What Is The 1: 6 Intermittent Fasting Plan
As a registered dietitian, one of the most common questions I get asked is should I follow an intermittent fasting diet?But what most people dont realize is that intermittent fasting is an umbrella term and can refer to many different styles of eating from time restricted eating to alternate day fasting.
In this article, Ill be discussing the form of time restricted eating called the 18:6 plan, which is one of the most popular forms of intermittent fasting, or IF. The idea behind it is that you fast for 18 hours a day and only eat during a six hour window. For example, if your last meal was at dinner time then you wouldnt eat again for 18 hours, or until 12pm the following day.
With the 18:6 style of time restricted eating, you would eat during the same eating window each day, so you want to be sure the six-hour eating window you choose works for your lifestyle. Many people choose to have a later eating window, eating their daily calories from 12pm-6pm or from 2pm-8pm. However, some research suggests an earlier eating window may offer additional metabolic and health benefits.
Why Would Anyone Intermittent Fast
Intermittent fasting is not a new concept by any means. In fact, the idea surrounding it is to mimic the way our hunter and gatherer ancestors used to eat way back when. They would hunt for food not knowing when their next meal would be. When they caught something, they would feast like they didnât know when their next meal would be .
Today, intermittent fasting has become the adopted term to mimic this ideology in modern society. We artificially famine , followed by eating all of our food in a short window .
There are also many benefits on the body when intermittent fasting. I will cover these later in the article.
It Wasnt Until March 2020 That I Became Consistent In Making A Lifestyle Change
This included the way I viewed food. I chose a low-carb and intermittent fasting eating plan because, after trying several methods to lose weight, this combo was the only one that I felt I could sustain over my lifetime.
I fast for 18 hours and eat within a six-hour window , and I typically only eat two meals per day during my eating window. This is the eating method that works for *me*but you should always check in with a dietitian or doctor before making big changes to your diet.
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Aids Cognition And Cerebrovascular System
Intermittent fasting is known to have effects on the brain and cognitive functions. It induces cellular adaptations in neurons, by increasing stress resistance, neurogenesis, and synaptic plasticity. Still, more research is needed to recommend intermittent fasting for cerebrovascular issues in regular clinical practice.
Losing Weight With 1: 6 Intermittent Fasting
One of the most noticeable benefits of following a fasting plan is the ability to lose weight. Intermittent fasting is proven to help with weight loss, boost metabolism functions, and increase your heart health while giving you more energy.
But how does it work? 18:6 fasting weight loss is triggered by putting your body into a calorie deficit by abstaining from calories for 18 hours a day, which kick-starts your metabolic process.
The ketones produced by your metabolism in this state target fat stores in the body instead of glucose for energy, burning fat rapidly. Plus, the metabolic switch activates several other processes in the body, further assisting with weight loss.
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May Reduce The Risk Of Cancer
Numerous animal studies suggest that intermittent fasting may reduce the risk of cancer. Such an effect may be the aftermath of weight loss, reduced inflammation, and insulin levels, which are caused by this eating pattern.
A 2019 review in people with cancer states that fasting reduced some of the side effects of chemotherapy and increased its effectiveness. The review suggests that fasting may deprive cancer cells of nutrients, making them more susceptible to the toxins in chemotherapy .
Popular Ant Dishes Around The World
Cultural practices strongly influence who eats insects, and while most Western countries refrain from it, insects are an important food source in many regions of the world .
As you can imagine, there are numerous ant species, and not all of them tend to be consumed.
Here are some of the most popular edible ants and the countries in which they are eaten:
- Leaf-cutting ants. Leaf-cutting ants are especially popular in Latin American countries, including Mexico, Colombia, Panama, and Brazil. Their name comes from their ability to cut leaves to feed fungi, which they use to feed their larvae .
- Weaver ants. Weaver ants are consumed in China, India, Indonesia, Laos, Myanmar, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines, Thailand, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Cameroon, Bangladesh, India, Malaysia, and Sri Lanka. Theyre called weaver ants because they weave the leaves of living trees with silk to form their nests .
- Honey ants. Honey ants are commonly consumed by Indigenous communities in Australia. Theyre also called honeypot ants because they use their stomachs to store honey to feed their colony in times of scarcity .
- Black ants. Black ants are typically consumed in China and Kenya .
Summary
Ants are commonly consumed in many Asian, African, and Latin American countries. Some of the most popular types of edible ants are leaf-cutting, weaver, honey, and black ants.
