What’s the deal with intermittent fasting? Why is everyone talking about it? Does it really work for weight loss? We dive into the facts on fasting in this blog.
You might have heard people speaking about ’intermittent fasting’. This form of dieting is fast becoming a popular and effective weight-loss method. Intermittent fasting is nothing new, but it has only recently become a buzz word in the fitness and weight loss industry.
Basically, this method of eating involves fasting (not eating) for certain windows of time. It’s believed that this break from food gives your body the time it needs to properly break down, digest and use the energy from the food you have eaten.
There are various methods of fasting, the most common of which is fasting for 16 hours at a time (skipping breakfast and only eating two meals a day). Which might sound crazy as we are so often told that breakfast is the most important meal of the day.
To answer your questions to find out more about intermittent fasting, we have put together this blog.
What is intermittent fasting?
The first thing you need to know is that intermittent fasting is not a diet (surprising, we know). It’s seen as a pattern of eating. You schedule your meals in order to get the most out of them. So, it’s not really about changing what you eat, but when you eat it.
However, it’s always advised that you stick to a healthy and nutritious eating plan consisting of green veggies, whole grains, lean proteins, and healthy fats.
There are a number of different methods of intermittent fasting, such as time-restricted fasting, modified fasting and alternative fasting. However, the most common of these is time-restricted fasting, also known as the 16:8 method. In this method, you fast for 16 hours a day, every day. Most people do this by skipping breakfast and eating their first meal at lunchtime.
It’s easy to implement
You can start to see why people are jumping onto the intermittent-fasting bandwagon and that’s because it is seen as one of the simplest strategies to lose weight and gain muscle (if you’re following a workout routine as well).
Is intermittent fasting effective for weight loss?
This is one of the biggest questions of intermittent fasting. There have been several research studies conducted on rats that found intermittent fasting to reduce blood pressure, lose weight, improve their cholesterol and blood sugar. But… they’re rats.
Other studies conducted on humans found this method of eating to be incredibly effective for weight loss, but some people find it difficult to follow and can’t seem to fight their natural feelings of hunger during their fasting window.
How does intermittent fasting lead to weight loss?
To understand why intermittent fasting can result in weight loss, we need to look at the way our bodies break down and absorb food. The food we eat is broken down by enzymes in our digestive system (the gut) and will eventually turn into molecules floating around in our bloodstream.
Carbohydrates, particularly refined grains (like rice and white flour) and sugars are very quickly broken down into sugar which our bodies use for energy. If the cells in our body do not need to use all this sugar, it is stored as fat in the cells.
But here’s the thing: sugar can only enter the bloodstream with the help of insulin, which is a hormone produced by the pancreas. Insulin is responsible for bringing sugar into the fat cells and keeping it there.
Between meals, if you are not snacking, your insulin levels will go down which will give the fat cells the chance to release stored sugar to be used as energy. Weight loss is a result of allowing our insulin levels to go down.
The idea of intermittent fasting is that it allows the insulin levels to decrease for long enough that your body begins to burn fat.
Should I try intermittent fasting?
According to the research, there are conflicting opinions on the short- and long-term benefits of fasting. It’s always advised that you chat with your doctor before you change your eating or diet (which will be a much more affordable process if you have health insurance). Those who suffer from any chronic diseases, are pregnant, breastfeeding or suffer from an eating disorder are not advised to attempt intermittent fasting.
Here’s our advice:
Avoid refined grains and sugars as much as possible and focus on eating beans, lentils, whole grains, lean proteins, healthy fats, fruits, and veggies.
Try to be as active as possible. Even walking for 30 minutes a day is enough to fire up your metabolism and your energy levels.
Avoid snacking throughout the day to give your body a chance to burn the food you have already eaten.
Your Friend in Health,
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