Intermittent fasting is one of the most popular health and fitness trends in the world today and it seems to be gaining more traction as we learn new information about it and the health benefits it offers. People all over the world are using it to lose weight, improve their overall health, and simplify their everyday lives.
But what exactly is intermittent fasting and why does it work? Today we’re going to break down what it is, why you might benefit from it, the most popular methods, why it may not be right for you, and how to get started if you are a beginner.
What is Intermittent Fasting?
Humans have been practicing fasting for thousands of years. Whether it be because ancient hunter-gatherers didn’t always have access to food and were forced to endure long periods of not eating or because of religious or spiritual practices, such as Christianity, Judaism, and Islam. But what is intermittent fasting and how does it work?
Intermittent fasting refers to a pattern of eating that cycles between periods of consuming foods and periods of abstaining from meals for a predetermined amount of time. Simply put, one would intermittently fast for a certain number of hours a day and only consume meals within a specified time period. While it is most effective when working in tandem with a healthy diet, it’s not necessarily about what you eat, but when you eat it. To be clear, it is not like a traditional food-restrictive diet, rather it is a pattern of eating and is intended to be more of a lifestyle.
What Are the Benefits?
Several health benefits take place on a cellular and molecular level when you are fasting such as the hormone levels adjusting in order to make stored body fat more accessible, which can then lead to greater fat loss. Additionally, the cellular repair process is initiated while in a fasted state which includes the process called autophagy. This process allows cells to manage and eliminate aging and dysfunctional proteins that accumulate inside the cells. This means that intermittent fasting has the potential to prevent or slow the development and spread of cancer in the body.
A few other benefits of a time-based eating pattern include the increased levels of Human Growth Hormone (HGH) which leads to greater fat loss and muscle growth, decreased levels of insulin which also makes stored body fat more accessible, and changes to the expression of genes related to prolonged existence and safeguards from deadly diseases such as diabetes and heart disease.
Intermittent fasting has been proven to have an incredible effect on both the body and mind and studies have shown that it can even help to prolong your lifespan. Restricting your calories in such a way causes changes in the body that slow down the aging process by keeping your cells and DNA healthy. This is key to achieving longevity as damaged cells lead to chronic illness and the cause of aging is the wearing down of our DNA.
What Are the Most Popular Methods?
There are several different methods for intermittent fasting. Each of these methods operates under the same principle which is to split the day or week up into fasting periods and mealtimes. Depending on the method you choose, you will either consume very limited portions or nothing at all. The most common approaches utilized by the health and fitness community are the 16/8 method or Leangains protocol, the Eat-Stop-Eat or 24-hour method, the 5:2 diet, and the warrior diet.
The 16/8 method or Leangains protocol involves restricting your mealtime every day to an 8-hour window with the other 16 hours being your fasting window. This usually means that you would skip breakfast and not consume anything until 12 or 1 PM with your last mealtime ending at 8 or 9 PM.
The Eat-Stop-Eat or 24-hour method requires you to fast for an entire 24-hour period up to two times a week. This would mean not consuming anything other than water for an entire day, then eating like you normally would the following day or two.
The 5:2 diet involves only consuming 500 or 600 calories on any two days you choose each week, then resuming your normal meal routine the other five days. However, the two days that you only consume 500 or 600 calories should be staggered, not following each other successively.
The warrior diet involves restricting your mealtime every day to a 4-hour eating window. This usually means the consumption of one large meal and the other 20 hours fast.
What Are the Downsides?
Unfortunately, intermittent fasting is not a perfect system and is certainly not for everyone as it does come with some major downsides and possible health risks. One of which is that intermittent fasting is not compatible with intuitive eating. In fact, studies show that the presence of the two hormones leptin and ghrelin, otherwise known as the hunger and fullness hormones actually decrease while in a fasted state. This can make it difficult to follow hunger cues and eat intuitively.
Additionally, intermittent fasting can increase the risk of someone developing eating disorders or even exacerbate an existing eating disorder. It can also cause some nasty side effects like dehydration, irritability, low energy, and poor performance at work or during physical activity. This can become quite concerning if you are operating heavy machinery or a motor vehicle. It’s incredibly important to consult with your physician or registered dietitian nutritionist before attempting an intermittent fasting routine, especially if you already have health concerns or take any sort of medication.
How to Get Started for Beginners
It’s always a good approach to ease into a new routine. The best methods for beginners are going to be the time-restricted eating methods like the 16/8 method aka the Leangains protocol. This can also be done a few times a week at first instead of every day to start. Once you get used to it you can build up from there.
Be sure to listen to your body and pay attention to side effects. If you are feeling dizzy, lightheaded, irritable, or experiencing brain fog you may need to decrease the amount of time fasted. The goal is to improve your quality of life. If it causes you too much stress this will have the opposite effect.
To recap, intermittent fasting has many health benefits. It can assist in weight loss, fat loss, and muscle growth, help to prevent diseases, and improve longevity. There are many different methods you can try to find what will best suit your lifestyle. Though it is a popular health and fitness trend, it is not for everyone. Consult with your physician and pay attention to how you feel. Listen to your body and ease into it at first.
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