On a typical month, I get to connect with hundreds of people at churches, community centers, colleges, shelters and more as a community health specialist in Montefiore Hospital’s Office of Community and Population Health. One person I met at a recent community education event is Matt, who oversees events on a variety of topics of interest for participants at Older Adult Centers.

 

Each month, I host an in-person or virtual presentation on health topics like diabetes, hypertension, sleep, stress in older age, or nutrition at one of the centers in The Bronx or Upper Manhattan.

 

Several months ago, I gave a presentation on metabolic syndrome, a cluster of conditions that raises your risk of heart disease, stroke, and Type 2 diabetes. It was not a condition that was familiar to Matt, but he listened because he had one of the risk factors associated with the condition: older age. His doctor hadn’t mentioned metabolic syndrome before.

 

My presentation covered the health risks of excess body fat, limited physical movement, and a diet high in salt, fat, and sugar and low in fiber, vitamins and nutrients. Matt definitely took notice. He began to learn about calorie consumption and started intermittent fasting, a pattern of eating that has become popular in recent years. A popular method of intermittent fasting is the non-consumption (fasting) of
any calories for 16 hours of the 24-hour day, and only consuming calories during one specific 8-hour period during this same 24 hour-day.

 

Since starting intermittent fasting, Matt has lost 10 pounds. He feels better and his blood pressure has gone down. Here is how an 8-hour eating period could look for Matt:

• He wakes up and eats no food. He drinks beverages with no calories (water, seltzer, black coffee, tea, or drinks with zero calorie sweeteners like Sucralose, Stevia, or Monkfruit.)
• At noon, Matt has lunch and might have a beverage with calories, or a snack or two.
• From 6 p.m. to 7.30 p.m., Matt has dinner and might have a beverage with calories or a snack/dessert.
• At 8 p.m., Matt stops eating. He can still have beverages with no calories.
• Matt goes to sleep and repeats the pattern again when he wakes up. During his eating period, Matt often eats foods that are high in protein, fiber, and nutrients like vitamins and minerals. These include fruits, vegetables, beans, whole grains, and lean meats. Matt is eager to continue his health journey. He has also heard the same from many of his senior center participants.

 

If you’re interested in trying intermittent fasting, speak with your healthcare provider first to assess if it is a safe practice for you. To request the holding of a workshop on health in your community, contact me at ctejeda@montefiore.org.

 

To obtain care for metabolic syndrome, weight gain, diabetes, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol, call (800) 636-6683‬ or visit https://www.montefiore.org/general-internal-medicine.

 

Carlos Tejada is a community health specialist in Montefiore Hospital’s Office of Community and Population Health.