The 401 on Intermittent Fasting
Fasting is the oldest nutritional intervention for weight loss and good health that exists. Only in the last few years, however, has it gained mainstream traction. Today, fasting, in the form of intermittent fasting, is one of the most popular dieting choices on the planet. The reason is simple - it works! In this article we investigate what intermittent fasting is, why you should do it and how to implement it into your life.
What is Intermittent Fasting
Intermittent fasting (IF) is a strategic period of non-eating for health and weight loss benefits. There are all sorts of intermittent fasting protocols based on the length of the eating and non-eating periods or ‘windows’. The most common are:
16 / 8 - The 24 hour day is divided into 16 hours of not eating and 8 hours of eating.
24 Hour Fast - on this plan you eat normally for 5 out of 7 days. On the other two, you fast for 24 hours. These are done on no-consecutive days.
36 Hour Fast - A 36 hour fast usually runs from after dinner on Day One (around 7pm) right through to breakfast time on Day Three (around 7am).
Intermittent Fasting Benefits
The main goal of intermittent fasting, and the reason that most people do it, is to lose body fat. Body Fat is nothing more than stored energy. When we are not fasting our bodies use glucose as our energy source. That comes from carbohydrates. However, when we are fasting, we cut off the glucose supply.
The body only has a limited capacity to store glucose. After 10-12 hours of not eating, those stores will be used up. At that point, your body will have no choice but to turn to your stored body fat in order to meet its energy needs. When it does, everything you do, both consciously and unconsciously, is eating away at your stored body fat. There are many benefits to intermittent fasting beyond fat loss. These include:
Increased human growth hormone release - HGH is, along with testosterone, a key muscle building hormone. It has been shown to have an inverse relationship with insulin. When you don’t eat, you don’t release insulin, but you do release a lot of HGH!
Cognitive improvement - studies have shown that intermittent fasting can increase the levels of a key neurotropic protein called BDNF by up to 400 percent. Increased BDNF activity has been shown to enhance memory and spatial navigation.
Cardiovascular benefits - studies have conclusively shown that intermittent fasting has the ability to improve the key cardiovascular health markers of cholesterol levels, blood pressure, triglycerides and inflammatory markers.
How to Get Started With Intermittent Fasting
Getting started with intermittent fasting is as easy as cutting out your breakfast. Contrary to what we’ve been told, breakfast is not the most important meal of the day. If your last meal in the evening was concluded at 7pm and you skip breakfast to have your meal of the following day at 11am, then you have just completed a 16/8 fast. Once you get comfortable with 16/8 dieting you can begin to extend the length of your fast.
A big mistake that many people make is to eat a huge meal when they come off the fast. This will only make you feel sick. The key to success is to eat normally during your feeding window. Be sure, too, to drink 8-10 glasses of water while you are fasting.
Wrap Up
If you haven’t yet given intermittent fasting a try, why not use this article to spur you on to give it a go. You will be surprised at how easy it is - and how ‘not hungry’ you feel. Stick with it for at least six weeks to start seeing some real results in terms of fat loss and overall health. Then, if you're like most people who dip their feet in the intermittent fasting waters, you’ll be a lifelong IFer.
