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Have you heard the one about “intermittent fasting”? If not, you should know that it’s a buzzword that means different things to different people. While it may have originated as a way to restrict your intake of food in an attempt to lose weight, scientists now know that intermittent fasting isn’t only beneficial for your health. It’s also a great way to get healthy. If you haven’t heard of intermittent fasting yet, that’s probably because it’s not something that most people consider doing.
Intermittent fasting is when you restrict your daily eating schedule to fasted days — essentially, when your body doesn’t receive any calories from food for 12 hours. It can be done for a number of reasons: to lose weight, reduce stress and blood sugar levels, or simply because you enjoy it. It’s also not at all uncommon among athletes
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Contents
Is Intermittent Fasting Bad For You?
As with many things in life, not all things work for everyone. While there is no known side effect from intermittent fasting, some people may experience digestive issues, headaches, and other symptoms if they go too long without eating. Those who wish to lose weight may find that intermittent fasting leads to impaired judgment, decreased interest in food, and even a reduction in the number of calories consumed. Some have also reported increased hunger during a fast.
Why Is Intermittent Fasting Good For You?
As we mentioned above, there are a number of health benefits associated with intermittent fasting, but the most important one is this: it helps improve your health. Excessive hunger is bad, but fullness is good. On the other hand, when your body is unable to get enough calories, it will slow down your aging process. This makes sense, right?
Defying Time-Restricted feeding improves long-term health
One of the most important reasons to do intermittent fasting is to stay healthy. We know that feeling hungry and having a desire to eat are natural feelings. However, when your body is not getting the nutrients it needs from food, it will turn to stored muscle and fat for energy. In addition, when you fast, you are in a state of grace, where you are not consuming calories. This is an important part of the process of health improvement, where your body is allowed to repair itself.
How To Do Intermittent Fasting
There are a number of ways to go about intermittent fasting. We’ll go over the most common ones here: Cereal with added fibre You can try this if you’re not a fan of rice. It has a high fibre content, which can help prevent constipation, gas, and other digestive issues. Fruit with low sugar content You will want to stay away from sugary fruits during your fast.
They have a high water content, which makes it harder for your body to eliminate. Vegetable with low salt content You can also try this if you’re a salt lover. It has a relatively low sodium content, which makes it easier for your body to eliminate. Meats and eggs Free range or organic? We recommend going with the free range option because it’s likely to be less stress for the animals and easier for them to digest.
The Lowdown on When You Can Eat On An Intermittent Fast
On the days where you fast, you can eat whatever you want — though we recommend steering clear of highly processed foods, sugary drinks, and high-fat foods. Remember, you’re trying to re-energize your body and improve your health. Therefore, your diet should be relatively healthy. You may want to drink a glass of wine with dinner on occasion, but you shouldn’t eat two pizzas and a large dessert during your fast.
The best times to eat on an intermittent fast
If you plan to fast for a extended period of time, we recommend timing your meals so that you are in a state of grace — that is, your body is in a state of low supply and demand for nutrients. If you’re eating after 8pm, for example, you’re likely not going to be in a mood to fast the next day.
Bottom line
Remember, the goal isn’t to deprivation or go without food. You should feel free to indulge when you want to, and not feel bad if you don’t. Being mindful of your intake while on an intermittent fast is important, because you want to avoid eating too little, or eating too much. Intermittent fasting is not a diet, but a lifestyle change that can help you look and feel good.