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May Be Beneficial For Heart Health
Heart disease is currently the worlds biggest killer .
Its known that various health markers are associated with either an increased or decreased risk of heart disease.
Intermittent fasting has been shown to improve numerous different risk factors, including:
- blood sugar levels
The effects of fasting on heart health need to be studied more in-depth in humans before recommendations can be made.
SUMMARY
Studies show that intermittent fasting can improve numerous risk factors for heart disease, such as blood pressure, cholesterol levels, triglycerides, and inflammatory markers.
Why Is 1: 6 Intermittent Fasting Good
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The Benefits Of : 6 Intermittent Fasting
Over time, the benefits of intermittent fastingwhether youre doing 18:6, 16:8, or another planmay be far-reaching and varied, including, potentially:
- Lower risk of disease
The benefits of an 18:6 fast are attained a little faster than some of the other types of fasting, says nephrologist Jason Fung, M.D., a world-leading expert on intermittent fasting and low-carb diets and author of The Obesity Code. 18:6 fasting is a more intense fast, so it can produce longer and greater results.
The idea is simply to give more time in the fasting state, says Fung. Just like 18:6 is more advanced than a 16:8 or a 14:10 fast, Its easier to implement into a regular day and gives structure to the eating schedule.
18:6 intermittent fasting can prevent, treat, or reverse , says Bowden, who is a weight-loss expert and creator of Meta-Fast.com. In my opinion, insulin resistance is the biggest metabolic pandemic of our time. 88% of Americans have some degree of it and it underlies every major chronic disease, including all the co-morbidities for covid-19, says Bowden.
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What Is Intermittent Fasting And Why Do People Use It
IF has had a cult following in health and wellness circles for a decade and there are more than a half dozen ways to do it from alternate-day fasting, 5:2, and the OMAD diet.
Where most diets focus on what to eat, IF is mostly about when to eat, giving your body a prolonged break from the intensive task of breaking down and digesting food. Studies suggest that when your body gets a break from the consuming job of digestion, all kinds of reparative functions may take place throughout the body: inflammation may cool , brain fog may clear, and mental focus may sharpen . Some studies suggest that your risk for metabolic diseases, obesity, and cancer may drop, and weight loss may become a heck of a lot easier.
- 18:6 is a method of time-restricted eating where you fast for 18 hours and then limit all of your calories to the remaining 6 hours of the day.
- Before diving into the 18:6 plan, youll want to build up to that timing in increments.
- Some studies suggest that when your body gets a break from digestion, inflammation may be reduced, brain fog may clear, and mental focus may sharpen.
As long as your drink of choice remains under 50 calories, it wont break your fast.
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What Is The 1: 8 Diet
The 16:8 diet is a form of intermittent fasting where you break the day into two parts: a 16-hour fasting period and an 8-hour period where you consume all your calories.
The 16:8 stems from the 8-Hour Diet book by author David Zinczenko and Peter Moore , former editor-in-chief of Men’s Health. The two created the plan off the back of the popular 5:2 diet, with the main difference being the longer fasting time between eating sessions. This, they say, gives the body the time it needs to process food and burn away extra fat.
The 8-Hour Diet by David Zinczenko and Peter Moore –
Suzie Sawyer , founder of Nutrition Lifestyle, says, “There are no restrictions on the types or amounts of food that a person can eat during the 8-hour window. This flexibility makes the plan relatively easy to follow.”
Plan Your Fast According To Your Social Schedule
Intermittent fasting and food times need to fit into your schedule to prevent limiting your lifestyle. Thus, its important to consider your social life as you decide which meals the 6 hours will include, and plan ahead.
Whether its lunch with a friend or a night in with your partner, you dont want to miss out or break your fast early and lose valuable progress.
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Dinner: Salmon & Veggies At : 30 Pm
Salmon is an excellent source of omega-3 healthy fats, and dark green veggies like kale and broccoli are high in antioxidants.
Salmon is one of my personal favorites for its taste and nutrient density, and you can select any wild-caught seafood of your choice.
Serve alongside some of your favorite vegetables roasted in coconut oil, and you have a quick and easy superfood meal.
Ingredients:
- 4 cloves garlic, finely diced
Method:
How Does Intermittent Fasting Work
The power of Intermittent Fasting comes in two forms and shapes: caloric restriction and reduced meal frequency .
An average adult would have breakfast at 8 am, lunch at noon, snack at 3 pm, dinner at 7 pm and then an I cant go to bed being hungry-kind-of-snack at 11 pm.
