Intermittent Fasting — What Is It and Does It Work?
Are you intrigued by intermittent fasting? Thinking of trying it? Then read this first!
Throughout our evolutionary history, humans have had to contend with periodic food shortages and famines. Hence, our bodies have evolved to adapt to these shortages. When food is abundant, we tend to consume more, storing the excess energy as fat in preparation for the next shortage.
But what happens when food — often calorie-rich food, is always instantly available? We often continue to eat until we become obese!
What is fasting?
A “fast” is anytime you are not eating. Fasting has been practiced throughout history, both for its health benefits and as part of spiritual traditions. It turns out that the benefits of fasting are far more profound than simply preventing obesity.
Okay, so what’s Intermittent fasting then? 🤔
Intermittent fasting is an eating pattern that cycles between periods of fasting and eating.
One of the biggest benefits of Intermittent fasting is increased autophagy. Autophagy is when your body recycles and reuses damaged cells. Autophagy is always happening to some capacity, but it significantly goes up once you have fasted for 16 hours.
Benefits of Intermittent Fasting
Although people primarily opt for intermittent fasting as a weight loss measure, it is not so much a diet plan but more of a lifestyle choice to take advantage of some incredible health benefits, some of which are shown below:
- Easy to follow
- No calorie counting
- No macronutrient limitations
- Unrestricted eating allowed
- Might boost longevity
- Promotes weight loss
- May help with glucose control
- May provide other health benefits
Fasting over Dieting
Reducing how much you eat is not always effective for weight loss, especially if you are overweight, because chronically high insulin levels prevent the burning of fat and force your metabolism to slow down instead!
Fasting, whether intermittently or long-term, addresses this problem by lowering insulin levels.
Cons of Intermittent Fasting
- May reduce physical activity
- May cause severe hunger
- Concerns for those on medications
- Does not encourage nutritious eating
- May promote overeating
- May not be advisable long-term
- If you have hypertension, hyperglycemia, cardiovascular disease, and liver and kidney diseases, intermittent fasting may be detrimental
Intermittent fasting plan for beginners
A common intermittent fasting plan is 16:8 intermittent fasting, where you eat during an 8-hour period of the day and fast for the remaining 16 hours. However, this can be very difficult for beginners since they require long periods of time where you eat nothing or very little. Hence, a good option for beginners is to start fasting for around 12 hours a day, most of which you will be asleep. After you get more comfortable with 12-hour fasts, you can slowly lengthen the time of the fast.
Word of Caution
You do NOT need to fast excessively to obtain the benefits, and overdoing it will do more harm than good especially if you are lean!
The safest course of action is to work with your healthcare provider when choosing and starting an IF program. Your provider can monitor your progress, including both benefits and concerns, to ensure that your eating style is healthy for you.
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