quite safe and has few risks or side affects. This is the case assuming the maximum fast time is 24 hours. There may be additional risks for a longer fast.

Sources:

By now, you’re probably aware of the many benefits that meal prep can bring to your life. You can save time, money, and energy each week by preparing meals in advance or by using the services of a meal prep company. If you’re interested in learning more about the general benefits of meal prep, and missed our last blog post on the topic, you can check it out here.

In this post, I wanted to zoom in on the advantages of pre-prepared meals for weight loss in particular. Since losing weight can be hard enough on its own, why spend your precious time tracking calories each day, and worrying about what to cook? You can easily take the guesswork out of eating for weight loss by following a few simple principles, or by enlisting the help of an expert, like our nutritionists at Fit Kitchen.

Principles of Eating for Weight Loss

Understand the Basics

Weight loss ultimately comes down to consuming less calories than those you’re expending. Energy in needs to be less than energy out. Energy in comes from the food and beverages you consume during the day, and energy out comes from moving your body, doing everyday tasks, exercising, and from your body maintaining itself. The calories in food and drinks come from carbohydrates, proteins, fats and also alcohol. There is no one-way to reduce your calorie intake. It can be done by eating smaller portions, replacing meals with lower-calorie options, eating more whole foods and less ultra-processed foods, and many other ways.

Choose More Fruits and Vegetables, Whole Grains and Lean Proteins

Why should you choose these food groups? Fruit, vegetables and whole grains are high in many nutrients, including fibre. Fibre is an indigestible form of carbohydrate that helps our digestion and also keeps us full for longer. Eating more of these high fibre foods can increase your satiation and thereby keep your hunger down between meals.

Lean proteins like white fish, tofu, legumes, or skinless, white poultry are lower in fat and calories than other proteins like beef, pork or lamb. For example, a 3 oz serving of tofu has 78 calories and 4 g of fat while a 3 oz serving of lean ground beef has 218 calories and 13 g of fat. Try replacing the meat in a few meals each week with a lean protein, and replacing a few high calorie snacks like chips or crackers with some raw vegetables or fruit. This can go a long way to reducing overall calorie intake and helping you to lose weight in a healthy way.

Rethink Your Cooking Methods

How we cook and eat food has a lot to do with the calories we take in. Cooking habits like deep frying or pan frying in high amounts of butter or oil can add a large amount of fat and calories to foods. Instead of frying food, you can bake, boil or steam it instead. If you do want to fry, try using a non stick pan or just a small amount of non stick cooking spray.

Some other habits that can quickly increase your calorie consumption include adding lots of cheese on top of food, and using high fat dips and salad dressings. If you’re missing the extra flavour that cheese or dips give your food, try garnishing with fresh herbs, a squeeze of lemon, or a dash of hot sauce. Dips and dressings can also be modified by using low fat Greek yogurt instead of sour cream, or using a vinaigrette with olive oil instead of a mayo based dressing.

How Can Meal Prep Help?

Knowing how to eat healthy in order to lose weight is only a small part of the challenge. Now it’s time to put your plan into action and to cut down your calories… but where do you start? This is a tough question, but meal prep and meal planning can be a great starting point. It can be hard to avoid processed or fast food if you’re always in a rush when cooking or eating. Taking the time to plan and prepare nutrient-dense, lean recipes once, or a few times a week, will mean you have a ready-to-eat meal when you need it most. This can help curb cravings, binging and snacking because you already have a plan for what your next meal will be.

A meal prep service like Fit Kitchen can also be a huge help when you’re eating for weight loss. We can take the effort out of choosing recipes, counting calories, and portion control with our customized weight loss meal plans. If you aren’t convinced of the benefits, take a look at the evidence below.

What Does the Science Say?

In 2016, a group of researchers studied whether a meal plan with pre-packaged and portion controlled meals could impact weight loss compared to a diet chosen and cooked each day by the individual (1). After a 12 week trial, they found that those participants who received the portion controlled meals lost significantly more weight than the other group. Although the participants in this study also received weight loss counseling, it is possible that the pre-packaged meals on their own could also be beneficial since they reduce the work required at home to eat a healthy diet.

