Benefits To Gut Health
Short periods of fasting, such as skipping breakfast , may benefit your gut microbes, explains Professor Tim Spector of Kings College London in his book Spoon-Fed. Although research in the field is in its early stages, accumulating evidence suggests that during fasting, certain species of microbes replicate and feed off carbohydrates in the gut lining. This makes the gut barrier healthier and more efficient.
One explanation for this could be that gut microbes follow a circadian rhythm like you do. Microbe communities, like us, may also need to rest and recuperate as part of a daily circadian rhythm which could be important for our gut health, writes Spector.
Everyones body responds differently to skipping meals, so Spector suggests experimenting by giving breakfast or another meal a miss to see how you feel. Leaving a minimum of 12 hours between eating, even if its only occasionally, could improve your mood and energy levels in the short term , he argues.
How Does Fasting Work
Our bodies put in a lot of work when it comes to processing the food we eat to provide us a consistent source of energy.
When we eat food is broken down into macro and micronutrients via digestive enzymes. Carbohydrates like rice and starchy vegetables get broken down into glucose to be absorbed into our bloodstream and utilized for immediate energy with the help of insulin.
When our cells don’t use all of the glucose from the food we eat it gets stored in our liver and muscles as glycogen. And when in a calorie surplus, any leftover fuel gets store in our fat cells, as fat.
In-between meals, and when we first start fasting as long as we aren’t snacking, our body will utilize glycogen and some stored fat for energy. But once our glycogen stores are depleted our body will begin to break down more fat for fuel .
Prolonged fasting will eventually prompt our body to experience ketosis and metabolically switch to breaking down fat as fuel using stored fatty acids instead of glycogen for energy .
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- The 16/8 intermittent fasting approach means you fast for 16 hours and eat only in an eight-hour window.
- Fasting triggers autophagy, which is needed for healthy metabolism.
- IF has plenty of research-backed health benefits including better brain function, lower blood sugar levels, and lower inflammation.
- Fasting can be a great way to get into ketosis, but its not the only way.
- If you want to use fasting for ketosis, its ideal if you do it while following a keto diet.
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Intermittent Fasting For Women: Hormones
You, too, have probably heard about specific, gentle fasting methods for women, such as crescendo fasting.
Moreover, there are even articles circulating on the Internet that claim that intermittent fasting only benefits men.
Nevertheless, fasting is a natural state that our ancestors mostly did not choose.
Our existence stresses out the fact that not only the male body is built for fasting. Therefore, women, in particular, have had to survive food shortages.
Is Intermittent Fasting 1: 10 Beneficial
Any type of fasting is more beneficial than eating throughout the day and night.
Availability of food and changing lifestyle has made it possible for us to eat anytime we want. This can cause an excess of calories, which ultimately leads to weight gain.
There are several benefits of intermittent fasting 14:10, such as:
- It is easier to do. If you sleep 7 hours each day, doing intermittent fasting 14:10 requires only 7 extra hours of fasting. This certainly looks more attainable, as it has little impact on your daily schedule and social life.
- Nightly fasting for 13 hours or more reduces the risk of high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and obesity.
- If you want to level up to the 16:8 method or 24-fasts, intermittent fasting 14:10 can be an excellent starting point.
- Because it has an eating window of 10 hours, you will be less likely to experience common side effects, such as hunger pangs, headaches, and increased irritability. Even if you experience some, they will be less severe and more manageable.
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What Is The Best Type Of Intermittent Fasting For Weight Loss
There are plenty of different ways to implement IF.
While the 16/8 model is the most popular and the easiest to implement, other types include the 5/2 model, which involves limiting calories twice a week, and the alternate-day model, which involves limiting calories every other day.
As of yet, the studies are pretty inconclusive as to whether one type is more effective than any other, so try a range of methods to figure out which one works best for your body and your lifestyle.
While most people try IF as a weight loss tool, its been shown to have other potential benefits.
Delay Onset Of Alzheimers
Especially popular with the anti-aging crowd, the 16/8 intermittent fasting diet can help delay the onset of Alzheimers as it helps improve mental clarity and levels of concentration. In fact, for those who already suffer with Alzheimers, a 16/8 fasting diet may help prevent further onset and improve their cognitive function and quality of life.
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What Are The Benefits Of Not Being Full All The Time
Regular breaks between eating give our bodies time to carry out valuable housekeeping, according to Dr Collins. After a meal, you absorb the glucose from carbohydrates in food for energy, and either use it immediately or store it for later. In a fasted state, which typically starts 1012 hours after your last meal, the body is depleted of this form of glucose. Then the liver begins to break down stored fat into fatty acids called ketones to use as fuel. This process is known as metabolic switching and is a reason why fasting can lead to weight loss.
But emerging science suggests fasting activates certain chemicals and processes that confer health benefits beyond losing weight. Its also thought to encourage the growth of beneficial gut bacteria that could be good for us in many different ways.
