Should You Be Worried About Refeeding Syndrome
Some legitimate health complications can arise when you fast or are malnourished for longer than 5 days. One of these complications is called refeeding syndrome, which is caused by potentially fatal shifts in fluid and electrolyte balance that can happen when we eat after a period of undernourishment.
This happens because the concentration of fluids and minerals in our body relies heavily on what we eat. Low carbohydrate diets, like the ketogenic diet, increase the excretion of vital minerals like sodium and potassium.
If you add a prolonged fast onto the ketogenic diet, you can lose an unhealthy amount of these essential minerals.
Fasts that are shorter than 5 days, however, arent likely to cause issues especially if you break your fast with a low carbohydrate meal that is filled with mineral rich foods. A meal with dark leafy greens, avocado, and salmon with some unrefined salt would be an ideal way to break a longer fast.
During a shorter fast that lasts less than 24 hours, however, you wont have to worry about refeeding syndrome at all. Either way, it may be best to check out the mineral supplements that we recommend in this article to ensure proper mineral balance.
But what about muscle? Its only common sense that consuming no protein and less calories will lead to an unhealthy amount of muscle loss. Thats right it is only common sense.
Intermittent Fasting Isnt Easy But We Make It Doable With The Following Six Essential Tips And Tricks To Make Starting Out More Comfortable
Starting out strong is arguably the most important factor in having a successful weight loss journey. Few things are as discouraging as failing as soon as you begin. But failure at the start is common breaking old, unhealthy habits or creating new, better habits is difficult for everyone.
Intermittent fasting has been linked to numerous benefits, from advancing fat burning to balancing blood sugar to improving heart health, and much more. But it can be extremely difficult to get into the practice. After all, youre suddenly forcing your body through long stretches of time without eating!
But if youre determined to try IF for its beneficial effects, here are six important tips that can make starting out a little more comfortable:
Beginners Guide To Fasting
Everyone of importance in the Bible practiced fasting: Moses, David, Elijah, Esther, Daniel, Anna, Paul, Jesus, just to name a few. When Jesus taught on fasting, He would say When you fast not If you fast. He assumed that we would fast. We were created with fasting, think about it, if you sleep 8 hours a day, then you are sleeping 1/3 of your life. If you live, say, 75 years, thats 25 years asleep, or 9,125 days. When you sleep, you are fasting, thats why morning meal is called breakfast its when you break your fast.
BENEFITS OF FASTING:1. Helps us overcome the calamities of life.Fasting is the Biblical way to humble ourselves . Esther fasted when faced with danger . Ezra fasted for protection . Jehoshaphat fasted in the time of the invasion of the confederated armies of Canaanites and Syrians .2. Renews our connection with God.Jesus said that His disciples will fast when He is gone . When we fast, we get our hunger back for the presence of God.3. Empowers us to fulfill Gods calling in our life.Most of the people in the OT fasted in a crisis Jesus fasted for His calling. We should not fast only during problems, but also for our purpose. Anna was fasting for the coming of the redemption of Israel. .4. Defeats the devil.Once, the disciples of Jesus could not cast out a demon. Jesus said, This kind does not leave, but by prayer and fasting . Fasting helps to break the bonds of wickedness, undo heavy burdens, and empower us to break every yoke .
Also Check: What You Can Have During Intermittent Fasting
Plan Ahead And Be Flexible
Once youre used to fasting, you may find that you can incorporate a short fast on little notice. But when youre just starting out, make sure to plan your fast at least a few days in advance. Youll want to ensure that your fast isnt going to interfere with work, family, or training, all of which can counteract the positive effects of the test run.
Put some thought into where and how you will be fasting. Fast at home before trying it in the wilderness or on vacation. Have plenty of water on hand. Tell your friends and family youre fasting so they know whats going on if you start feeling irritable, and so you wont have to answer the same questions 25 times at the next group dinner.
Lastly, dont be too rigid. If you typically eat from 11 a.m. to 7 a.m., its perfectly fine to eat before a morning race or a big training day, breaking that fasting window. Consistency is good inflexibility is not.
Health Benefits Of Intermittent Fasting
There are very few studies on the 5:2 diet specifically.
However, there are plenty of studies on intermittent fasting in general, which show impressive health benefits (
After 12 weeks, the fasting group had:
- Reduced body weight by more than 11 pounds .
- Reduced fat mass by 7.7 pounds , with no change in muscle mass.
- Reduced blood levels of triglycerides by 20%.
- Increased LDL particle size, which is a good thing.
- Reduced levels of CRP, an important marker of inflammation.
Summary
The 5:2 diet may have several impressive health benefits, including weight loss, reduced insulin resistance and decreased inflammation. It may also improve blood lipids.
Also Check: What To Drink While Fasting
Is Fasting 16 Hours A Day Healthy
Forms of intermittent fasting like the 16:8 diet rely on the concept that fasting reduces oxidative stress on the body, which can decrease inflammation and the risk of chronic diseases.
