Intermittent Fasting: Fad or Future?
A quick guide to help you see if intermittent fasting is your cup of tea
You have a few extra kilograms.
Or you want to start leading a healthier lifestyle.
You need a new beginning, but you are tired of crazy diets that you forget about after you’re done. You want something to stick to.
As most 21st-century people, you will probably resort to Google for advice. One of the first suggestions? Intermittent fasting. When you hear the word “fasting”, you probably think you’ll have to starve all day. No, you get to eat. But only within a certain period of time.
According to Kris Gunnars, a nutrition researcher writing for Healthline,
intermittent fasting is an eating pattern where you alternate between periods of fasting and eating.
There are many ways to do it, the most popular being the 16/8 method — give yourself 8 hours when you can eat and then fast for the rest of the day. Some recommended eating windows are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., or noon to 8 p.m., according to Medical News Today. This is thought to be the most sustainable and simple method. You could also fast for 24 hours once or twice during the week or choose two days when you only eat 500 to 600 calories.
What’s unusual about this diet is that it doesn’t restrict what you eat, but when you eat it.
Sound suspicious and scary? Don’t worry! In this article, we will discuss some common questions people ask about intermittent fasting.
1) Does this mean I can eat anything I want?
If you want results, binging on junk food within those 8 hours wouldn’t help. If you consume more calories than you burn, you will gain weight. The main benefit of this diet is that it should help you consume fewer calories, which helps you lose weight. Not having restrictions on what to eat makes a lot of people doubt whether intermittent fasting really works. However, physician and writer Monique Tello from the Harvard Health Blog, a medium created by the Harvard Medical School, offers some relatively simple guidelines. You should avoid sugars and refined grains.Snacking is also not recommendable, especially close to nighttime. A good diet would include fruits, vegetables, legumes, whole grains, healthy fats and lean proteins.
2) What’s in it for me?
Fasting helps your body get energy more easily. Since the main idea behind it is to eat less, it is likely to help you lose weight. Moreover, it can promote longevity and prevention of diseases such as heart disease, cancer, Alzheimer’s, type 2 diabetes, etc. Research shows that fasting can also give you better metabolism, decrease inflammation and clear out toxins and damaged cells. This comes from a review of the science behind intermittent fasting published in New England Journal of Medicine.
3) Is it safe? What side effects should I expect?
Just like any other diet, it is strongly recommended that you speak with your doctor before trying out intermittent fasting. If you have a condition such as diabetes and heart disease, or you have a history of eating disorders, you need to be extra careful. This diet is not recommended for women who are trying to conceive, pregnant, or breastfeeding, warns Gunnar. As for the side effects, it will take you some time to get used to it. In 2017, a study on fasting was published in JAMA Internal Medicine, written by Dr Varady, representative of the Department of Kinesiology and Nutrition at the University of Illinois. 38% of the participants couldn’t stick to the diet. This is most likely due to the rocky road at the beginning, such as the feeling of hunger, weakness, and the difficulty concentrating. Some people adapt faster than others, but there is no scientific explanation for that yet.
4) What if I skip breakfast? Isn’t it unhealthy?
Depending on the fasting time frame you choose, you might decide to skip breakfast. According to Gunnar, skipping breakfast is okay as long as you eat healthy food throughout the day. The bad reputation of breakfast skippers comes from other unhealthy habits they tend to have, such as smoking, drinking and leading a sedentary lifestyle. However, having breakfast or skipping it doesn’t make a significant difference. Through his research, Tim Spector, professor of genetic epidemiology at King’s College London, proved that there is no solid evidence that skipping breakfast provokes weight gain or worsens metabolism. Plus, starting off the day with a sugary cereal is not the best move if you’re going for a healthy diet!
5) Why is intermittent fasting so popular now?
Fasting has actually been around for thousands of years. Our ancestors led active lifestyles and had to fast when there was not enough food. Now, it’s the exact opposite — most people around the world have plenty of food options but also lead sedentary lifestyles. This explains the increasing problem of obesity. Also, fasting is a part of various cultures and religions today, such as Christianity, Buddhism and Islam, so it’s not something entirely new.
The verdict
So, the ultimate question: is intermittent fasting here to stay? Well, it has existed for a long time in history, and it has just recently started gaining popularity again. Overall, intermittent fasting is considered safe for a healthy person and can have several health benefits, but it is not for everyone. The best decision you could make is to consult with a doctor, listen to your body and choose the diet that fits your needs and lifestyle best.
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Trayana Karamihaleva is a business administration and journalism and mass communications student at the American University in Bulgaria. In the past few years, she has been researching different ways to lead a healthy lifestyle.
