Search Weight Loss Topics:

Home » Lose Weight Fast » Intermittent Fasting Benefits and Risks – HealthCentral.com

Trendy diets and exercise fads that promise weight loss and better health come and go. But intermittent fasting, or the practice of restricting eating to specific times of the day or week rather than cutting calories, has been around for ages. What gives it such staying power? And is it worth a try? Lets take a closer look at intermittent fastings benefitsand a few of its disadvantages, too.

Benefits and Risks of Intermittent Fasting

Frequently Asked Questions

Is there an adjustment period when starting out with intermittent fasting?

Its definitely normal to go through an adjustment period: Headaches and hunger pangs can occur, but usually even out after a few days. One way to help temper them? Water! Dont forget to drink just because you arent eating as frequently. And stock up on fiber: When you focus on consuming nutritious, healthy, fiber-filled foods during your eating windows, youll feel fuller and less famished during your fast.

How do I handle being around food when Im fasting?

Were not going to lie: It can be hard to be around people who are eating when youre fasting. But that doesnt mean it has to be torture. If you have a breakfast meeting, opt for an unsweetened/milk-free tea or coffee, which are allowed while youre fasting. Another option: Replace food-related events (like brunch dates) with activities like a walk in the park.

Will coffee break my fast?

No, coffee wont break your fast if you take it without milk or sugar. (Its the extras with coffee that have the calorieson its own, black coffee has two calories per cup.) Herbal tea is another option if you're craving some taste without any calories.

Can children practice intermittent fasting?

No, children shouldnt practice intermittent fasting. Experts caution against kids fasting because its important for them to learn to listen to their hunger cues while growing. If youre worried about your childs weight, talk to their pediatrician to explore other options for improving their habits and increasing physical activity.

With everyone from Hollywood celebrities to Instagram influencers talking about intermittent fasting, it can feel like youre the only one whos not doing it. But what is it exactly?

Intermittent fasting is a way of eating that alternates between periods of eating and periods of fasting. It doesnt prescribe which foods to eat or give up, but rather when to eat and when to let your bodys digestive system rest. This way of eating is actually nothing new. Our prehistoric ancestors did it naturally when hunting and gathering food. IF has also long been part of religious traditions and medical treatments. The ancient Greeks and Romans believed it allowed the body time to heal itself, and today, surveys suggest intermittent fasting is more popular than gluten-free regimens or traditional calorie-restricting weight loss plans.

There are several different types of intermittent fasting, but these are the three most popular types:

Time-Restricted or 16:8 This plan calls for structuring your day around an 8-hour eating window and a 16-hour fasting period. This means, for instance, that you stop eating at, say, 7pm and start again at 11am the next day. You can also start with a 12 or 14-hour fasting period and stretch it as you adjust.

Modified-Calorie or 5:2 This plan calls for following your normal eating routine (breakfast, lunch, and dinner, or two meals and a few snacks) for five days out of the week and then fasting for two days, which can be consecutive or spaced out. On fasting days, women can eat up to 500 calories (for men, 600).

Alternate-Day Fasting (ADF) Here, you alternate one day of your regular caloric intake followed by a day in which calories are restricted to less than 500 calories for women and 600 for men. Keep in mind that all fasting plans allow for water, unsweetened/milk-free tea, and coffee to be consumed during the fasting windows.

Get the Basics (and So Much More) About Intermittent Fasting

Given the buzz about the health benefits of intermittent fasting, its no wonder everyone wants to know what it can do for them. While experts say there is no one-size-fits-all guarantee for how changes to diet and lifestyle might affect you versus your neighbor, in general, these are some of the intermittent fasting benefits you might experience:

One of the main appeals of trendy eating plans is the promise of dropping pounds, and intermittent fasting is no different. But unlike traditional diets, with IF there are no forbidden foods or strict calorie counting. Instead, intermittent fasting helps you lose weight simply by compressing the times of the day when you consume food and allowing for a substantial resting period (or fast) in between.

When you eat all day long, your body has a continuous stream of new glucose in the blood that it can use for energy (and any surplus gets stored for later use). When you stop eating for an extended period of time (during your fast), your body still needs energy so it finally gets a chance to burn those stored carbs and, when that gets used up, it turns to burning stored fat. The result: Increased fat loss.

Its a natural fact: cell turnover slows down as we age. It can take longer for wounds to heal and unwanted cellular proteins can build up, which can play a role in neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimers and Parkinsons.

However, studies show that fasting kickstarts the biological process called autophagy, or the breakdown and purging of damaged cells and cellular material in your body. The length of fasting necessary to trigger autophagy varies person to person because of differences in metabolism and lifestyle. For some people, autophagy can start by about eight hours into a fast; for others, it can take closer to 16 or 18 hours. Either way, the resultswhich may include better muscle performance, an increase in energy, and healthier skin and hairhave made many people believers in intermittent fasting.