A study from 2020 on the effectiveness of a workplace weight loss program (2) found that when participants planned their meals in advance more often, they were able to lose more weight overall. The authors also noted that meal prep is “an important long-term goal rather than an effective short-term goal”. This means that the longer you implement meal planning in your life, or if you can make it a consistent habit, you will be able to see greater results in the long run and more weight loss.

In a French study from 2017, over 40,000 adults were surveyed about their eating and meal planning habits (3). The authors identified that people who planned their meals tended to have more variety in their diet and adhered better to the national nutrition guidelines. It was also found that frequent meal preppers were less likely to be overweight or obese. Although the study couldn’t identify if it was meal prep that had caused these individuals to lose weight or maintain a lower weight, it could certainly be a contributing factor.

Give It a Try!

If you want to meet your weight loss goals, increase the variety in your diet, cut out fast food or just save time cooking, then you have to give meal prep a try. There are lots of resources online to find healthy, low calorie recipes that are quick and easy to make. Look for recipes that are high in vegetables, lean proteins and whole grains. Think about salads, grain bowls, stir fries and soups, for example. Investing your time once or twice a week to prepare these meals in advance will free up the rest of your days and your mind.

If you’re short on time, let Fit Kitchen help you out! If you’re interested in trying out a weight loss meal plan, we offer 3-day meal plans so you can try it out. Our lean meals are designed to be lower in calories so they’re perfect for those who might be trying to lose weight. Don’t worry, they still taste great and you won’t get tired of them! Below are some examples of our lean meals that are 300 calories or less when you choose the small option.

Sources:

1: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/oby.21481

2: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32301494/

3: https://ijbnpa.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12966-017-0461-7

Have you ever been on a food blog or Instagram page that claimed they had the solution to easy meal prep? You may have seen a brightly coloured salad or stir fry packed into identical aesthetic glass containers too. The truth is, there is no ‘one way’ to meal prep and you have to find what works for you.

It can seem daunting at first to plan all your meals in advance, but there are so many benefits that I’m sure you’ll be making it a habit in no time. You have likely heard that meal prep can save you money, but did you know it can improve your health too? Keep reading to find out what these benefits are and how preparing meals ahead of time can improve your life!

Health Benefits of Weekly Meal Prep

Firstly, when your meals are prepared in advance, it means you won’t be going out to eat or eating ultra-processed, convenience foods either. Restaurant food and ultra-processed foods like frozen pizza tend to contain much higher amounts of fats, sugar and sodium compared to meals cooked at home and from whole ingredients. It has also been shown that we eat more fruits and vegetables when we prepare meals ourselves. That means by eating more food cooked at home, you’ll be on track to eating a more nutritionally dense diet.

Secondly, meal planning can help us avoid eating impulsively or binge eating. When a meal is ready to eat and its portion is controlled, we are less likely to overeat or eat high calorie snacks between meals. I know I often grab a bag of chips or crackers when I get home to stave off my hunger while I begin preparing dinner. If I had a meal ready to eat, then I wouldn’t need this snack of empty calories and could enjoy a healthy meal right away.

Lastly, meal preparation can be a valuable tool for those that adhere to a specific diet or have distinct nutritional goals. For example, your goal might be to consume 30 g of fiber each day to improve your intestinal health. A goal like this can be very difficult to accomplish if your meals are not carefully planned out. By planning in advance, you can purchase specific ingredients to help meet your goals and you can portion out how much to eat of them every day.

Stressed Out? Meal Prep Can Help!

Anyone with a busy life knows the stress of packing a lunch or cooking dinner at the last minute. Another benefit of meal prepping is that a lot of this stress can be avoided by preparing meals in advance. Try to carve out a couple hours each week when you’ll be able to shop, cook and clean up without anything derailing or distracting you. Make this time fun by listening to music, a podcast, or cooking with your partner or a friend. Then you’ll have a set of meals, ready-to-go for those busy mornings rushing off to work or those nights when cooking is the last thing you want to do.

Meal prep can also save you a lot of time in the long run. It may seem time intensive to plan recipes, buy groceries and do a lot of cooking all at once or on a few occasions throughout the week. However, you will end up saving more time throughout the week since you will only have to cook and clean up once, or a few times, rather than before and after every meal. The time you save could be spent on activities like exercise, socializing with friends, or spending time with family.

