What Are The Proposed Health Benefits Of Fasting Diets
As mentioned, the research on intermittent fasting is limited, but mice studies and small studies in humans suggest the approach may in fact be effective.
For example, in one of Varadys studies, published in June 2018 in Nutrition and Healthy Aging, 23 human participants completed 12 weeks of eight-hour time-restricted eating, and researchers compared their weight loss results to a control group from a separate trial.
Varady and her team observed that the time-restricted group lowered their body weight by 3 percent more on average compared with the control group, and they significantly lowered their systolic blood pressure. But the sample size was small, and the dropout rate among the fasting group was high, at 26 percent, for even a short-term trial, though no one in this group reported dropping out due to issues with the diet, researchers wrote.
But what about alternate-day fasting? While Varady hasnt conducted studies directly comparing alternate-day fasting to time-restricted eating, another one of her studies, published in July 2017 in JAMA Internal Medicine, showed that alternate-day fasting was difficult to stick with and didnt result in better weight loss or heart benefits than a calorie-restricted diet. For the study, she and her team randomized 100 participants to follow one of the two diets or a control group, where their diets remained the same, for one year.
RELATED: What to Eat Before and After Your Workout
Some General Safety Tips
- Drink water when you are thirsty.
- Adjust your caloric intake during your feeding windows so that you consume enough calories to meet your energy needs according to your weight goals.
- If you feel faint, dizzy or nauseous, we recommend breaking your fast early and speaking with your primary care physician. You may have symptoms of low blood sugar or another issue.
- Talk to your physician before upping your fasting window beyond 18 hours per day.
- Break your fast with low glycemic index foods, such as lean protein and healthy fats like avocados
- Never do fasts longer than 2 days by yourself. Always tell someone, a family member or friend and keep them updated on how you are feeling as you progress.
- During fasts longer than 2 days, watch for signs of electrolyte imbalance: muscle spasms, weakness, blood pressure changes, irregular heartbeat, numbness and confusion.
You May Like: How Much To Eat When Intermittent Fasting
Eating For Muscle Growth While Doing Intermittent Fasting
Eating to build muscle is both easy and tricky when youre doing intermittent fasting.
Your diet should look just like when youre trying to build muscle on any other kind of diet. Thats the easy part.
You need to eat your entire days worth of food in only a few hours. Thats the potentially tricky part.
On a 20:4 diet, you only have four hours to eat everything youre going to eat that day. That could be an unpleasant challenge if you need a high number of calories every day. With 16:8 and other more lenient fasting protocols, it shouldnt be that big of a deal.
- While building muscle during a calorie deficit is possible, aiming for at least calorie balance makes it much more manageable. A slight surplus gives you an additional boost. Its easy to undereat while doing intermittent fasting, so make sure you eat enough.
- Eat at least 1.61.7 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight per day. Aim for 22.2 grams per kilogram to be 100% sure youre getting enough protein.
- Distribute your carbs and fats according to your personal preferences. Research shows that you can gain muscle mass with almost any diet, from high-carbohydrate ones to ketogenic diets without any carbs at all.
- Eat a balanced diet with enough vitamins and minerals. You dont have to eat 100% clean, but dont overindulge in refined junk food either. Make unrefined and healthy foods the staple of your diet, but dont forget to treat yourself occasionally.
Read more:
Read Also: Fasting Diets To Lose Weight
Intermittent Fasting Results Advice
For some, especially those who are just starting, intermittent fasting can be a little difficult to follow through with. Not eating has a way of grating on a persons nerves, causing a great deal of psychological distress. Fortunately, there are some things you can do in order to see positive intermittent fasting results. They are as follows:
Drink a lot of water Perhaps the most important thing you need to do when makinguse of an intermittent fasting diet is to drink a lot of water. Water not only physically fills up your stomach, but also gives you the psychological feeling of being full. While its not ideal, you could also drink other non-caloric beverages like diet soda.
The key to getting positive intermittent fasting results is to only intake calories when youre supposed to be intaking calories. Cheating, and eating even small meals will all but ruin the effects of the diet. Drink water to keep yourself hydrated and to sate your hunger while youre waiting for your opportunity to start eating again.
Start slowly Though you eventually want to get onto a set schedule in order to achievemaximum intermittent fasting results, its important to take it slow when youre first starting. Slowly build up your tolerance to fasting, allowing yourself to grow accustomed to the feeling of hunger.