Every time you eat, the hormone insulin is released by the pancreas, the organ that produces digestive enzymes and hormones. It matches up with the sugar in the foods you just ate to help deliver glucose to your cells for fuel. But when you eat 12 or more hours a day (i.e. from breakfast at 7 am until dinner at 7 pm, or even later), your body maintains a high level of insulin in the bloodstream, which can lead to insulin resistance. And you dont want that because when your body stops responding to insulin, your blood sugar level rises, which can increase your risk of developing diabetes. Fasting, however, can help improve your insulin sensitivity by decreasing the amount of insulin circulating in your blood, which helps your metabolism function more effectively.

Ask around and you will hear people who practice intermittent fasting rave about how much they get done in the morning. That may be because some research has found a correlation between fasting and improved cognitive function, learning, memory, and alertness. How it works: Fasting stimulates the production of a protein in nerve cells called brain-derived neurotrophic factor, or BDNF, which increases the resistance of neurons in your brain to degeneration and dysfunction. (Translation: Fasting protects health brain cells by reducing oxidative stress and improving their resistance to stress.)

While intermittent fasting can help you feel great and improve your health, the approach is a bit extreme, depending on which version of the plan you are following. Most people learn to tolerate it and even eventually thrive on it, but its not for everyone. Here are some of the ways intermittent fasting may be a disadvantage.

Restricting when you can eat instead of simply eating when youre hungry can set up a prickly relationship with food, especially if you have struggled with an eating disorder. If youve struggled with restricting food in the past, it may be best to skip intermittent fasting and focus on listening to your body cues regarding hunger and satiety. As with most dietary changes, its always good to consult a medical professional first to get the greenlight.

Some people can handle time-controlled eating and are able to alternate between enjoying food and restricting food with no problem. Their bodies become accustomed to filling up during compressed eating windows, and they may actually experience a decline in hunger. For others, however, the floodgates open the moment they take that first bite during their windowespecially if its later in the dayand they have a hard time governing their calorie intake. If you find youre overeating or bingeing during your eating periods, IF may not be the best fit for you.

The truth is, work commitments and real life dont always cooperate with intermittent fastingand that can make it hard to sustain. If you have a family, prepping meals for others during your fasting window can be torture. Plus its not always possible to say no to breakfast or dinner meetings that fall outside of your self-imposed eating window. Traveling for business and vacations can also upend your eating plan by disrupting your natural circadian rhythms, leaving you famished at unexpected times.

Could fasting actually cause your metabolism to slow down? Studies show that restricting too long or not consuming sufficient calories might actually coax your body into defending its energy stores. The result? More intense hunger pangs and fewer calories burned, along with a feeling of sluggishness from not enough fuel being added to your internal furnace.

Some fasters report digestive challenges such as constipation from taking in less food. Dehydration is another risk because a reduced level of insulin in your body may trigger the kidneys to release extra water. Plus, it can be easy to forget to hydrate while youre steering clear of food.

Bottom line? Intermittent fasting can be an effective tool for improving your health and losing weight. But its essential to consider all the benefits and disadvantages of intermittent fasting before giving it a go. If youre not sure its for you or dont know where to start, chat with your healthcare provider about which eating plan might suit you best and what red flags to watch out for as you get started.

Continue reading here:
Intermittent Fasting Benefits and Risks - HealthCentral.com

Your Full Name
Your Email
Your Phone Number
Select your age (30+ only)	30313233343536373839404142434445464748495051525354555657585960616263646566676869707172737475767778798081828384858687888990919293949596979899100101102103104105106107108109110111112113114115116117118119120
Select Your US State	Select Your StateAlabamaAlaskaArizonaArkansasCaliforniaColoradoConnecticutDelawareFloridaGeorgiaHawaiiIdahoIllinoisIndianaIowaKansasKentuckyLouisianaMaineMarylandMassachusettsMichiganMinnesotaMississippiMissouriMontanaNebraskaNevadaNew HampshireNew JerseyNew MexicoNew YorkNorth CarolinaNorth DakotaOhioOklahomaOregonPennsylvaniaRhode IslandSouth CarolinaSouth DakotaTennesseeTexasUtahVermontVirginiaWashingtonWashington,DCWest VirginiaWisconsinWyoming
Program Choice	Select Your ProgramInjectable HGHInjectable TestoteroneInjectable SermorelinInjectable Weight LossInjectable HCG DietInjectable Vitamins
Confirm over 30 years old	Yes
Confirm that you resident in USA	Yes
This is a Serious Inquiry	Yes
Message:

Home » Lose Weight Fast » Intermittent Fasting Benefits and Risks – HealthCentral.com