THE POWER OF INTERMITTENT FASTING

Intermittent fasting, also known as intermittent energy restriction, is an umbrella term for various meal timing schedules that cycle between voluntary fasting and non-fasting over a given period.

Three methods of intermittent fasting are alternate-day fasting, periodic fasting, and daily time-restricted feeding. In various religions, fasting plays essential roles. Let it be the Hindu festival of Ekadashi or the Islamic festival of Ramadan, etc.; fasting is a part of the old culture. But what are the benefits of fasting?

• Promotes Blood Sugar Control by Reducing Insulin Resistance
• Promotes Better Health by Fighting Inflammation
• May Enhance Heart Health by Improving Blood Pressure, Triglycerides, and Cholesterol Levels
• May Boost Brain Function and Prevent Neurodegenerative Disorders
• Aids Weight Loss by Limiting Calorie Intake and Boosting Metabolism
• Increases Growth Hormone Secretion, Which Is Vital for Growth, Metabolism, Weight Loss, and Muscle Strength
• Could Delay Aging and Extend Longevity
• May Aid in Cancer Prevention and Increase the Effectiveness of Chemotherapy.
• Intermittent Fasting Changes The Function of Cells, Genes, and Hormones
• Intermittent Fasting Can Reduce Insulin Resistance, Lowering Your Risk of Type 2 Diabetes

Intermittent fasting is not that difficult to start, but all you need is a healthy diet and needs extreme determination to succeed. Various types of intermittent fasting are widely followed from person to person, but I will list out my personal favorite. You heard me even I am a fan of intermittent fasting and following it since a year.

THE 16/8 METHOD

This is the most popular form of fasting that is widely practiced. It means fasting for 14-16 hours daily and eating for an 8-10 hour window. In this eating hour, you can easily fit around 2-3 meals. Make sure you eat regular food, no junk or massive calories else; this is a waste of time. This method is also known as the Lean gains protocol and was popularized by fitness expert Martin Berkhan. The breakfast skippers can best follow this. You can easily have your Dinner by 8 and break your fast at 12 for lunch. For people who get hungry in the morning and like to eat breakfast, this method may be hard to use at first. However, many breakfast skippers instinctively eat in this way. At the same time, you can drink any “Zero calories” drink in between to suppress the feeling of hunger.

THE 5:2 DIET

This type of fasting is a bit difficult than the old one; as the name suggests, in 5 days, you are only allowed to eat 500 calories for days. Let us consider you start eating food on Monday; you will have to eat a maximum of 500 calories on Tuesday and then continue with average calories for the next 2 days and then a 500 calorie per day on Friday. So what you are doing is restricting your food intake to a minimum for 2 days a week. This diet is also called the Fast Diet and was popularized by British journalist Michael Mosley. As critics correctly point out, no studies are testing the 5:2 diet itself, but there are plenty of studies on the benefits of intermittent fasting.

EAT STOP EAT REPEAT

This type of fasting includes eating for 2 days and fasting for the next 24 hours and continue the cycle. This is one of the most challenging forms of fasting but proves to be a success. This method was popularized by fitness expert Brad Pilon and has been quite popular for a few years. During fasting, any zero-calorie drinks are allowed to suppress the feeling of hunger. The potential downside of this method is that a full 24-hour fast may be somewhat difficult for many people. However, you don’t need to go all-in right away. It’s fair to start with 14–16 hours, then move upward from there. This method was popularized by fitness expert Brad Pilon and has been quite popular for a few years.

ALTERNATE DAY FASTING

In alternate-day fasting, you fast every other day. There are several different versions of this method. Some of them allow about 500 calories during fasting days. Many of the test-tube studies showing the health benefits of intermittent fasting used some version of this method. A full fast every other day can seem rather extreme, so it’s not recommended for beginners. With this method, you may go to bed very hungry several times per week, which is not very pleasant and probably unsustainable in the long term.