Intermittent Fasting Health Benefits
Being able to lose weight is not the only advantage you have to look forward to18:6 fasting benefits also encompass reduced risk of many serious illnesses, including Alzheimers disease and cancer, reduced inflammation throughout the body, and lower insulin levels.
However, the 18:6 fasting benefits experienced during depend entirely on the length of the fast as opposed to the eating window. The longer you are in a heightened metabolic state of ketosis, the more fat burning and other health benefits come along with it.
Don’t Miss: Should Intermittent Fasting Be Done Daily
What Does Intermittent Fasting Do
The main benefits of intermittent fasting are weight loss and improving metabolic health, including better blood sugar control in type 2 diabetes.
There are different mechanisms to account for the success of intermittent fasting.
First, skipping meals and cutting out snacking naturally reduces the amount of calories one eats during the day. Thats why it is important to try not to eat more during your eating window to make up for the missed meal. That would negate one of the main benefits of fasting!
The second potential reason for IFs success is its ability to lower insulin levels. Studies show that fasting tends to lower insulin levels, although it is not scientifically clear the extent to which lower insulin levels can directly explain better weight loss.
However, a 2020 study from Dr. Ethan Weiss and colleagues created some doubt about whether short fasts of 16 hours, in the absence of any other dietary modification, can lead to improved weight loss and metabolic health. The studys authors concluded that time restricted eating was no better than eating throughout the day for weight loss.
We wrote about this study, noting that the fasting group did not reduce caloric intake, which puts it at odds with other studies that have suggested at least part of the benefit of fasting comes from reduced caloric intake.
But even though human data on longevity are lacking, the other benefits of IF and its ease of use likely make it worth a try.
How Long Does Intermittent Fasting Take To Work
Deep down, were all a little impatient. Honestly, I dont even mind admitting that Im impatient. In my opinion, impatient people get things done! So its not unusual that one question people have about Intermittent Fasting is how long will does Intermittent Fasting take to work?. In fact according to google, this question has suddenly BLOWN UP the google search bar in the past 3 days. So I decided to break it down for you guys and give you ALL the deets you need to know about Intermittent Fasting and exactly how long it takes to start seeing results.
Dont Miss: What To Expect From Intermittent Fasting
Don’t Miss: What Can I Drink While Intermittent Fasting
Why Is : 6 Intermittent Fasting Good
Also Check: How To Choose Intermittent Fasting Plan
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.
Also Check: What Can Drink During Intermittent Fasting
Can I Exercise While Fasting And When Is The Best Timing
Yes! Its generally safe to exercise while fasted. However, talk to your physician if you have diabetes or have experienced hypoglycemia during or after fasted exercise.
People practicing alternate day fasting choose to exercise on fasted days as often as on their feeding days. However, when approaching the end of a long fast you may want to stick to light to moderate physical activity.
There arent necessarily best practices for exercise timing with fasting. However, theres evidence that fasted exercise can send you into deeper ketosis more quickly. Light exercise right before or after you eat can also help your body soak up glucose more quickly. High intensity exercise can even raise your blood glucose levels temporarily as your muscles release glycogen and your liver produces new glucose, which could leave you feeling uplifted during a prolonged fast. There are many ways to combine fasting with exercise. Learn more here.
Leave The Sugar And Cream In The Cupboard
Im used to starting my day with coffee loaded with cream and sugar, please! But Ive lost the taste for that simple pleasure now that Ive given it up for IF, committing to a clean fast. Fasting clean means you avoid all fats, sugars and added flavors during the fasting period. You can have any combination of coffee, green or black tea, and carbonated or still water. But you have to say no to cream, sugar, honey, lemon and other flavoring. You get nothing but the plain, boring, bland. Blah. Im still wrestling with this one, because celebrities like Brooke Burke encourage a little cream, butter or Bulletproof coffee to get through the fast. But proponents of the clean fast say thats a no-no. During a fast, when I feel the urge to reach for the gateway drug to cookies cream I try to remember their advice. The good thing is, they say you can have that cream and sugar when the fast ends. If I drink coffee at all before that time, however, I find myself choosing still to leave out the sugar, mostly, and pour much less cream.
Recommended Reading: Blood Type And Intermittent Fasting
Ways To Use This Information For Better Health
Adapted from a Harvard Health Blog post by Monique Tello, MD, MPH
Read Also: How To Break Water Fasting
How Does Intermittent Fasting Work
There are several different ways to do intermittent fasting, but they are all based on choosing regular time periods to eat and fast. For instance, you might try eating only during an eight-hour period each day and fast for the remainder. Or you might choose to eat only one meal a day two days a week. There are many different intermittent fasting schedules.
