Intermittent fasting, is but nothing doing a fast other than traditional method. In normal fasting, we tend to not eat for a day or 2 day. In Intermittent fasting, a person shifts timing of eating to a late or delay. It focus on when you eat and promote a easier way to do fasting for many people.
Intermittent fasting is more about fasting time and eating window. During fasting time, a person wont eat anything, complete fast. Then after a certain period of time, the person eats and again follow the pattern. It majorly promotes weight loss, cellular repair (autophagy) and blood sugar regulation.
What are the common fasting methods?
There are many methods of fasting like 16:8 method, 5:2, and alternate day fasting method. Choose the method that best suit your time, body and physiology. No one method is perfect, and be careful while doing this type of fasting and if you have any issues first consult with the dietitian before starting this methods.
What is 16:8 Method?
This method says to fast for 16 hours, as from night 8 PM to 11.59 AM next day. Then, after that 12 PM to till 8 PM, you have eating window, for eating.
This method is good for people who can be manage to be without food for long period of time.
What is 5:2 Method?
In this method, a person eat like normal for 5 days and for 2 days he or she restrict hhis calories intake. He maintained calories to about 500 to 600 calories.
Alternate day fasting
In this, person takes fast for one day and then eat next day. This involves good eating on eating window period and fasting the next day.
Health benefits of Intermittent Fasting
There are many health benefits listed below,
- Weight loss (by utilizing store fat in the body)
- Can improve insuline sensitivity and effectiveness
- Improve heart function (It decreases bad cholestrol, triglyceride levels improving heart functions.)
- Decreases inflammation in the body
- Promotes cellular repair through autophagy process where old and death cells are recycled
- Improve metabolic health (improve blood sugar regulation)
- Improve digestive health
What are cautious things to know before starting a Intermittent Fasting?
Consult a healthcare professionals if you have any prior disease like HTN, DM or pregnant women, elderly women
Start slow, as take fast only till your body supports it. Do not be harsh on your body at start.
Drink plenty of water throughout day. It make you hydrated.
During a eating period or window, eat a nutritious food, like fruits, vegetables, whole grains, proeins, fats, nuts and legumes. This helps to fulfilled your body diet requirement during fasting. If you dont eat balanced diet on eating period then it may cause low calorie or protein intake in the body.
Do not overeat during eating period. This can decrease benefits of intermittent fasting and can also cause a digestive discomfort to person.
Watch for any side effects like extreme hunger, headache, fatigue, dizziness, irritability. Alter your fasting if you dont feel well.