Intermittent Fasting – What Is It?

The practice of “intermittent fasting” has become very popular lately, because it can help people live a healthier life. Although it may not be for everyone it’s definitely worth looking at to see if it works for you.

I have spent hours researching, learning, and talking it over with my doctor before starting my personal “IF” (Intermittent Fasting). I suggest you do the same as I found that I now have the tools and education needed that helps me stick to my new nutritional lifestyle.

WHAT IS INTERMITTENT FASTING?
It means that instead of eating whenever you want or 3 meals a day, you eat all your food at one time or within a certain window of time. Intermittent fasting is an umbrella term that covers various types of fasting schedules when calorie consumption is limited in whole or in part, either a couple of days a week, or every other day, or on a daily basis. The great thing about IF is it does not mean that you have to cut out your favorite healthy foods or eat only bland salads.

HOW DO YOU GET STARTED?

1. Eat Stop Eat
The Eat Stop Eat Method is best for healthy eaters who want an extra push. How it works: Fasted once or twice a week for 24 hours. During the 24-hour fast, nothing is eaten and you only drink calorie-free drinks. After the 24 hours are over, you usually return to normal food. The main reason for this method?

This type of intermittent fasting reduces total calorie intake without really limiting what you eat, just how often you are allowed to eat. Yeah, 24 hours without food sound like a very long time. The good news is that this program is flexible.

You do not have to go for the all-or-nothing principle in the beginning. On the first day, do not eat as long as you can and gradually increase the fasting phase over time to slowly help your body adapt. It can help to start intermittent fasting if you have something nice to do during the day and at the same time have no eating commitments, such as lunch at work.

2. Lean Gains
The Lean Gains method is best for dedicated athletes who want to lose body fat and build muscle. How it works: 14 to 16 hours per day are fasted and eaten in the remaining eight to ten hours. During the fasting hours you are not allowed to eat any calories, although black coffee, diet cola, and sugar-free chewing gum are allowed.

For most, it will be easiest to fast at night until the morning hours and then break the fast about 6 hours after waking up around noon. This process is adaptable to any lifestyle, but it is important to follow regular feeding times. The Lean Gains method can be combined particularly well with another dietary known as the keto diet.

The diet, based purely on healthy fats, provides you with the ideal source of energy after a long period of fasting. In particular, a Bulletproof Coffee or Butter coffee is a great way to add help curb your appetite while you fast. Simply combine the coffee with butter and some MCT oil and immediately you are optimally supplied with energy.

I was skeptical at first using this method but it actually works and I personally love the taste of salt from the butter in my coffee. I know, sounds weird but I like it. If you want you can try coconut butter which tastes amazing. This really helped me get over my hunger especially the last couple of hours. I don’t need to do it any more as my body has adjusted and now I find I am not hungry it’s time to eat.

3. Up-Day-Down-Day
The Up-Day-Down-Day method works best for disciplined dieters with a specific target weight. How it works: You eat very little in one day and as usual the next day. On the low-calorie days, that means one-fifth of your usual calorie intake.

With 2,000 or 2,500 calories as a guideline, a fasting day includes 400 to 500 calories. To make it easier to sustain “down” days, diet shakes can help in the initial stages as they are very satiated but low in calories. However, diet shakes as food should be used only in the initial stages of the diet. Then you should start eating proper food on down days.

If sport is part of your routine, it could be harder for you to perform on down days. On these days, you should take your training sessions a little easier or put the sport on days with normal calorie intake. That’s how you make sure you stay healthy and powerful at the same time.

BENEFITS OF INTERMITTENT FASTING

1. Helps you live long
A lot of people try intermittent fasting as a means of extending their lifespan.

Recent studies analyzed the effect of short-term fasting on the longevity of the life of mice. The results showed positive results in favor of IF. You’ll find links to these studies at the bottom of this article.

As a result of these studies it can be concluded that intermittent fasting can improve health and reduce the risk of chronic diseases, which in turn can prolong life.

2. Helps you lose weight and burns fat in the abdomen.
In this type of fasting, you eat less food during the day which means your body uses the energy you need from stored calories or body fat. In addition, it will increase your metabolic rate, which will help you burn even more calories.

Intermittent fasting can lead to fat burning in the abdomen, harmful abdominal fat, which is a risk factor for many diseases, such as diabetes, high cholesterol, and heart problems.

3. Reduces the risk of cardiovascular diseases.
Periodic fasting helps reduce the risk of cardiovascular problems. It helps to reduce the various risk factors that contribute to heart disease, as it helps to lower blood pressure, total LDL or “bad” cholesterol, and blood sugar levels. It also helps reduce inflammatory markers of cardiovascular disease.

The 2014 study, published in the International Journal of Health, notes that intermittent fasting can have cardio-protective effects.

4. Cell Repair
Intermittent fasting also helps with important cell repair processes, such as removing waste from cells.

Healthy cells are important for a healthy life, but they can become damaged due to oxidative stress. This can speed up the aging process and cause many health problems. IF is a safe way to prevent or repair cell damage from oxidative stress.

Fasting leads to a slight increase in the production of free radicals at an early stage during fasting. Cells react by increasing their levels of natural antioxidants to combat future free radical damage. This causes the cells to better cope with stronger oxidative stress in the future.

5. Helps with Stress
If you suffer from chronic stress, fasting may decrease your stress level. The problem with chronic stress is that it makes you more sensitive to other stressors. IF can help lower your blood pressure, your blood sugar, and give your body rest all which helps relieve physical stress.

THINGS TO CONSIDER

In order to carry out the intermittent fasting correctly, it is important to eat nutritious food.

It’s not going to do you any good if you eat gallons of ice cream or head out to eat a fast food meal filled with empty calories. Try to eat a whole foods balanced meal. I’m a big fan of Organic vegetables and pasture raised proteins.

Pregnant women, children, and people with specific medical conditions should refrain from intermittent fasting. If someone wants to gain control of themselves through control over food, they should abstain from intermittent fasting. Anorexia, bulimia, and orthorexia can be exacerbated and worsened.

IN CONCLUSION

Intermittent fasting puts the body in the natural context of energy intake and release. This makes it a good way to build and maintain metabolic health. It provides a range of health benefits and extends the lifespan of so many species.

On a personal note, I have intermittent fasted many times and found it to be extremely helpful. I felt better, lost weight, and liked knowing that I had control over food rather than cave and crave food uncontrollably. Please continue to study and research IF because I believe it will give you the confidence needed to stick to it. I wish you success in your health goals!

RESEARCH – Mice Study 01 – 02 – 03 – 04  – Heart Study 01