What Is Intermittent Fasting? And How It Affects your Skin
But wait, isn’t skipping breakfast bad for you? At least 16 hours without food?
I have been intermittent fasting for more than 2 years now.
Every day…
- I deliberately skipping breakfast when I wake up
- I would not consume anything until after 12pm.
- Then, I would make sure to eat my meals before 8pm
- Start my fast until the next day, again, after 12pm.
And REPEAT.
Hang on a second. Without going into automatic judgment, this is totally justifiable. There are many health benefits while being very easy to implement into your lifestyle. In this post, I’ll briefly give a quick rundown on intermittent fasting and everything that goes with it.
What Is Intermittent fasting?
Intermittent fasting (IF) is an eating plan and pattern that follows a regular time schedule between fasting and eating.
- Right now, one of the world’s most trendy health and fitness enthusiasms
- Used to lose weight, improve health and simplify lifestyles
- Many studies show that it can have positive body effects and may even help with longevity
Seems like a no-brainer to begin right away, right?
First of all, intermittent fasting is not a diet. It’s a way of planning your meals to get the most out of them.
Next, it doesn’t change what you eat, it changes when you eat.
Ultimately, it is one of the simplest strategies for improving health such as losing weight because it just requires an adjustment to your daily behavior.
It is so simple that everybody can do it and, at the same time, very impactful that it will actually make a difference.
Why fast?
HEALTHIER LIFESTYLE.
In today’s POST-COVID world, your health is everything.
Especially when the majority of cases are relating to factors such as obesity, hypertension and diabetes.
AND ALL THESE ARE PREVENTABLE.
That is why it is SO IMPORTANT to get our HEALTH right.
Did you know that…?
- 3% of the population has diabetes and elevated blood sugar is the number three risk factor for death?
- Over 39% of the population is obese? And it is only getting worse with the World Health Organization estimating that obesity has tripled since 1975.
- Over 1 in 4 people have hypertension, or elevated blood pressure, and this is the number one risk factor for death?
Although these stats might seem intimidating, there is hope. These conditions can be managed and improved through easy-to-maintain lifestyle changes.
This effective “life hack” that can simplify your life and is much easier than dieting, while improving your health at the same time.
The fewer meals you need to plan for, the simpler your life will be for you to focus on other things.
The Health Benefits of Intermittent Fasting
Here are the main health benefits of intermittent fasting.
- Weight loss – belly fat, without having to consciously restrict calories
- Insulin resistance – lowering blood sugar by 3–6% and fasting insulin levels by 20–31%, which should protect against type 2 diabetes
- Inflammation – Some studies show reductions in markers of inflammation, a key driver of many chronic diseases
- Heart health – reduce “bad” LDL cholesterol, blood triglycerides, inflammatory markers, blood sugar and insulin resistance — all risk factors for heart disease
- Cancer – Animal studies suggest that intermittent fasting may prevent cancer
- Brain health – increases the brain hormone BDNF and may aid the growth of new nerve cells. It may also protect against Alzheimer’s disease
- Anti-aging – can extend lifespan. Studies showed in rats that fasted rats lived 36–83% longer
When fasted, we get significant reductions in blood sugar and insulin levels, as well as a drastic increase in human growth hormone
Weight is one of the most impactful risk factors for disease, health and self-confidence. So why not be the one in control of your weight instead of relying on fad diets that result in weight yo-yo’ing because they are impossible to turn into life-long habits.
Types of Intermittent Fasting
These are the most popular methods:
1. 16-HOUR FAST, or the 16:8 Intermittent Fast
- most popular
- many find it to be the simplest, most sustainable and easiest to stick to
- easily incorporated into daily life
- restrict eating to an eight-hour window with 2–3 meals, and fast for 16 hours
2. 20-HOUR FAST, or 20:4
- challenging to consume a high amount of calories in such a short time frame
- 20 hour fast, with a four-hour eating window
3. LONGER, e.g. 24/36/72 hours
- generally not done daily, but rather periodically
- incorporated into their weekly, monthly or yearly schedule
- enhances ketosis
4. 5:2 / Fast Diet
- encourages fasting for 2 days of the week.
- for any two days, calories are restricted to 500–600
- for the remaining five days, eating is not restricted by fasting
5. Alternate day fasting
- fasting every other day
- one day of eating followed by one day of fasting
- can be hard to stick with long-term
- may affect your social life
How To Integrate Fasting Into Your Everyday Schedule.
- Identify your personal goals
First and foremost, a person who starts intermittent fasting sets a main objective. Whether it be weight loss, improve overall health or improve metabolic health, your ultimate goal will help determine the most suitable fasting method for you.
- Choose the right method for you
Next, a person should pick one fasting method (as the types listed above) and give it a real chance for at least a month before trying a different method. Remember to consult a medical provider if you have an underlying condition before beginning.
- Determine your calories
One should remember that you don’t need to eat a certain amount or type of food or avoid foods altogether. You’re free to eat whatever you want. However, binging on unhealthy foods will likely hinder your health progress. It is recommended to follow a certain diet to see the results you want.
- Follow it through and be patient
Give this a real chance. Don’t give up. You might not see the results initially, but if you’re true to yourself, eventually all the hard work and perseverance will pay off.
Final Thoughts
No matter what intermittent fasting regimen you decide to follow, always remember that calories and quality of food are still very important and should never be disregarded. Often people can neglect food quality or overindulge on calories as they use IF as an excuse. This may not be effective in the long run. Remember that ultimately, we are all striving to be the healthiest we can be. So have fun and experiment with different forms to see which one is best to your liking.
