One of the most prominent health trends in the last decade has been intermittent fasting.
Some people swear by the eating pattern because it helps them regulate their hunger and weight while supporting optimal health.
However, intermittent fasting may not be suitable for everyone for medical reasons or because it does not correspond to their idea of a balanced and sustainable diet.
This article examines some of the most prevalent intermittent fasting methods and their benefits and drawbacks.
The information provided may assist you in determining whether intermittent fasting is something you wish to pursue your health and happiness.
What is intermittent fasting?
Intermittent fasting is an eating pattern in which you go without eating for a prolonged time. This time usually lasts between 12 and 40 hours (1).
Water, coffee, and other calorie-free beverages are tolerated during the fast, but no solid meals or calorie-containing drinks are permitted.
If you finish supper at 7 p.m. on Monday and don’t eat again until 7 p.m. on Tuesday, you’ve had a 24-hour fast. Some people fast from breakfast to breakfast or from lunch to lunch. However, the optimal time frame differs on the person.
A full 24-hour fast every other day may appear severe and complex for many individuals to sustain. Thus it usually is not suggested for beginners. You don’t have to go all-in straight immediately, and many intermittent fasting regimens begin with shorter fasting intervals.
Here are the top 5 eating patterns for incorporating intermittent fasting into your diet:
- Time-restricted eating. It is fasting for 12 hours or longer daily and eating during the remaining hours. The 16/8 technique is a famous example. It includes a daily 16-hour fast and an 8-hour eating window during which you can consume two, three, or more meals.
- The 5:2 diet. The 5:2 diet entails regularly eating five days a week and lowering your calorie consumption to 500-600 on the other two days.
- Eat, Stop, Eat. Eat Stop Eat consists of a 24-hour fast once or twice a week.
- Alternate-day fasting. The purpose of alternate-day fasting is to fast every other day.
- The Warrior Diet. The Warrior Diet was one of the first popular diets that used intermittent fasting. It consists of eating little portions of raw fruits and vegetables throughout the day and one huge meal at night.
Three benefits of intermittent fasting
Researchers have previously connected intermittent fasting to several health advantages and are continuing to investigate them.
Furthermore, for some people, intermittent fasting fits nicely into their long-term paradigm of a balanced and sustainable diet.
If you’re wondering if intermittent fasting is good for you, here are a few advantages.
1. It might support weight loss and improve metabolic health.
People try intermittent fasting for two significant reasons: weight management and metabolic health. Metabolic health measures how efficiently the body processes or metabolize energy. Blood pressure, blood sugar, and blood fat levels are frequently used to assess it (2, 3, 4, 5).
Fasting or refraining from meals can result in a calorie deficit, which means your body has fewer calories than it needs to maintain weight. As a result, diets based on calorie restriction, such as fasting, are the characteristic of most weight loss programs.
According to research, some kinds of intermittent fasting can be as successful — if not more effective — for weight reduction than other diets that also rely on reducing your daily calorie intake (6, 7, 8, 9).
One kind of intermittent fasting connected directly to weight loss is time-restricted eating habits like the 16/8 technique. Fasting on alternate days and the 5:2 diet may also be beneficial (10, 11, 12, 13).
Aside from naturally reducing your calorie intake during the fasting period, intermittent fasting may help you lose weight by controlling your appetite to boost feelings of fullness while suppressing feelings of hunger (14, 15, 16).
The dietary pattern has also been related to additional health benefits, such as:
- blood pressure reduction (15, 17, 18, 19)
- increasing blood sugar levels (4, 11, 15, 20)
- repairing damaged cells (21)
- protecting brain health (22, 23, 24)
2. Can be a sustainable lifestyle change
Intermittent fasting may appear complex and daunting initially, but it may be accessible at times. Fasting may even help you streamline your day by requiring you to arrange fewer meals.
Furthermore, it does not often necessitate calorie monitoring, macro tracking, eating meals you aren’t used to, or removing items you ordinarily love.
One strategy to fast occasionally is to eat an early dinner followed by a late breakfast the next day. If you eat your last meal at 8 p.m. and don’t eat again until noon the next day, you’ve fasted for 16 hours.
This strategy may be challenging to adapt for persons who are hungry in the morning and want to have breakfast or for those who can’t eat until later in the evening owing to work schedules and other responsibilities.
Other people, on the other hand, eat in this manner instinctively. They may be more willing to experiment with an intermittent fasting eating habit.
3. Works well with a nutritious, whole foods diet
Because intermittent fasting focuses on when you eat rather than what you consume, it’s often simple to incorporate into your current diet.
You won’t need to buy any specific meals or deviate significantly from your usual diet.
If you’re happy with the status of your current diet but searching for more methods to improve your general health, fasting may be something to consider.
Intermittent fasting, for example, may be very beneficial for someone who wishes to combine it with a physical exercise regimen and a high protein diet (25).
However, this is not to say that what you consume is unimportant. There’s little question that consuming a range of nutritious meals and eliminating ultra-processed items within your eating window will help you enjoy the maximum advantages of intermittent fasting.
Three drawbacks of intermittent fasting
Intermittent fasting is one method for controlling calorie consumption and working toward better metabolic health.
Though the eating pattern may be part of a balanced diet, it will require some adjustment first. Furthermore, intermittent fasting is not for everyone.
Here are a few drawbacks to practicing intermittent fasting for the first time.
1. It might go against your intuition
Intermittent fasting necessitates self-control, constraint, and forethought.
Using those strategies to restrict your calorie consumption inside a specific time frame may be natural for some individuals, but it may feel odd for others at first. This is especially true if you’re used to following your instincts when it comes to eating.
Furthermore, if you choose not to stick to a regular schedule, you may find intermittent fasting difficult.
Furthermore, sticking to a strict calorie intake regimen may be difficult if your schedule varies daily due to your job, family, or other activities.
2. You’ll likely feel hungry
Even an 8- or 12-hour fast may seem long when you’re not used to fasting.
Several times every week, you may go to bed hungry. That is understandably uncomfortable and unsustainable in the long run (26).
Furthermore, it may be essential to resisting your normal hunger and fullness signs at times to avoid breaking your fast earlier than anticipated.
This isn’t to say that fasting isn’t something you can become acclimated to. After you’ve become used to intermittent fasting, you could notice that it makes you feel less hungry (14, 15).
Many individuals acclimatize to the pattern, and after a few months, some even love it. However, hunger and irritation are something to expect and be mindful of at first.
3. The side effects could affect your mood
Aside from feeling more hungry, one of the first things you may notice when you begin intermittent fasting is mood swings.
It’s understandable. Fasting can cause headaches, constipation, exhaustion, sleep difficulties, and other adverse effects, in addition to increasing appetite (15, 27, 28, 29).
Furthermore, anger and anxiety are common indicators of low blood sugar. This is a frequent biological reaction to fasting or calorie restriction (30, 31, 32).
Still, your emotional well-being, like hunger, maybe a side effect of intermittent fasting that will improve with time and practice (15).
After you’ve adjusted, intermittent fasting may give you a sense of accomplishment or pride (32).
The bottom line
Intermittent fasting is a weight loss strategy that works for some but not all people.
It is not suggested for anyone who has had or is presently suffering from an eating disorder. It may also be unsafe for youngsters, persons with underlying health concerns, and pregnant or nursing women.
If you try intermittent fasting, remember that diet quality is essential, as with any eating pattern.
Eat a range of nutrient-dense whole meals within your eating window and restrict ultra-processed items to get the most out of intermittent fasting.
Additionally, before beginning an intermittent fast, please speak with a competent healthcare expert to confirm that it is safe for you to do so.
0 Comments