Intermittent fasting diets are the most popular trend in physique and health in the world.
People are using it to lose weight, improve health and simplify their healthy lifestyle.
Many studies show that this diet has a strong effect on your body and brain, and even helps you live longer.
The following article is a guide for Intermittent fasting dieters
What is Intermittent Fasting Diet (IF)?
Intermittent fasting diet (IF) is a term that describes diet with a fasting and fasting cycle.
It doesn't tell anything about what foods you should eat, but about when you should eat them.
In this respect, it is not a "diet" in the usual sense. It is described exactly as a "style of eating."
Under this method, you need to fast continuously for 16 hours or within 24 hours, done twice a week.
People have really fasted during evolution. Maybe they look at it because they do not have enough food, which can largely be due to religious culture, including Islam, Christianity and Buddhism.
As you know, our ancestors live on hunter-gatherers, there is no fridge to store food like modern society, so food is not available year-round. So, sometimes they can't find anything to eat, and our bodies evolve to stay active without food for a period of time.
Therefore, it can be said that fasting can also be considered "natural" than continuous eating 3-4 meals / day.
Summary: Intermittent fasting diet (IF) is a term that describes a type of diet with normal eating and fasting. This type of eating is very popular in the community, which tends to take shape and health.
How To Perform Intermittent Fasting Eating Style ?
Intermittent fasting diets have become very popular over the years, and various methods have been used to develop this type of diet.
It all involves separation of "eating" time and "fasting" time. During the fasting period, you either eat very little or don't eat at all.
Here are some of the most commonly used methods:
- Method 16/8 : This method is also called the Leangains method. With this method, you first maintain a nutritious diet at 8-hour meals, for example, 1 hour - 9pm. Then you start fasting for the next 16 hours. In this 16 hours, you must not load any calories.
- Eat-Stop-Eat method : This method you will fast for 24 hours, 1-2 times / week. For example. You can stop from today's dinner to the next day's dinner.
- 5: 2 diet : Two consecutive days of the week eating only 500-600 calories. Five days left to eat normally.
By loading fewer calories, all of these methods will help you lose weight, as long as you compensate for the nutrients by eating a lot during the "eating phase."
Personally, I found the 16/8 method to be the simplest, sustainable and easy to apply. This method is also the most popular method, chosen by many people.
Summary: There are a number of different ways to perform Intermittent Fasting diet. All methods have in common the division of "eating" time and "fasting" time.
How Does Intermittent Fasting Diet Affect Your Cells And Hormones?
When you fast, there are a few problems that appear in your body at the cellular and molecular level.
For example, your body changes hormone levels, making fat stored in your body easier to remove.
The cells also initiate important repair processes, and change gene expression.
Here are some changes that appear in the body when you fast:
- Human growth hormone (HGH) : Growth hormone levels increase rapidly, at most 5 times. This helps reduce fat and increase muscle, and some other benefits.
- Insulin : Insulin sensitivity improved and insulin concentration decreased significantly. Lower levels of insulin cause fat to be stored in the body more easily.
- Cell repair : When starving, your cells start the cell repair process. This is an automated process in which cells digest and remove old and functional dysfunctional proteins that are accumulating inside the cells.
- Gene expression : There are some changes in gene function that are related to longevity and protection against disease.
These changes in hormone levels, cellular function and gene expression are responsible factors that bring about the health benefits of Intermittent Fasting diet.
Summary: When you are fasting, the growth hormone levels in humans increase rapidly and insulin levels decrease. Your body's cells also change the expression of genes and initiate important cell repair processes.
Intermittent Fasting Special Weight Loss Tool
Weight loss is one of the most common causes that people try to use Intermittent Fasting dieting.
By eating fewer meals, Intermittent Fasting can help reduce calories automatically.
In addition, Intermittent Fasting diet can change hormone levels to facilitate weight loss.
In addition, low insulin levels and increased human hormone levels increase the levels of hormone norepinephrine (noradrenaline) that burn fat.
