By Kara Woodworth, Salad Station Loyal Customer & Blogger Contributor.
I have been doing Intermittent Fasting (IF) on 16 hours fast, 8 hours eating window for more than 6 months and I can't express with words how much of an impact this has been on my health and even the way how I see food.
Fasting has been a practice throughout human evolution. Ancient hunter-gatherers didn’t have supermarkets, refrigerators, or food available year-round. Sometimes they couldn’t find anything to eat.
As a result, humans evolved to be able to function without food for extended periods of time.
In fact, fasting from time to time is more natural than always eating 3–4 (or more) meals per day.
Today, I want to walk you through a whole day in my life being in the 16/8 Method and tell you how much Salad Station has helped me to reach my goals.
Before Fasting
Before Fasting, I make sure I eat a nutritious meal such as Sweet potatoes, chicken, veggies, avocado, eggs, bell peppers, zoodles, soups, and little treats... I normally order online from Salad Station for dinner and pick whatever I feel like it from their bar. I love this place because it operates during my eating window and closes just in time when I start my fasting time. Isn't so convenient? Ha!
I start my fast every night at 8pm and my eating window starts at 12pm. Let's start talking about my routine during the fasting period.
Fasting Period
8pm: Fasting Starts (I drink water and hot tea before bed)
4am: Wake up (I drink water and go for a workout on a fasted state) I've seen a lot of benefits in my body when I workout on a fasted stage (I have more energy and it helps me to stay focused during my workout) but it might not work for other people. Go to a professional for advice.
During and Post- Workout I drink Infused Alkaline Water from Salad Station to keep me hydrated and give me the electrolytes I need and helps me to keep my cravings down.
8am-12pm: Work Time (I drink my black coffee or Green Tea)
Eating Window! Yay!
12pm: Just in Time for lunch time but, hey! I don't want to start with a heavy meal after not having anything in my stomach for 16 hours. I start my eating window off with a green juice or any liquids (soups, or smoothie are great).
1-2pm: I go to Salad Station and make my little breakfast/brunch meal before the big lunch.
I normally get chopped eggs, ham or smoked turkey, some lettuce or spinach, and seasonal fruits (strawberry, blueberries, grapes, pineapple).
I also get my order to go for my big lunch and dinner!
3-4pm: My go-to ingredients for the perfect late lunch that keeps me full until dinner are:
Zoodles, Kale, Crisp Lettuce
Mushrooms
Avocado
Feta cheese
Cheese Crisps (Parmesan my favorite)
Quinoa
Sweety Drops
Garlic & Herb Chicken
Sweet Potato (add cinnamon to it!)
Pecans
Fat-Free Ranch (to dye for)
And dinner goes back to my meal before fasting...
Intermittent fasting has helped my big time to fight my sweet cravings at night and keeping me energized during the day and late afternoon among other health benefits.
I highly recommend to fuel your body with nutritious foods while enjoying your favorite treats. Salad Station has been a big help to keep me on track and also to start creating a better relationship with food.
The fact that they are open at the same time my eating window is, it just makes it seem like a no brainer for me. Pick whatever works in your schedule and try to eat foods rich in nutrients at least 80% of the time.