Intermittent fasting is a diet that alternates between fasting and eating on a regular basis. Studies show that occasional fasting is a better way to manage your weight and prevent or reverse other types of illnesses. But how did you do that? And is it safe?
Most diets focus on food, but fasting is about when you eat. By fasting from time to time, you only eat at certain times. Fasting for a decided number of hours each day or eating just one meal a few days each week, can really help your body burn calories. Scientific evidence also points to other health benefits.
Nowadays, TV, Internet, and other entertainment options are available 24/7. We stay awake for many hours to catch our favourite shows, play games, and chat online. We sit and eat all day – and most of the night.
Excess calories and low performance can mean a higher risk of obesity, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and other diseases. Scientific studies show that occasional fasting can help reverse these trends.
it can take up to two to four weeks before your body becomes accustomed to fasting from time to time. You may feel hungry or confused as you get used to the new procedure. But after a while, it will become natural and you will see the benefits.
Benefits of Intermittent fasting
Here are some of the benefits of Intermittent fasting:
Thinking and remembering: Studies have found that Intermittent fasting increases memory performance in animals and verbal memory in adults.
Heart health: Occasional Intermittent fasting improves blood pressure and heart rate and other cardiovascular events.
Physical activity: Young men who fast for 16 hours showed a loss of significant fat while maintaining muscle mass. Mice fed on some days showed better endurance in performance as well.
Diabetes and obesity: In animal studies, occasional Intermittent fasting prevented obesity. And in six short studies, obese people lost weight by occasionally fasting.
Tissue health: In animals studies, Intermittent fasting reduced tissue damage during surgery and improved outcomes.
Is Intermittent fasting safe?
Some people try to fast from time to time to lose weight, while others use this method to deal with chronic conditions such as high cholesterol or arthritis. But fasting is not for everyone.
Before trying Intermittent fasting (or any other diet), you should consult your primary care physician first. Some people should avoid trying Intermittent fasting:
- Children and adolescents under 18 years of age.
- Pregnant or breastfeeding women.
- People with diabetes or high blood sugar.
- Those with a history of eating disorders.
Remember that fasting from time to time may have different effects on different people. Talk to your doctor if you start experiencing unusual anxiety, headaches, nausea, or other symptoms after starting Intermittent fasting.
Hard evidence shows that intermittent fasting can be very effective when trying to lose weight and improve your health. The success behind Intermittent fasting comes down t how it affects your metabolism to burn existing stored fat for energy. Intermittent fasting does take some time to get used to so you should experiment with different lengths of Intermittent fasting. Pay attention to your general health as it may have some detrimental effects immediately.
