I have been on something of a simplicity journey over the past few years that continues. I’ve been doing my best to strip away the things that don’t matter so much, so that the things that really do matter can sing out loud. This journey is leading me to a better place and means I am generally happier with my little corner of the world.
Simpler Eating
Amongst the changes I’ve made is to simplify how I eat.
I have always been keenly interested in exercise, health and generally trying to do my body good most of the time.
In the past this keenness has led to me experimenting with all sorts of combinations of (supposed) high performance eating. High carb, low carb, high protein, moderate protein, 6 meals a day etc etc. The list goes on. Most of these experiments just led to confusion.
However, around 5 years ago I started to experiment with combinations of intermittent fasting.
Intermittent Fasting – The Ultimate in Simplicity
My initial foray into intermittent fasting (or IF) was somewhat tentative as it flew in the face of much of the conventional advice I read at the time. However, Ori Hofmekler’s Warrior Diet made a strong and interesting case for the many benefits of regular fasting and so my experiments began.
My body got used to more irregular eating patterns quicker than I thought it might.
I really started to relish the freedom and bandwidth this new approach gave me. No more Tupperware meals and planning out my daily 5-6 meals and snacks religiously.
Although my current approach is not full Warrior Diet, I certainly credit Ori’s work as being the big push I needed to give IF a proper go.
My Own Way
I’ve found my own way with IF and tend to settle into a pattern of merely skipping breakfast (in the traditional sense) and eating my first meal at around midday. From there I usually then have one other meal for the day at dinner time. Sometimes this will be two meals but normally the dinner meal alone will suffice.
The difference now is the dinner meal will be bigger than when I ate more frequently. So overall, I probably still take in the same amount of food just at a lesser frequency.
The Benefits
The benefits for me have been numerous but include:
- Less food stress/planning/prep
- I can eat bigger when I do eat (I love food so this is a big plus!)
- Fasting and eating lighter during the day makes me feel more alert (no more post lunchtime energy slumps)
- I feel more productive
- I believe the approach fits more closely with how we would have evolved to eat (in times of scarcity etc)
- IF/less frequent eating seems a great fit for living more simply
- My digestion gets more of a rest between meals
- It’s easy and low friction
Although I have an interest and passion for health and fitness I’m certainly no zealot. I enjoy a glass of red wine or two and eating out, especially when travelling, is one of life’s big pleasures for me. IF /less frequent meals has been a good fit for how I like to live my life so I’ll be continuing with it. I really cannot imagine going back to more frequent and regimented eating.
What’s your own version of a friction-free diet?
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