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ntermittent fasting—restricting your eating into a set block of time each day—has risen in popularity thanks to celebrities like Andrew Huberman and Mark Wahlberg. They claim that this practice improves weight loss, blood sugar markers, and brain health—just to name a few of the impressive longevity-boosting benefits.

There’s just one thing: many proponents of intermittent fasting are men. But intermittent fasting works differently depending on your sex, according to Cynthia Thurlow, N.P. Dialing into male-centered advice might not lead to the results you’re looking for. 

On this episode of the Hone In with Saad Alam podcast, Thurlow explains why intuitive fasting—a type of time-restricted eating that’s individually tailored to your goals, stress, hormones, and sleep—is optimal for women. She also explains how different hormonal states, like menopause and menstruation, can impact the effectiveness of intermittent fasting, exercise, and diet.

But what and when NOT to eat is only half the fun. Thurlow also shares what she adds to her grocery list to optimize her hormone health.