Its also theorized that fasting gives your vital organs, digestive and absorptive hormones, and metabolic functions a break, according to a recent study published in Cell Metabolism. Since our bodies secrete insulin to help our cells absorb sugar, fasting is linked to reducing our susceptibility to insulin resistance over time.
However, research has also linked fasting to increases in LDL cholesterol . Intermittent fasting can make you feel dizzy and nauseated and cause periods of low-blood sugar and dehydration. Despite the fact that most 16:8 enthusiasts drink water during fasting periods, it may not be enough .
I also have a much deeper concern about the disordered eating behaviors that may arise from intermittent fasting. Research shows that fasting for a period of time followed by a limited window for eating primes you to overeat. It’s a cycle that can be difficult to get out of because it impairs our body’s natural hunger cues and metabolism. Restricted eating may also lead to an increased risk of depression and anxiety.
Common Obstacles To Eating A Healthier Diet
Varady dabbles with intermittent fasting herself, typically for a few weeks after the holidays to lose a few pounds. The 16:8 plan is less intense than the other plans, but if she wants a more rapid weight loss, shell opt for alternate day fasting.
The first five fast days are pretty tricky, but once your body gets adjusted to that kind of up-down pattern of eating, it actually gets really easy, Varady told TODAY.
So how do you boost your chances of intermittent fasting success?
Also Check: How Much Weight Can I Lose With Intermittent Fasting
Day 2 Delay Breakfast
Good morning! You just did a 12-hour fast.
Your last meal was at 7 PM last night, and its now 7 AM. Thats 12 hours. You didnt eat for half a day. Youve balancedeating and fasting to a ratio of 50:50 12 hours of eating and 12 hours of fasting. This is a good thing.
That wasnt so hard, was it? All you had to do was stop eating after dinner. Time flies when youre sleeping!
But now its the morning rush. You need to get out of the house asap or youll be late. So you eat as fast as you can or grab something on the go to eat in the car. But why?
| Delay breakfast today. Eat it when its convenient. Have water, coffee, or tea instead.
Theres nothing extreme about delaying your first meal of the day until its convenient. Like after youve arrived at the office or the kids have been dropped off to school instead of amidst the mad morning rush.
After you get to work, settle in. Check your email, look at your calendar, plan your day. You dont have to sneak in breakfast before or have breakfast while youre doing all this.
- 10 AM. Its time to enjoy your breakfast without the chaos.
- 12 noon. Lunch time. Youre probably not hungry because you just ate. The clock says its lunch time but your body doesnt say so. Its okay to wait to eat until you feel hungry again.
- 2 PM. Youre hungry now, have a nice lunch.
Eat dinner at 7 PM.
Build up on the prior steps: Dont eat after dinner, delay breakfast until 10 AM.
That Evening However I Encountered My First Challenge: Dinner With Friends
Luckily, the friends who invited me over wanted to eat around 7, well within my “feeding window.” We planned to order takeout, but unfortunately, some of us arrived late. By the time we ordered, it was 8 p.m., and the food didn’t arrive until 8:30 .
It felt weird to refrain from eating with everyone, so I decided that the next day I would break my fast an hour later to make up for it.
Read Also: Is Fasting Good For Your Heart
Basic Steps To Successful Fasting And Prayer
I believe the power of fasting as it relates to prayer is the spiritual atomic bomb that our Lord has given us to destroy the strongholds of evil and usher in a great revival and spiritual harvest around the world.
Increasingly I have been gripped with a growing sense of urgency to call upon God to send revival to our beloved country. In the spring and summer of 1994, I had a growing conviction that God wanted me to fast and pray for forty days for revival in America and for the fulfillment of the Great Commission in obedience to our Lords command.
At first I questioned, Is this truly Gods call for me? Forty days was a long time to go without solid food. But with each passing day, His call grew stronger and more clear. Finally, I was convinced. God was calling me to fast, and He would not make such a call without a specific reason or purpose. With this conviction, I entered my fast with excitement and expectancy mounting in my heart, praying, Lord, what do you want me to do?I believe such a long fast was a sovereign call of God because of the magnitude of the sins of America and of the Church. The Lord impressed that upon my heart, as well as the urgent need to help accelerate the fulfillment of the Great Commission in this generation.
If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.
Tips And Tricks About Fasting
#1) Dont freak out! Stop wondering: can I fast 15 hours instead of 16? or what if I eat an apple during my fasted period, will that ruin everything? Relax. Your body is a complex piece of machinery and learns to adapt. Everything is not as cut and dry as you think.
If you want to eat breakfast one day but not another, thats okay. If you are going for optimal aesthetic or athletic performance, I can see the need to be more rigid in your discipline, but otherwisefreaking chill out and dont stress over minutiae!
Dont let perfect be the enemy of good when it comes to your intermittent fasting plan.