Food Groups and Macronutrients to Consider

The type of meals you decide to prepare will depend on your personal nutrition, fitness and health goals. For example, if you’re trying to increase your muscle mass, you would want to include lots of high protein foods in your meals like meat, fish, dairy and legumes. If you’re trying to lose weight, you could focus on low calorie/low fat meals like salads or bowls made with whole grains and lots of vegetables.

If you’re going for a general healthy diet, it can be helpful to follow the recommendations of Canada’s Food Guide. The guide recommends filling half your plate with fruit and vegetables, one quarter with protein foods, and one quarter with whole grains. Whole grains can include brown rice, whole grain bread, quinoa, barley and many others. I have attached links below to some of my favourite meal prep recipes that follow these guidelines and are packed with flavour.

Breakfast: Try preparing Freezable Breakfast Sandwiches or Homemade Granola with Yogurt and Berries

Lunch and Dinner: Try making Sweet Potato and Black Bean Burritos , Thai Red Curry Chicken, or Taco Soup

Snacks: Try snacking on Homemade Trail Mix or Lemon Blueberry Oatmeal Cookies

Remember . . .

When following a recipe, feel free to add or subtract ingredients based on your preferences and what you have on hand. Especially for the breakfast sandwiches, curry, and burritos, you can swap out whatever vegetables you enjoy most or you could use a different protein source.

Are you convinced?

Did these health benefits and recipes sound good to you? If so, then meal prep might be the next step in your journey to a healthier lifestyle. Whether you start by doubling your dinner recipe tonight to have lunch for tomorrow, or diving in and prepping a weeks worth of meals at once, you’ll be on your way to eating a better diet in no time.

If you’re still worried about the time commitment and unsure of where to start, Fit Kitchen is here to help too! We can get you started with some delicious and healthy meals to inspire you and keep you fed on those extra busy days.

Gut health is really at the forefront of wellness trends these days, and it is for a good reason! Having a healthy gut not only impacts digestion, but also has the potential to benefit the brain, immune system, cardiac system, lungs, eyes and even oral health [3]. It is an incredibly fascinating area of emerging research in health and nutrition.

I don’t want to weird anyone out, but your digestive tract is home to approximately 100 trillion microorganisms (bacteria, viruses, fungi and protozoa) that quite literally live to serve you [1]. I like to think of them as your own individualized fan club, that is entirely unique to each individual. These little supporters form a complex ecosystem known as the ‘gut microbiota’ which plays a crucial role in metabolism, immune function, and nutrient absorption [2].

If you have ever dug into the topic of gut health, you will no doubt have come across mentions of probiotics, and perhaps even prebiotics. It is hard to keep these biotics straight so I wanted to clarify the differences.

Prebiotics and Its Sources

Prebiotics: Prebiotics can be defined as non-digestible food components that support the growth of probiotics and the beneficial bacteria that exist in the gut so they can flourish. [4] Prebiotics are either specific carbohydrates or fermentable dietary fibre that in simple terms serve as food for your good gut microbiota.

Prebiotics can be found in:

Onions
Garlic
Bananas
Oats
Bamboo Shoots
Cabbage

Probiotics and Its Sources

Probiotics: Probiotics are defined by the World Health Organization as live bacteria that may provide health benefits when consumed in adequate amounts. These microorganisms can be found in fermented foods and probiotic supplements. [5] Probiotics serve in complement to your existing good microbiota, and help discourage bad microorganisms in the gut.

Probiotics can be found in:

Yogurt
Kimchi
Sauerkraut
Miso paste
Kombucha

The bottom line is that incorporating these foods into your diet can have benefits to your health with little to no drawback! An easy and accessible way to increase your consumption of both pre- and pro-biotics is by including them in your meals. There are many meals we have on the current menu that would fall into one or both of these categories.