Because of these hormonal changes, short-term fasting can actually increase your metabolic rate by 3.6-14%.
By helping you eat less (refill less calories) and help you burn more calories. Since then, the Intermittent Fasting diet can cause weight loss by changing both sides of the calorie equation.
Studies show that Intermittent Fasting dieting can be a powerful weight loss tool. In a study reviewed from lying 2014, it has been shown that it can reduce weight by 3-8% in 3-24 weeks.
It is actually a relatively large number when compared to most other weight loss studies.
According to this study, people also lost 4-7% of the waist circumference. This suggests that, they lose a significant amount of harmful abdominal fat accumulating around organs and causing disease.
There is also a study that shows that Intermittent Fasting diets cause less muscle loss than continuous calorie restriction methods.
However, you should remember that the main purpose of this method of eating is to help you eat less overall calories. If you eat a large amount during the eating period, then you may not be able to lose any weight.
Summary: Intermittent Fasting diets have a card that speeds up metabolism, helping you automatically eat fewer calories. And that's how to lose weight and belly fat effectively.
Health Benefits Of Intermittent Fasting Diet
Many studies have been done on Intermittent Fasting diets both on humans and animals.
These studies have shown that it may have great benefits in weight and health control of the body and brain. It can even help you live longer.
Here are the main health benefits of Intermittent Fasting diet:
- Weight loss : As mentioned above, Intermittent Fasting can help you lose weight and belly fat without having a sense of calorie restriction.
- Insulin resistance : Intermittent Fasting can reduce insulin resistance, reduce blood sugar by 3-6% and fasting insulin concentration by 20-31%. This will protect against type 2 diabetes.
- Inflammation : Some studies show that Intermittent Fasting can lower LDL bad cholesterol, blood fat, oil present inflammation, blood sugar and insulin resistance. All of these are all risk factors for heart disease.
- Cancer : Animal studies show that Intermittent Fasting diet can help prevent cancer.
- Brain health : Intermittent Fasting increases brain hormone levels called BDNF, and can support the growth of new neurons. It can also protect against Alzheimer's disease.
- Against aging : Intermittent Fasting can prolong life in mice. Research shows that rats fed this diet live 36-83% longer.
Remember that studies are still in the early stages of research. Many of these studies are done on animals. Many problems have not been answered by in-depth studies on humans.
Summary: Intermittent Fasting can have many benefits for your body and brain. It can cause weight loss, and can protect against type 2 diabetes, heart disease and cancer. It can also help you live longer.
Intermittent Fasting Helps Connect Your Healthy Life Simpler
Eating healthy is simple, but it's difficult for you to maintain for a long time.
One of the main obstacles is that you have to plan to prepare healthy meals.
If you do an Intermittent Fasting diet, this will be a lot easier because you won't need to plan, don't cook or clean as many food items as before.
Intermittent Fasting is a very popular diet, which is largely chosen because it can improve your health and also simplify your life.
Summary: One of the main benefits of Intermittent Fasting is to make eating healthier and simpler. You will eat less meals, not prepare, cook water or clean up many meals.
Some People Should Be Careful With Intermittent Fasting Diet
Intermittent Fasting diet is not for everyone.
If you are underweight, or have a history of eating disorders, then you should not use the Intermittent Fasting diet without consulting the advice of top medical experts.
In these cases, it may be harmful.
Should Women Fast?
There is some evidence that Intermittent Fasting is not beneficial for women, because this diet is for men.
For example, one study showed that it improved insulin sensitivity in men, but it made the control of blood sugar in women worse.
Although there have been no human studies on this, studies in mice have shown that Intermittent Fasting diets can make female mice weak, infertile and missed cycles.
There are many reports that many women have stopped their menstrual cycle when using Intermittent Fasting, and after returning to their normal diet, this situation is over.
For these reasons, women should definitely be careful with Intermittent Fasting diets. If you have any problems like amenorrhoea, you should stop this diet immediately.
