Benefits of Intermittent Fasting
I am sure you’ve heard the phrase “intermittent fasting”.
It’s one of the buzz words around at the moment, and for good reason, especially if you’re looking to change your lifestyle or lose some unwanted weight, it might be something to consider trying. While dieting is something many people turn to when trying to lose weight, it’s often too strict, difficult to follow and therefore unsustainable.
Intermittent fasting is for people concerned about their health, weight, and longevity. It’s easier to follow, we don’t have to adjust what we eat, we only have to make changes to when we eat. It’s not a diet, it’s a lifestyle and with a bit of practice, it can become an easy way to stay healthy, lean and have more energy.
I used to be skeptical about fasting. I was brought up to believe that the most important meal of the day iis breakfast and we should eat every 3 hours to maintain a healthy metabolism, otherwise, often we can get hangry!!! ☺ To be fair, I did get quite cranky and hungry before I learned to slowly allow my body to adjust to the new rhythm, but the benefits outweighed the transition period and now I feel energised, strong and I can still eat my dark chocolate!
How does Intermittent fasting work?
When we eat normally, our liver stores glucose, which the body uses preferentially for energy before it turns to burning body fat. It takes 10 to 12 hours to use up the calories in the liver before a metabolic shift occurs to using stored fat. After meals, glucose is used for energy and fat is stored in fat tissue, but during fasts, once glucose is depleted, fat is broken down and used for energy.
There are many ways to practice intermittent fasting but the two most popular are:
5:2 fast – eat normally five days a week, then limit the calorie intake on the other two days to 500-600 calories.
16/8 fast – eat all of your calories in a shortened time period of between six to eight hours and then fast for the remaining 14 to 16 hours. This can be done every day or a few times a week.
The health benefits of intermittent fasting can include:
Weight-loss
Improved brain function
Lowering cholesterol
Promotion of cellular repair
Decreased sugar and food cravings
Increased energy
Increased lifespan
One of the biggest reasons for me to stick with intermittent fasting, is that it makes my routine simpler...I'm big on behaviour change, simplicity, and reducing stress. Intermittent fasting provides additional simplicity to my life that I really enjoy. When I wake up, I don't worry about breakfast. I just grab a glass of water and start my day ☺