A Practical, Sustainable Approach

By Jamie Bussin, featuring Dr. Kate Hunter ND

I’ve had a lifelong relationship with food. I love it. I love to cook. I love to eat. And if I’m being honest, I’ve eaten to excess more than once. After losing 52 pounds and reversing obesity through lifestyle change, I came to the guiding principle: I don’t believe in diets, I believe in sustainable habits.

That said, one strategy I’ve found compelling that I do believe can work for certain personalities, is intermittent fasting.

I discussed fasting with naturopath Dr. Kate Hunter ND on Episode #425 of The Tonic Talk Show/Podcast.  We explored the health benefits of fasting including the science, risks, and real-world practicality of intermittent fasting and time-restricted eating. This is a digest of that conversation.

What Is Fasting? (And How Is It Different from Dieting?)

From a naturopathic perspective, fasting isn’t simply calorie restriction.

According to Dr. Hunter there are two primary approaches:

1️⃣ Time-Restricted Eating (TRE)

This involves eating within a specific daily window: typically 6–8 hours …and fasting for 16–18 hours.

A common example:

• Eat between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m.
• Fast from 6 p.m. to 10 a.m. the next day

The goal? Align food intake with your body’s most metabolically active hours; earlier in the day when insulin sensitivity and glucose metabolism are stronger.

2️⃣ Intermittent Fasting (Longer Fasts)

This can include:

• 24-hour fasts
• 48-hour fasts
• 5 days eating / 1–2 days fasting protocols

These longer fasts are often used more strategically for metabolic resets or symptom management. The difference from dieting? Fasting focuses on when you eat,  not just what you eat.

The Science: Why Fasting May Be So Powerful

One word: autophagy. Dr. Hunter explains, “Autophagy is the body’s cellular “clean-up” process. When you fast long enough, your cells begin removing damaged components and regenerating new ones.”

 This process:

• Reduces oxidative stress
• Lowers inflammation
• Improves metabolic efficiency
• Supports disease prevention
• Promotes cellular renewal

This is one of the biggest reasons fasting is being studied for longevity and chronic disease prevention.

Proven Health Benefits of Fasting

✅ Improved Blood Sugar Control

Time-restricted eating helps stabilize glucose metabolism and improve insulin sensitivity.

✅ Weight Management

By narrowing the eating window, many people naturally reduce excess calorie intake; especially late-night snacking (my personal kryptonite).

✅ Reduced Inflammation

Research suggests fasting lowers inflammatory markers linked to chronic disease.

✅ Brain Health & Mental Clarity

Fasting may enhance cognitive clarity and reduce brain fog, especially in menopause. Autophagy in brain cells may also help protect against neurodegenerative diseases.

✅ Better Sleep

Stopping food intake earlier in the evening supports melatonin production, improves overnight repair and reduces nighttime digestive stress.

In my experience, not eating late at night alone makes a significant difference.

Fasting and Women’s Hormones: A Critical Nuance

One important insight from Dr. Hunter: Fasting isn’t one-size-fits-all,  especially for women.

• Best time for fasting: First half of the menstrual cycle (follicular phase)
• Avoid fasting: Luteal phase (approximately days 14–28), when the body requires more carbohydrates
• Highly beneficial: For menopausal women experiencing brain fog and metabolic shifts

Hormonal alignment matters.

Who Should NOT Fast?

Fasting is not appropriate for everyone. Avoid fasting if you are:

• A child or adolescent
• Pregnant or breastfeeding
• Actively trying to conceive (in certain cycle phases)
• Struggling with or recovering from disordered eating
• Training intensely (e.g., marathon preparation)

This is where personalization matters.

Exercise and Fasting: An Interesting Twist

According to Dr. Hunter, emerging evidence suggests that exercising in the morning before your first meal (in a fasted state) may improve training adaptations. Also, following fasted workouts with a high-protein meal may enhance muscle gains. However, extended fasting while training for endurance events is not recommended. Your body needs fuel.

What Can You Consume While Fasting?

This varies by philosophy. Some approaches allow for water, electrolytes and even black coffee.Others consider only water a “true” fast. For Dr. Hunter, allowing black coffee makes the practice sustainable. …and sustainability is everything.

Is Fasting Sustainable?

Here’s my biggest takeaway: If it doesn’t fit your lifestyle, it won’t work.

We aren’t socially conditioned for strict eating windows. Work schedules, family life, social dinners all complicate things. That’s why you shouldn’t consider fasting as a rulebook. Rather it’s a tool. For some, a consistent 16:8 schedule works beautifully. For others, an occasional 24-hour reset is more realistic. And for many, simply stopping food intake at 6 p.m. might deliver 80% of the benefits.

The Bottom Line

Fasting is not a magic bullet. It’s not a crash diet. And it’s not for everyone. But when applied strategically and sustainably, it may:

• Improve metabolic health
• Reduce inflammation
• Enhance brain clarity
• Support hormone balance
• Promote cellular regeneration

Like all health tools, it works best when layered onto a foundation of:

• Whole, nutrient-dense foods
• Regular movement
• Quality sleep
• Stress management

Fasting isn’t about restriction. It’s about rhythm. And when your body finds the right rhythm, it knows how to heal.