If you have problems with fertility and / or are trying to conceive, you should consider and research carefully the Intermittent Fasting diet right now. Intermittent Fasting can be a bad idea during pregnancy or breastfeeding.
Summary: People who are underweight or have a history of eating disorders should not apply Intermittent Fasting. There is also some evidence that intermittent fasting diets can be harmful for some women.
Safety And Side Effects
Hunger is the main side effect of Intermittent Fasting diet.
You may also feel weak, and your brain does not perform its inherent functions optimally.
This may only be temporary, as it may take a while for your body to adapt to the new meal schedule.
If you have any medical problems, you should consult your doctor before applying Intermittent Fasting diet.
This is especially important to you if you:
- Have diabetes.
- There is a problem of blood sugar.
- Low blood pressure.
- Use medicine.
- Underweight.
- There is a history of eating disorders.
- A woman trying to conceive.
- A woman with a history of amenorrhea.
- Pregnant or breastfeeding.
If you have one of these problems, then the Intermittent Fasting diet is not safe for you. If you are completely healthy, without any health problems, Intermittent Fasting mode will not pose any danger to you.
Summary: The most common side effects of Intermittent Fasting diet are hunger. People with certain medical conditions should not apply this diet without consultation with a specialist.
Some Frequently Asked Questions Regarding Intermittent Fasting Diet
Here are some questions related to Intermittent Fasting diet:
- Can I drink clear liquids while fasting?
The answer is yes. You can drink water, coffee, tea and other non-calorie drinks as well. Do not add sugar to coffee. You can change sugar with a small milk or cream.
Coffee can be particularly beneficial during fasting, as it can repel hunger.
- Eating breakfast is unhealthy?
Incorrect. The problem is that you need to maintain a healthy breakfast! If you eat healthy foods for breakfast and other meals during the day, this is not a problem.
- Can I take supplements while fasting?
It is possible, however, to remember to include only supplements such as fat-soluble vitamins. It is best to use it in meals so that it works more efficiently.
- Can I operate while fasting?
Entirely possible. Exercise is also great for you. Some people recommend using amino acids (BCAAs) before exercising during the fasting period.
- Does fasting lose muscle?
All weight loss methods can cause muscle loss, which is why losing weight but still need to maintain high protein intake. One study showed that the Intermittent Fasting diet lost muscle less than other calorie restriction regimes.
- Does fasting slow down my metabolism?
Studies show that short-term fasting actually promotes metabolism. However, fasting longer (3 days or more) can prevent metabolism.
- Should young children fast or not?
This may be a bad idea.
How to start?
In fact, there are many people who are ready for the "Intermittent Fasting" diet.
If you've ever eaten dinner, then go to bed late and don't eat until noon the next day, so you've had 16 hours of fasting.
Many people actually instinctively eat in this way. They simply do not feel hungry in the morning.
I personally find method 16/8 to be the simplest and most sustainable way to implement Intermittent Fasting diet. I recommend you try this method first.
If you find that it is very easy and you feel good during the fasting period, you can switch to the advanced method rather than fasting for 24 hours, 1-2 times a week (eat-stop-eat method), or eat only 500-600 calories in 1-2 days per week (5: 2 diet).
Another approach is simply fasting whenever convenient. You can skip meals you don't want to eat or don't feel comfortable with, or don't have time to cook.
There is no need to follow an Intermittent Fasting diet plan, you get some benefits.
I recommend experimenting with different methods and finding the method that best suits your schedule.
Summary: You should start with method 16/8, then you can switch to other methods. It is important that you find the method that works best for you.
Should You Try Intermittent Fasting Diet?
Intermittent Fasting is not something everyone needs to do.
It's just one of many lifestyle strategies that can improve your health. Eating real foods, exercising and taking care of your sleep are still the most important factors you should focus on.
If you don't like the idea of fasting, you can completely ignore all this. Just keep doing what works for you.
Intermittent Fasting diet is good for some people, but not all. The only way to know if this method is good for you, you should try it. If you feel it is good, it can become a sustainable tool to help you lose weight and improve your health.