Thats five meals over the course of 15 hours and if you dont follow a strict portion control youll most likely consume more calories than you spent that day, which will result in gaining extra weight.
On top of that, your body will be working all that time digesting the food and will not have enough time left for so-needed recovery activities.
When following any intermittent fasting schedule you are reducing the meal frequency throughout your day, making it simply harder to eat 3 big meals and 2 snacks within twice or even less time .
All of this results in a lower chance to go overboard with your calorie consumption and also more time for body to perform recovery operations such as autophagy.
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Making Weight Loss Easier
Intermittent fasting can change the function of hormones, cells and genes, Sawyer says. “Changes in hormone levels makes stored body fat more accessible and initiates important cellular repair processes. When you fast, insulin levels drop, and human growth hormone increases. Your cells also initiate important cellular repair processes and change which genes they express.”
Intermittent Fasting : 8 Vs : 6
When comparing the intermittent fasting 16:8 vs. 18:6, it is clear that for those who are new to such an eating approach, the 16:8 fasting may be better, as it has a bigger eating window. Both these types require that you dont eat anything during your fasting period, and both have similar benefits. So, you can choose either of them, depending on how busy your day usually is and how well you can manage your time.
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Carbohydrates To Eat When Intermittent Fasting
With intermittent fasting, its smart to focus on whole foods rich in fiber but low in starches.
While starchy foods increase blood sugar and insulin levels, dietary fibers counteract these effects .
For this reason, this list puts net carbs in parentheses:
Due to its high content of resistant starches, sweet potato is the most digestible variety if you want to replenish your carbohydrate stores.
Unlike conventional starches, resistant starches pass through the small intestine without being converted into glucose.
Instead of being absorbed as sugar, resistant starches are broken down into short-chain fatty acids, on which your gut bacteria can nourish.
We will take a closer look at when to eat carbohydrates during intermittent fasting shortly.
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Benefits Of 1: 6 Intermittent Fasting
An 18 hours fast can be challenging, but many people experience better digestion with the 6-hour eating window. With a goal of 18 fasting hours, you may notice reduced bloating and indigestion that occurs when you eat too frequently.
Eating within a 6-hour window may also improve your sleep. Most 18:6 fasters end their meals between 6:30 – 7:30 pm, rather than eating right before sleeping.
An 18-hour intermittent fasting schedule may also improve your sleep. Most 18:6 fasters end their meals within a 6-hour window between 6:30 – 7:30 pm, rather than eating right before sleeping.
Of course, the number one benefit of intermittent fasting for most people is weight loss. Here are some added benefits to 18:6 intermittent fasting:
- Proven and effective weight loss strategy
- May help reduce inflammation
- May help balance blood sugar levels
- Heightens energy levels
If you are looking to slim down, an 18:6 intermittent fast might be the right choice for you. Before you start a new program, you should always consult with your doctor first. Attempting 18 fasting hours will be a challenge for the first few days or weeks. Youll need to give your body a chance to adjust to being in a fasting state for long durations. But once your body adjusts, intermittent fasting should become easier.
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How Does The : 8 Diet Work
The 16:8 diet works on an hourly basis. So each day you can eat within an 8 hour time frame and fast for the remaining 16 hours. The best part? You dont have to restrict your calories when eating during the 8 hour window. As long as you eat healthily in your 8 hour time frame, youll see the weight drop off.
Experts say that the 16.8 diet restricted schedule gives our bodies the chance to process the nutrients stored in foods and burns away calories. Plus, you wont go hungry like you do on those two fasting days on the 5:2 either.
As Tom Jenane, nutrition and fitness expert explains, The 16:8 diet is a brilliant form of intermittent fasting that has proven results in a number of cases.
Jennifer Aniston is a famous fan of intermittent fasting.
As well as Jennifer Aniston, other Hollywood names who have seen success after following the 16:8 diet include Hugh Jackman, who reportedly used the diet to get in shape for his Wolverine films and actress Jennifer Love Hewitt.
What Is 16/8 Fasting
When an intermittent fasting style is named with numbers, like #/#, the first number refers to the period of time during the day that youll be fasting and the second number refers to the number of hours you have during your feeding period. So with 16/8 fasting, also referred to as leangains fasting, you fast for 16 hours a day and have an eight-hour eating window on a daily basis.
Of all of the recognized, structured types, this is the form of intermittent fasting that involves the shortest possible fasting window, making it most suitable for beginners. Typically, practitioners will skip breakfast and eat from noon to 8 p.m. Sounds surprisingly doable, right?
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