Mattson says that after hours without food, the body exhausts its sugar stores and starts burning fat. He refers to this as metabolic switching.
Intermittent fasting contrasts with the normal eating pattern for most Americans, who eat throughout their waking hours, Mattson says. If someone is eating three meals a day, plus snacks, and theyre not exercising, then every time they eat, theyre running on those calories and not burning their fat stores.
Intermittent fasting works by prolonging the period when your body has burned through the calories consumed during your last meal and begins burning fat.
You May Like: 3 Days Fasting And Prayer For Breakthrough
Foods List And Meal Plan
To maximize the potential health benefits of your diet, its important to stick to nutritious whole foods and beverages during your eating periods.
Filling up on nutrient-rich foods helps round out your diet and supports a healthy weight. Try balancing each meal with a wide variety of whole foods, such as:
- Fruits: apples, bananas, berries, oranges, peaches, pears, tomatoes, etc.
- Veggies: broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, cucumbers, leafy greens, etc.
- Whole grains: barley, buckwheat, quinoa, rice, oats, etc.
- Healthy fats: olive oil and avocados
- Protein sources: eggs, fish, legumes, meat, poultry, nuts, seeds, etc.
Drinking calorie-free beverages like water and unsweetened tea and coffee, even while fasting, also helps control your appetite while keeping you hydrated.
Its best to avoid ultra-processed foods like packaged snacks, deep-fried items, sugary drinks, and most frozen meals. These negate the positive effects of 16/8 intermittent fasting and may harm your health.
Summary
To begin 16/8 intermittent fasting, choose an 8-hour window and limit your food intake to that time span. Be sure to follow a balanced diet based in whole foods.
Summary
Animal and human studies suggest that intermittent fasting may increase weight loss, improve blood sugar levels, and extend longevity.
Does Creatine Break My Fast
Most likely not. No studies look at that question specifically, but creatine is calorie-free and does not trigger an insulin response.66 However, considering that your creatine uptake is better if you take it with some protein or carbs, you might want to save it for your eating window anyway.67
Read more:
> > Creatine: Effects, Benefits and Safety
You May Like: Can Fasting Cause Blurred Vision
How Do You Get Started With Intermittent Fasting
One common mistake I see with Intermittent Fasting is people jump in without a plan. I’ve seen this mistake lead to hormone imbalances, extreme sugar cravings and halted weight loss results. I believe that knowledge is power and with the right tools, you can achieve your wellness dreams while still eat foods you love!
That’s why I created The Complete Intermittent Fasting Program. It contains all of the latest research on Intermittent Fasting, breaks down the science so you can understand what you’re doing and why. It even has 8 weeks of meal-by-meal planning with delicious recipes to help keep you satiated AND your taste buds happy! I’m talking L.A. Street Tacos, Pumpkin Chili, Strawberry Coconut Muffins, Spicy Curry and MORE! The Program also includes a 3 week workout program and exercise strategies specifically designed for Intermittent Fasting in order to maximize your fat burning results!
Fast For 20 Hours A Day But Take The Weekends Off
I did a combination of modified fasting and weekly intermittent fasting for about 3 months before starting the warrior diet. As I was experimenting, my strategy wasnt laid out in advance. I recommend you listen to your body and monitor your progress. If you are losing weight and feeling great, stay there. If you feel ready to move on, start fasting every day, but take the weekends off to ease off the transition. At this point, I dont recommend you pick a method like the 16:8 method. If you practice intermittent fasting without keto, you need to fast longer. I recommend 19 to 20 hours fasts each day. The 20:4 Method is often referred to as the Warrior Diet. It simply means that you are consuming all your daily calories within a four-hour window.
Warrior Diet Sample Day
I found that the Warrior Diet was the best way to naturally decrease how much food I was consuming without feeling deprived. As your body runs on ketones most of the day, your appetite decreases, and you feel amazing. Then, you break your fast by flooding your body with nutrient-dense foods and you keep promoting healing and optimal health. I love to break my fast with the Power Shake. Its made with raw organic superfoods. Its also filling and satisfying.
Read Also: What Can I Eat While Fasting
Also Check: How To Lose 20 Pounds With Intermittent Fasting