THE WARRIOR DIET

 It’s a protocol that involves extended periods of fasting and short periods of feasting. The warrior diet involves fasting for 20 hours overnight and during the day, and then overeating during a four-hour window in the evening. This principle is based on the idea that our primitive ancestors spent their days hunting and gathering and would feast at night. Fitness expert Ori Hofmekler popularized the Warrior Diet. It involves eating small amounts of raw fruits and vegetables during the day and eating one massive meal at night. You fast all day and feast at night within a four-hour eating window. The Warrior Diet was one of the first popular diets to include a form of intermittent fasting. This diet’s food choices are quite similar to that of the paleo diet — mostly whole, unprocessed foods.

Avoid these foods and ingredients:

• Sugar and high-fructose corn syrup: Soft drinks, fruit juices, table sugar, candy, pastries, ice cream, and many others.
• Grains: Includes bread and kinds of pasta, wheat, spelt, rye, barley, etc.
• Legumes: Beans, lentils, and many more.
• Dairy: Avoid most dairy, mostly low-fat (some versions of paleo do include full-fat dairies like butter and cheese).
• Some vegetable oils: Soybean oil, sunflower oil, cottonseed oil, corn oil, grapeseed oil, safflower oil, etc.
• Trans fats: Found in margarine and various processed foods, usually referred to as “hydrogenated” or “partially hydrogenated” oils.
• Artificial sweeteners: Aspartame, sucralose, cyclamates, saccharin, acesulfame potassium. Use natural sweeteners instead.
• Highly processed foods: Everything labeled “diet” or “low-fat” or that has many additives. Includes artificial meal replacements.

Base your diet on the whole, unprocessed paleo foods:

• Meat: Beef, lamb, chicken, turkey, pork, and others.
• Fish and seafood: Salmon, trout, haddock, shrimp, shellfish, etc. Choose wild-caught if you can.
• Eggs: Choose free-range, pastured, or omega-3 enriched eggs.
• Vegetables: Broccoli, kale, peppers, onions, carrots, tomatoes, etc.
• Fruits: Apples, bananas, oranges, pears, avocados, strawberries, blueberries, and more.
• Tubers: Potatoes, sweet potatoes, yams, turnips, etc.
• Nuts and seeds: Almonds, macadamia nuts, walnuts, hazelnuts, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, and more.
• Healthy fats and oils: Extra virgin olive oil, coconut oil, avocado oil, and others.
• Salt and spices: Sea salt, garlic, turmeric, rosemary, etc.

SPONTANEOUS MEAL SKIPPING

You don’t need to follow a structured intermittent fasting plan to reap some of its benefits. Another option is to skip meals from time to time, such as when you don’t feel hungry or are too busy to cook and eat. It’s a myth that people need to eat every few hours lest they hit starvation mode or lose muscle. Your body is well equipped to handle long periods of famine, let alone missing one or two meals from time to time. Thus, if you’re not hungry one day, skip breakfast and eat a healthy lunch and dinner. Or, if you’re traveling somewhere and can’t find anything you want to eat, do a short fast. Skipping one or two meals when you feel inclined to do so is a spontaneous intermittent fast. Impromptu dinner overlooking is an effective way to recondition the widespread belief that we need to eat three meals a day. You will not starve if you skip a meal now and then!

No matter what intermittent fasting you decide to follow, remember that calories and food quality are still essential and shouldn’t be neglected. Often people can side-line food quality or overindulge on calories as they use intermittent fasting as a safety net. In the long run, this will not be effective, and your health will be compromised. Intermittent fasting is a weight-loss tool that works for many people, though it doesn’t work for everyone. Some people believe it may not be as beneficial for women as for men. It’s also not recommended for people who have or are prone to eating disorders.

TIP : AVOID WATCHING MUKABANG AND FOOD SHOWS WHILE FASTING. DONT DRINK ENERGY DRINK OR ANYTHING WITH EXCESS SUGAR BEFORE FASTING.

If you decide to try intermittent fasting, keep in mind that diet quality is crucial. It’s not possible to binge on junk foods during the eating periods and expect to lose weight and boost your health.