#2) Consider fasted walks in the morning. I found these to be very helpful in reducing body fat, and also gave my day a great start to clear my mind and prepare for the day.
Simply wake up and go for a mile walk. Maybe you could even start walking to Mordor?
#3) Listen to your body during your strength training workouts. If you get light headed, make sure you are consuming enough water.
If you notice a significant drop in performance, make sure you are eating enough calories during your feasting window.
And if you feel severely off, pause your workout. Give yourself permission to EASE into intermittent fasting and fasted workouts. This is especially true if you are an endurance athlete.
#4) Expect funny looks if you spend a lot of mornings with breakfast eaters.
#7) Track your results, listen to your body:
This is just one tool that can contribute to your success.
Recommended Reading: How Long To Lose Weight On Intermittent Fasting
How It Affects Your Body
The concept surrounding fasting is simple: we’re either taking in food for energy or we’re utilizing previously-stored energy in fat cells. When we aren’t eating, we’re burning through our energy reserves.
There is research that backs up the idea that intentional time-restricted eating can facilitate weight loss and improve metabolic measures. The benefits don’t stop there, either. Intermittent fasting can reduce cardiovascular risk factors by lowering “bad” cholesterol, blood triglycerides, and blood pressure. Additionally, it may lower blood insulin and sugar levels.
Metabolism is also thought to kick into overdrive while fasting to use the stored fat as energy. As a result, our systems aremore resistant to oxidative stress, inflammation decreases throughout our bodies, and we may even live longer.
Aside from these incredible benefits, many people report feeling heightened mental clarity, improved concentration, and all-around more energetic. If you’re in good health, the main side effect of this modified eating pattern is slight hunger pains.
Where Did Fasting Come From
Even though its a trend right now, intermittent fasting has been around for centuries as part of human evolution. People have even fasted for spiritual and religious reasons.
More recently, this topic has gained interest because of its effects on body weight and reduction of body fat. A recent study by USC found that participants that followed this fasting had a reduced risk of developing cancer, heart disease, diabetes, and other age-related risks.
For more reading on the science behind fasting, I recommend reading these articles and studies:
- The effect on health of alternate day calorie restriction: Eating less and more than needed on alternate days prolongs life, Medical Hypotheses
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Wont Intermittent Fasting Burn Muscle
That depends on the person and the duration of the fast. During fasting, the body first breaks down glycogen into glucose for energy. After that, the body increases body fat breakdown to provide energy.
Excess amino acids are also used for energy, but the body does not burn its own muscle for fuel unless it has to.49
Some studies, however, suggest that leaner individuals are at higher risk of lean body mass loss, and even reduced metabolic rate. Yet it appears this is less of a concern with overweight subjects.50
In my experience with over 1,000 patients on various intermittent fasting regimens, I have not yet seen a single case of significant muscle loss.51Learn more
Make The Calories Count
Not all calories are the same. Although these fasting methods do not set restrictions on how many calories a person should consume when fasting, it is essential to consider the nutritional value of the food.
In general, a person should aim to consume nutrient-dense food, or food with a high number of nutrients per calorie. Though a person may not have to abandon junk food entirely, they should still practice moderation and focus on more healthful options to gain the most benefits.
Fasting has several effects on a persons body. These effects include:
- Reducing levels of insulin, which makes it easier for the body to use stored fat.
- Lowering blood sugars, blood pressure, and inflammation levels.
- Changing the expression of certain genes, which helps the body protect itself from disease as well as promoting longevity.
- Dramatically increases human growth hormone, or HGH, which helps the body utilize body fat and grow muscle.
- The body activates a healing process doctors call autophagy, which essentially means that the body digests or recycles old or damaged cell components.
Fasting dates back to ancient humans who often went hours or days between meals as obtaining food was difficult. The human body adapted to this style of eating, allowing extended periods to pass between food intake times.
Research also shows fasting to be beneficial for the management of metabolic syndrome and diabetes, extending lifespan,
Recommended Reading: Can Fasting Make You Lose Weight
It Helps To Build A Personal Routine
Having a routine is fundamental for humans, and it helps keep things under control. Thats why, on a different and less scientific level, intermittent fasting can be seen as a routine that allows those who practice it to bring order to their lives and reduce anxiety and stress. It can certainly be hard to develop the routine at first, especially if you love having breakfast and after dinner snacks but as soon as you start seeing benefits and developing a serious plan, youll find this routine beneficial on many levels, for example giving a precise schedule to your days.
How To Become Anorexic Fast : Tips To Grow Thin
Anorexia or anorexia nervosa is an eating disorder that can have fatal consequences. Those suffering from this disorder consume very restricted amounts of food, which leads to starvation.
The consequences are that they become dangerously thin and malnourished. Worst case scenario, most of them will need to be hospitalized. This post offers a guide on how to become anorexic fast. We have also provided some signs that can show you are becoming anorexic.
Also Check: How To Lose Weight From Intermittent Fasting
