Intermittent fasting (IF) is the practice of going for longer than usual periods of time without any caloric intake.
[the_ad id=”6178″]We do this naturally every day when we sleep at night. Our body is then said to be in a fasting state until we break the fast next morning with a ‘breakfast’. Intermittent fasting is now one of the most popular trends in fitness and weight loss. Intermittent fasting, unlike other diet and weight loss plans, is not concerned with the type of food you eat but the time you eat your food. It is all about the timing!
There are many techniques to do intermittent fasting but most commonly, fasting for 16 or 24 hours straight without taking a single calorie is the most popular. Humans actually have been fasting throughout history and evolution because, for example, the primitive man did not have grocery stores and supermarkets to buy food from. He had to hunt and food would not be available all the time. So, fasting was a logical way of life and is thought to be more natural than our constantly fed state.
According to a renowned dietitian : “Intermittent fasting is safe when performed properly, and can change the function of cells, genes, and hormones – and is therefore beneficial for weight loss and disease prevention.”
Going through extended periods of time without food pushes the body into hyperdrive pumping growth hormone and testosterone into the blood, so the primitive cave man could have the energy to hunt and gather food.
Here Are Some of the Benefits of Intermittent Fasting
Increase in:
- Growth hormone release
- Metabolic rate, thus an increase in fat burning and weight loss
- Testosterone hormone, which is responsible for fat burning and gaining lean muscle mass
- Cell turnover and renewal
- Neurotrophic factors and antioxidants
Decrease in:
- Blood pressure (through lowering blood sugar and fats)
- Insulin resistance (helps type-2 diabetes patients)
- Inflammatory markers and cancer cells growth
- Memory loss and brain function deterioration (through decreasing blood sugar and cortisol levels which contribute vastly to the deterioration of brain function)
All the benefits mentioned above are scientifically proven. Although a lot of the research concerning IF has been done on animals, human testing is just gaining momentum and seems to show pleasing results as well. It is not a magical solution to all of mankind’s diseases but it certainly is worth giving a try.
Please consult your doctor before you try intermittent fasting, especially if you have any medical problems.
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