Well fasting is the abstinence from food, thus when you sleep at night, you are technically fasting. This essentially makes sense as the first meal of the day is known as "break-fast" (breakfast), the meal that breaks the fasting period you undergo when asleep.
Intermittent fasting (IF) is similar to the conventional fasting approach except the periods in which the fast occurs is strategically prolonged. It involves limiting your eating window to a specific time period each day. A typical IF period requires abstaining from food for 16 hours or more, however there are many other IF variations that we will explore in the next post.
The reduction of calories by skipping meals has been proven to increase the lifespan of animals such as mice and monkeys. Furthermore, limiting food intake may also help reduce the risk of common diseases, increase the body's responsiveness to insulin and improve blood pressure. One recent study also stated that although both counting calories and intermittent fasting were equally effective for losing weight and fat, Intermittent fasting still preserved more lean muscle mass than calorie restriction.
There are 2 popular methods to intermittent fast:
- 16:8 (16 hours of fasting, followed by an 8 hour window period for normal calorie consumption)
- 5:2 (Eat normally for 5 days a week, but eat nothing or about 25% of your normal calorie intake for 2 days. 25% should be approximately 500 calories, depending on your body size)
Fun Fact!
There is a new article recently published by Business Insider UK (2018) that describes IF as a diet trend that many in Silicon Valley actually follow religiously. Many CEOs and tech pioneers are advocates of IF, including Facebook executive Dan Zigmond who restricts his eating time period from 9 am to 5.30 pm each day. I guess a diet plan that gives the user freedom from counting calories and cutting carbs seems too good to forgo! I mean, Silicon Valley loves it! How can we not feel the same? Link
Tips to ease your fasting experience!
- Fast overnight (essentially you are asleep and fasting for 8 hours, hence reducing the chance of getting hangry)
- Drink black coffee, drinks or gum with no calories (During periods of fasting, putting anything into your stomach helps, as long as there is no calories)
- Stay busy (Doing things takes the hunger of your mind)
- Stay hydrated (Drinking water helps get you through fasting periods)
- Do it with a friend (Having someone to be accountable to and fasting with you makes the process a whole lot easier)
In today's society, information has become so readily available that making health and lifestyle decisions based on what you see online is almost inevitable. There are so many different individuals and experts claiming they know what works best and they do back it up with studies and research, saturating the health and wellness community with too much controversial information.
Intermittent fasting may sound beneficial and easy to follow, but it may not be for everyone. There is no right or wrong answer as every individual is different. You know your own body better than anyone else, thus don't feel jaded if IF doesn't work well for you. Don't follow health trends for the sake of it, but find one that works for you and stick to it.
Ultimately, all that matters is that you are satisfied with yourself!