Intermittent Fasting as a Tool

Intermittent fasting (IF) is protective in an emergency. It is a tool that should be used regularly so it can be called upon more easily when it’s unexpectedly needed.

An emergency can be defined in many ways by different people. I’m not talking about a major trauma like a motor vehicle collision (MVC) or a heart attack. I’m talking about time delays and disruptions that throw off our plans.

Everyone will face time delays at some point in their life. Some things get delayed or prolonged. Sometimes time gets compressed and preparation time is lost. Most of us don’t work a predictable 9-to-5 office job with complete control over our schedules. This is especially true in public safety—particularly on dogwatch (the night shift)—where intermittent fasting can be incredibly valuable.

I only work night shifts. I don’t need to eat while I’m at work. I simply eat before my shift and after my shift, and I spend zero energy preparing meals during work hours. It never even crosses my mind. That’s one less thing to worry about, which frees up time and mental energy for things that matter more. Every shift, I’m exercising this tool and proving its utility, so I know it will be there when other challenges arise:

Car trouble

Airport delays

Unexpected overtime

Being called in on short notice

Caring for an ailing parent

Staying up all night with a sick child

Relationship disasters

Long ER visits

A suicidal friend who calls…

In any of these situations, the last thing I want to be thinking is, “Hmm, I hope I can find something to eat.” Eating doesn’t matter in those moments. It’s not essential that we eat three meals per day just because that’s how we grew up. Snacking is entirely optional.

With intermittent fasting, energy levels don’t waver and mental fog becomes a non-issue. There are no radical blood sugar highs and lows driven by refined carbs (the high), followed by the insulin spike and resulting relative hypoglycemia (the low). There’s no anxiety about food—no worrying about when or where you’ll eat, how expensive it might be, or whether you’ll have good choices. All that mental noise quietly disappears.

Fast food—in this context, anything highly processed and immediately available—isn’t how real food exists. Real food spoils. It doesn’t come in neat, tidy plastic wrappers or cardboard boxes. Eating real food generally requires a fridge and freezer unless you’re willing to shop daily.

So, try it. I can tell you it’s much easier if you’ve already switched to lower-carb eating. “Hangry” is a real phenomenon, but it’s entirely a carb-related issue.

Some people worry that intermittent fasting (or low-carb, keto, or carnivore diets) can lead to eating disorders—and that may be true for a small subset of people. However, I believe that for a much larger proportion of people, this way of eating finally calms the constant food noise in your head.