The Fasting Way

Fasting is all the rage right now.

In fact, it's been said that "intermittent fasting" is the most common dietary plan in the United States at this time. So, is that a good thing? A bad thing? HERE ARE MY THOUGHTS.


Fasting it over-utilized as a fat loss tool, in my opinion, but underutilized as a health tool. While fat loss can occur if restricting the feeding window leads to less eating overall, many people who do not heal the relationship they have with food, understand how much and what kinds of food their body requires for their goals, and deal with things like emotional eating, etc. will not find much success until they address those things.


Do you purposely extend your natural overnight fasts by tacking on a few extra hours up front and on the back end too?


XO,
Tara


P.S. Ignore the fact that I got a haircut mid-video but edited the clips together like no time had passed. :-P Ya gotta fit things in when you can, right??

"Do you eat before you workout?"

"Tara, do you eat before you workout?"

I got this excellent question recently on instagram. Here's my 1-minute video response. :-)



Everyone is different! Play around with meal timing around your workouts — or just in general — to find out what you feel best with.



For me, I used to feel awful working out while fasted. I also used to have PCOS, insulin resistance, and prediabetes. I was a metabolic mess!! So, feeling cr*ppy while working out fasted was one of the things that tipped me off to being “off”.



As I became healthier, more metabolically flexible, and more fat-adapted (no, I’m not keto), I started noticing I could do more and more intense exercise without fueling up first. Truth is, we all have sooooooo much fuel already on our bodies as stored body fat. Even if I’m lean, there’s no reason to “need” to eat before a workout.



Now, if tip top performance was the goal (a race, game, or competition), filling up my glycogen stores before said activity would give me a little bit of an edge. But in my daily strength training sessions, bike rides, runs, hikes, or HIIT ... it’s just not necessary.



Another important note: for the average person (not a pro / competitive athlete), protein timing isn’t nearly as important as people will have you believe. I don’t rush to get it in post-workout. I just make sure I get the amount of protein my body needs (about 80-105g per day) throughout the day in a variety of ways.



Second half of the video I’m showing you a pretty typical meal I break my overnight fast with.



Questions about protein, meal timing, metabolic flexibility, or ... whatever? Leave ‘em below!



XO,
Tara



P.S. Yes my lip is bleeding in this video. They were dry that day and happened to crack right before I shot this. Allllllll good. 😝 (You’d be surprised. People notice — and comment about — everything on social media! 🤣🤣).

Hunger: Friend or Foe

Hunger: Friend or Foe?

Is hunger inherently bad? Does it mean we're in 'starvation mode'? Is it an emergency? Does it play a role in fat loss or longevity?



CHECK OUT THIS VIDEO where I chatted live all about hunger and how it might apply to your various health goals.



Questions? Feel free to leave a comment and I'll get back to you soon. :-)



XO,
Tara

Is fasting healthy?

FASTING for 12 hours…yay or nay?

Have you ever been confused by nutrition - specifically around fasting? You may hear that it's ok, even beneficial but then are doubtful after hearing from another source that breakfast is the most important meal of the day or that you need to boost your metabolism by eating as often as possible.


If you are nodding your head right now, then you're going to want to watch (or listen to) this recent live video I did on Facebook all about it.


In the video I talk about fasting, what happens inside our body during a fast, and my recommendations for most people, most of the time.


Of course you need to make sure you discuss any changes with a healthcare practitioner that you trust. I have to say that. ;-)


Please note: the 6-week group program I mentioned in the video is no longer open for registration at this time. We are currently working hard on making incredible body + mind transformations. Stay tuned for a future email (likely a few months from now) if you'd like to grab your spot in the program next time!


In good health,
Tara


P.S. While this video is only 14 minutes long, we get a little nerdy with the science. Fair warning. ;-)