Intermittent Fasting; What Is It?
There are some days you feel slow and clumsy, your body might feel heavy and your head feels clouded and muddled. You fight the urge to go back to your warm and comfortable bed, and your system feels like it’s in need of a good flush. Or you want to actively lose weight without adding toxic weight loss procedures.
This is the right time to add intermittent fasting into your routine.
Intermittent fasting is a routine to improve your body’s metabolic rate, helping you lose weight effectively and release stress. This method doesn’t really involve calorie deficit, but rely on the time you plan to restrict your calorie intake.
While we fast naturally through sleeping or taking a rest as we do not eat during sleepy hours thereby reducing calorie intake, intermittent fasting goes farther than sleeping or resting. This routine is a deliberate plan to actively reduce calorie intake by not eating for a few hours.
Whether you plan on losing weight, or you plan on detoxifying your body regularly, intermittent fasting is the best bet for you. This method is not harmful, as our bodies are designed to go for a few hours without eating. This is not starving, rather reducing the amount of time you eat in a day.
Research and fitness coaches have commended this method for active weight loss. Adding this to your weight loss plan increases your chances of having a seamless weight loss journey, and a detoxified body. Which means better health, and a less cloudy mind.
Benefits Of Intermittent Fasting.
While intermittent fasting is popular among fitness enthusiasts, most people do not know the benefits of intermittent fasting. It has a wide range of benefits to the mind and body.
Studies report positive feedback in mice that were fed alternatively, as they had more endurance to do more physical activity than mice who were constantly fed.
While the main benefit is weight loss, there are other benefits to overall health.
Here are some of the benefits of intermittent fasting;
● It reduces blood sugar and insulin resistance.
Through calorie deficit and time tracking, blood sugar can be reduced drastically for patients who suffer from increased blood sugar levels. Doctors might advise such patients to carefully watch their symptoms, especially as blood sugar levels can drop as easily as it rises.
If you notice symptoms of extreme tiredness after a while of intermittent fasting, do not hesitate to check your blood sugar level and attend to it immediately. For people who have a risk of unstable sugar levels, it is possible to try out intermittent fasting, as a stable sugar level is better than the high risk of rising sugar levels.
● It Flushes Out Toxins In The Body.
While fasting for a few hours, it is advised to consume more non caloric beverages like warm water, herbal teas and black coffee. This enables your system to flush out toxins and also aid digestion, while cleansing your gut and clearing your mind.
The increased amount of toxic waste in the body leads to fatigue and dizziness. You might feel lethargic and moody when your body isn’t detoxified. Adding intermittent fasting to your plans should tackle the problem efficiently. Note that overconsumption of liquids is not advised, as it reduces your ion levels and throws off your body’s balance. You should be moderate in consuming any liquid while fasting.
● It Relieves Stress.
While flushing out toxins in the body, you notice a great feeling of satisfaction and peace. That is because your body has possibly removed unnecessary waste in the body. Intermittent fasting relieves stress as it helps you feel calm and lighter, and it actively keels your cortisone levels balanced.
● Intermittent Fasting Helps Protect Against Disease Linked With Increased Calorie Intake.
Heart disease is the leading cause of death worldwide, followed by diabetes. These diseases are directly linked to increased calorie intake, causing obesity and health complications due to excessive weight gain. Intermittent fasting prevents such disease by increasing metabolic rate.
Research shows that people who actively participate in Intermittent Fasting lose weight and gain lean muscle mass. It has also been medically proven that Intermittent Fasting increases life span in humans.
How To Begin Intermittent Fasting Appropriately.
While research shows that it takes a while for the body to get accustomed to Intermittent Fasting, you should learn how to appropriately incorporate intermittent fasting in your routine. Here are ways to begin intermittent fasting for the best results.
● Define the reasons for intermittent fasting. This helps you appropriately plan a goal that works best for you.
● Start slow and increase the time of your fast when your body gets used to your previous fasting window.
● Create a fasting window that helps your body gets accustomed to fasting. You may begin with two hours, before increasing the timeframe.
● Immediately after your fasting window is over, make sure to eat foods high in nutritional value. Eating more proteins, less carbs and a moderate amount of fats.
● Make sure to hydrate properly, as hydration effectively flushes waste and strengthen you.
● Take your rest seriously, and sleep for approximately eight hours.
Using these methods promises a healthier lifestyle and rapid weight loss. Make sure to be easy on your body, and visit your health practitioner if you’re elderly, underweight or an adolescent.
When To Do Intermittent Fasting?
Like other health and fitness journeys, intermittent fasting takes appropriate planning. Although you can start fasting anytime you want to, these little signs should give you a little boost to take intermittent fasting seriously.
These signs are;
● When your body feels sluggish. Your body calls for the relief of Toxins. This is the right time for you to stop your calorie intake for a while and focus on detoxifying your body.
● When you want to build an active weight loss plan. Intermittent fasting is a great way to increase metabolic rate in the body and also reduce calorie intake, which are two common factors that contribute greatly to proper weight loss.
● When you feel stressed and less active. Do you feel weak and overwhelmed? This is the best time to incorporate intermittent fasting into your self care routine. While fasting, try taking a calming bath and aromatherapy, as it is relieving to the mind and body. Also drink teas that are known for their calming properties. Relax, keep calm and let your body relieve stress and tension.
When is the best time to do intermittent fasting?
Intermittent fasting varies widely, but the fitness community commends three popular Intermittent Fasting methods. These methods work according to your level of endurance.
These are the most recommended methods;
The 5:2 Diet;
This is the easiest and is recommended to beginners who have a low level of tolerance when it comes to fasting. This works by reducing your calorie intake drastically for two days, while you can eat normally for the rest of the week.
This method is buildable for beginners and helpful for beginners as your calorie intake is not completely cut off, but reduced drastically.
For the first two days, you strictly eat only 500 calories worth of food. You can have low or non caloric beverages and health supplements that have no calories.
The 16/8 Method;
This involves using a certain or fixed window for using 8 hours of the day to eat, but you must fast for the remaining 16 hours. This is also a great option for beginner to intermediate level of tolerance. It is buildable also, so it is advisable to start slow and increase your pace when your body adjusts.
The Eat – Stop – Eat Method;
This is the people with high level tolerance. This involves eating once in twenty four hours, from one dinner to another.
There are other variations as well, each depending on their tolerance levels.
Note that intermittent fasting is not for everyone. While it has benefitted so many people, others complained of symptoms like dizziness, lightheadedness and weakness.
That is why it is important to start slowly before increasing your fasting window.
While fasting, make sure to hydrate your system by consuming non caloric beverages. These beverages both hydrate you and flush out toxins effectively.
Summary
Improving your health takes a lot of consideration before trying Intermittent fasting. It is important to add positive lifestyle habits that improves your health by eating healthy, taking enough rest and exercising regularly.
This post detailed the importance of intermittent fasting for better health. Stick to fasting methods that work for you, to achieve the best results.
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