What is Intermittent Fasting?

Intermittent fasting is a calorie-restricted eating regime in which you don’t eat for an extended time. This time usually ends in between 12 to 20 hours. It is an eating regimen in which you alternate between fasting and eating regularly. 

Intermittent fasting has been shown in research to help people lose weight and prevent or even eliminate the disease. 

Several studies show it is about as efficient for weight loss as a traditional low-calorie diet. That sounds sensible because lowering your calorie intake should help you lose weight.

Water, coffee, and other calorie-free liquids are permissible during the fast, but calorie-containing beverages and meals are not allowed.

You’ve finished a 24-hour fast if you eat meals at 7 p.m. Monday and don’t eat again until 7 p.m. Tuesday. Some people fast from one meal to the next, such as breakfast to lunch. However, the optimal time range for each person is different.

A full 24-hour fast every other day may seem intense and be hard to maintain for many individuals. Thus it is usually not suggested for beginners. You don’t have to go all-in right immediately; many intermittent fasting plans begin with shorter intervals.

Method of Intermittent Fasting

The following methods are used most often:

• The Leangains technique

It is often known as the 16/8 approach, which includes missing breakfast and restricting your daily eating period to 8 hours, such as 1–9 p.m. After that, you fast for 16 hours.

• Eat-Stop-Eat: 

This type of fasting is for 24 hours once or twice a week, such as not eating from dinner one day to supper the following.

• The 5:2 diet 

Entails eating five times as much as you eat. With this strategy, you consume only 500–600 calories on two nonconsecutive days of the week but normally eat on the other five days.

Sleep apnea, diabetes, cancer, and other obesity-related disorders can be reduced by losing weight and becoming more physically active. Intermittent fasting appears to be as effective as any different calorie-restricted diet for these disorders.

Benefits of Intermittent Fasting

Intermittent fasting has been studied extensively. These have shown that intermittent fasting can help with weight loss and overall body and brain wellness. It may even assist you in living a longer life. The following are the primary health advantages:

Weight Loss

Intermittent fasting, as previously discussed, can help you lose weight and belly fat without having to restrict calories actively. 

A calorie deficit may be created by fasting or refraining from food, which means your body has fewer calories than it needs to maintain its current weight. That’s why calorie-restrictive diets, such as fasting, are typical in most weight-loss plans.

Insulin resistance

 Intermittent fasting can reduce insulin resistance by 3–6% and fasting insulin levels by 20–31%, respectively, protecting against type 2 diabetes.

It helps to maintain the body’s natural insulin-blood-glucose interaction, reducing insulin resistance (when the body doesn’t respond appropriately to insulin). Metabolic switching also instructs the body to engage in disease-prevention processes such as maintenance and repair.

Mental Health

BDNF helps to form new nerve cells, which are formed more by intermittent fasting. It may also help to prevent Alzheimer’s. Prolonged fasting has been reported to improve unpleasant feelings in persons with eating disorders. Fasting and calorie restriction was found to significantly reduce negative emotions such as stress, rage, and bewilderment and increase feelings of euphoria in older adults.

Anti Aging

Intermittent fasting causes many physiological changes that help slow the aging process by keeping cells and DNA healthy.

It activates DNA-repair genes, which assist the body in decreasing inflammation. Intermittent fasting aids skin healing and regeneration by allowing cells to regenerate more quickly. In addition, the production of a hormone rises, which helps to reduce wrinkles and fine lines.

Heart Health

According to more and more studies, it also helps your heart and general health by decreasing sugar levels, cholesterol, blood pressure, and insulin. You can improve your heart health even if you don’t lose weight while doing it.

Take Away 

Choose your fasting and eating times, such as fasting until noon every day and eating until 8 p.m. After a few days, assess your hunger, mood, and energy levels and decide how to proceed.

Intermittent fasting entails eating only for an 8-hour daily and fasting for the remaining 16 hours. It may help with weight loss, blood sugar control, and overall longevity.

Nonetheless, it is critical to maintain a healthy diet during your eating period and not consume calorie beverages and food during your fasting period.

Before attempting intermittent fasting, consult with your doctor, especially if you have any underlying health conditions.