Intermittent is a very popular health and fitness trend, which people are using to lose weight, improve their and simplify their lifestyles.
In fact, many studies have shown intermittent fasting can have very powerful effects on your body and brain which could help you live for longer (Barnosky et al. 2014).
So, what is intermittent fasting?
Intermittent fasting is an eating pattern that cycles between periods of fasting and eating.
Fasting has been a practice throughout human evolution. Ancient hunter-gatherers didn’t have supermarkets, refrigerators, or food ready and available all year round. Therefore, humans have been able to function without food for an extended period of time.
There are many different ways of doing intermittent fasting- all of which involve splitting the day or week into eating and fasting periods
Let’s have a look at the most popular methods
• The 16/8 method: this involves skipping breakfast and restricting your daily eating period to 8 hours and then you fast for 16 hours in between.
• Eat- Stop- Eat: This involves fasting for 24 hours once or twice a week
• The 5:2 diet: This is when you only consume 500-600 calories on two non-consecutive days of the week and eat normally on the remaining 5 days.
All of these methods reduce your total calorie intake, creating a calorie deficit that results in weight loss.
So, let’s look at the 3 main benefits of Intermittent fasting alongside weight loss
1. Improves insulin resistance
Intermittent fasting can actually reduce insulin resistance, by lowering blood sugar levels by 3-6% which can help protect against type 2 diabetes
2. Reduces inflammation
Studies have shown that intermittent fasting show reductions in markers of inflammation-which are key drivers to many chronic diseases (Johnson et al. 2007)
3. Improves heart health
Research has shown that intermittent fasting can reduce bad cholesterol- otherwise known as LDL cholesterol- which can protect against heart disease
Overall, intermittent fasting has proven to have many benefits on the body which can improve your overall health.
Intermittent fasting can help you lose weight as you are in a calorie deficit, however, there are other ways you can be in a calorie deficit such as consuming portion-controlled meals tailored to your calorie intake to achieve a sustainable weight loss of 1-2 Ibs per week.
References
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S193152441400200X