Meals that contain prebiotics, probiotics, or both:

Bangkok Green Curry
Mighty Muesli Overnight Oats
The Seoul Bowl
CocoBanana Protein French Toast
Buddha Bowl
Coconut Chickpea Curry

30. Wang B, Yao M, Lv L, Ling Z, Li L (2017) The human microbiota in health and disease. Engineering 3: 71-82
Preveden, T.; Scarpellini, E.; Milić, N.; Luzza, F.; Abenavoli, L. Gut microbiota changes and chronic hepatitis C virus infection. Expert Rev. Gastroenterol. Hepatol. 2017, 11, 813–819.
Jenkins G, Mason P (2022) The Role of Prebiotics and Probiotics in Human Health: A Systematic Review with a Focus on Gut and Immune Health. Food Nutr J 7: 245. DOI: 10.29011/2575-7091.100245
Gibson GR, Roberfroid MB. Dietary modulation of the human colonic microbiota: introducing the concept of prebiotics. J Nutr. 1995 Jun;125(6):1401-12.
World Health Organization. Guidelines for the Evaluation of Probiotics in Food. Report of a Joint FAO/WHO Working Group on Drafting Guidelines for the Evaluation of Probiotics in Food. 2002.

It’s possible to be each exclusively, but why not be both? Health and efficiency habits often intersect; whether you are consolidating your workout to maximize intensity or getting an adequate eight hours of sleep to curb drowsiness during your productive hours. Ultimately, the landscape of efficiency is fully imbued with reverence for health. There are endless ways to save both time and energy and contribute to your health without going too far beyond your reach (but don’t let it stop you). You might already be practicing methods that integrate health habits and efficiencies, such as:

Exercising
Meditating
Consuming regular nutrients
Socializing
Practicing self-improvement
Sleeping

These, of course, are some of the bonafide beneficial habits of health and wellness. Perhaps we might consider how these habits demonstrate a relationship to efficiency and, more specifically, time and energy preservation and procurement. While I’m no accredited health specialist, the aforementioned habits are widely corroborated by evidence, credibility and experience. Without sounding grim, the cost of continually neglecting these health practices could be sickness and death, so discussing how these habits might be efficiently integrated in our lives poses an unequivocal benefit to those who wish to live more productively and harmoniously.

Much like a cost-benefit analysis, we might assess whether the exertion of energy involved in a task yield either a surplus or deficit of energy. In the case of an energy surplus, we know that the health habit in question has an efficiency component (meaning efficiency). For instance:

Health habit and energy: sleep

Saving energy: sleep for exactly 8 hours

= Energy surplus: use for exercise, for mental sharpness

Here, we observe that the benefit of sleeping for 8 hours is having more energy. On the contrary, if we were to sleep for more than 8 hours, we would have an energy deficit because sleeping expends energy, which in turn yields less energy to be spent elsewhere.

We can perform a similar analysis in relation to time efficiency:

Health habit and time: exercise

Saving time: maximize intensity of exercise for less time =

+Time surplus: for work, socializing, and meditation

Here, we observe that the benefit of high-intensity exercise is more time. On the contrary, the result would rather predictably be a time deficit given a longer exercise period, therefore procuring less time to dedicate elsewhere.

As you can see, there’s no one-size-fits-all approach to integrating health practices and efficiency in our lives. Most health habits will procure either a time or energy surplus to make room for other beneficial practices. However, efficiency is optimal when individuals are discerning about adopting health practices that might equally address time and energy procurement, as well as effectiveness. These examples are more specific. For instance:

Health habit in relation to time and energy: taking vitamins

Saving time and energy: Supplements essential nutrients you might have to spend time, or exert energy, to acquire, such as spending time in the sun or adjusting your diet =

Time and Energy surplus

Health habit in relation to time and energy: meal preparation

Saving time and energy: Optimize your time and energy for later by intentionally preparing nutrient-rich food in advance =

Time and Energy surplus

While health and efficiency are by no means mutually inclusive, it’s possible that contextualizing health through the lens of efficiency might make us healthier in the long-term. Efficiency happens when time and energy are optimally exerted or, in many cases, saved. For example, one might make an analogy from fuel efficiency; whereby the optimization of an energy producing and expending machine is contingent upon the functionality and integrity of its constituent parts, and the operator.

Proportionally, healthy bodies need adequate inputs and modes of conservation. This is like defining biological homeostasis. In other words, a collection of small decisions and their consequences over time contributes to the preservation of holistic health. Considering that, what contributes more to longevity than an efficient whole-body machine?

In summary the reality of our lives is that if we can build efficiency into our health practices we are more likely to establish habits that stick with us.