The problem is, most of us are too full for too much of the time to experience these benefits, says Collins. Eating three meals a day plus snacks, as many of us do, means were in a constantly fed state. As a result, our bodies continuously process new intakes of food instead of dealing with fat reserves.
All the things we associate with poor metabolic health and disease risk cardiovascular disease, insulin resistance, diabetes and low energy are essentially a manifestation of fuel mismanagement, he says. Eating in a grazing pattern means youre not able to store, liberate and utilise fuel in the right way.
Is Intermittent Fasting Safe For Women
Although many people achieve significant results with fasting, it is not necessarily right for everyone.
Additionally, there are situations in which intermittent fasting may be inappropriate. Therefore, fasting is often not a good idea under the following circumstances:
- Pregnancy: Although there is a lack of long-term studies on the subject, there are better intermittent fasting times than pregnancy. During pregnancy, the focus is on the nourishment and growth of the child. Plus, you dont need the added stress.
- Chronic stress: Although intermittent fasting can be a healthy form of stress, there are times in life when it can be the straw that breaks the camels back. If youre currently going through a mentally challenging phase of your life, focus on stress relief instead.
- Eating disorders: When you try intermittent fasting, self-care is mandatory. If you develop a questionable relationship with food, return to a standard eating pattern. If you have a history of anorexia or another eating disorder, fasting may not be right for you.
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Intermittent Fasting May Reduce Diabetes Risk
The study in Cell Metabolism referenced above also demonstrated the potential of intermittent fasting to reduce risk of metabolic diseases, such as type 2 diabetes and heart disease.
All the participants in the study were diagnosed with metabolic syndrome, a cluster of health conditionsincluding high blood sugar, excess abdominal fat, high blood pressure, and abnormal cholesterol or triglycerides levelsthat occurring together boost the risk of type 2 diabetes, stroke, and heart disease.
After 12 weeks, every participant experienced improvement in all of the common markers of metabolic syndrome.
A similar study in the journal Translational Research found that alternate-day fasting, in which participants restricted calories by 75 percent on a fast day, followed by a feed day without calorie restriction, resulted in clinically significant reductions in blood sugar and insulin resistance.
Longer Life Is Possible
I am techno-nerd, admittedly, and love to buy new technologies or have the latest and greatest things to come out. I can remember when I bought my first brand-new computer and opted for the top of the line processor, memory, and RAM, so I would never need to worry about outgrowing it. But, over time and with use, the computer got slower. It didnt seem to run as fast, the parts started to wear down, the keys stuck, the graphics card would sometimes flicker, it just wasnt like it was when I bought it.
The same thing goes for your body. The more you use it, the more it has the chance to break down if not exposed to the right conditions. By fasting, you allow your body to take in food, process it properly and then rest, recover, and prepare for the next time it needs to do its job.
Constantly feeding and abusing the system greatly diminishes its ability to work properly, and thus we age and break down and have health concerns earlier in life. So if you want to live longer, it makes sense to me that we reduce how much we use our system, and thus we can live longer.
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Intermittent Fasting Can Still Lead To Weight Gain
Feeling starved during your fasting period might make some people more prone to binging behaviors when theyre not fasting. And eating more calories than what your body burns will lead to a long-term increase in body fat even if you consistently fast for 12-16 hours each day.
In other words, if you are having trouble maintaining your hunger and end up going completely rogue on your non-fasting periods, you could end up gaining weight.
Going rouge during your non-fasting periods can sabotage your health goals, start a meal prep routine or plan your meals to ensure you’re nourishing your body.
Not sure what style of diet is right for you? Use a meal plan quiz to get started!
/4must Have Foods During Intermittent Fasting
One doesn’t have to count and restrict the calories, as long as you eat healthily in the given 8 hour time frame. While the 16:8 diet does not specify what food to include and what to avoid, it is beneficial as it maximises the potential of the diet, if one sticks to healthy and nutritious options in the eight-hour window.
Balancing your meals with a good variety of healthy whole foods is very important. One must include food such as:
- Fruit: Apples, bananas, berries, oranges, pears, etc.
- Vegetables: Broccoli, cauliflower, cucumbers, leafy greens, tomatoes, etc.
- Whole grains: Barley, quinoa, rice, oats, etc.
- Healthy fats: Avocados, coconut oil and olive oil
While fasting, avoid, junk as well as processed foods. One should consume water regularly throughout the day this will help control the appetite. Try meditation during the fasting period, to allow hunger pangs to pass and exercise just before or during the eating window as it will trigger hunger and ensure that you are full.
With inputs from: Honey Thaker, Head Nutritionist – Fitness Science & Nutrition, Purenutrition.in
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When Can I Eat On The 1: 8 Diet
You can pick an 8 hour window to suit your day. So, for example it could be between 10am 6pm or 11am 8pm and so on. Plus, you can still drink tea and coffee outside of those hours too, although because of the benefits of drinking water you are also encouraged to stay as hydrated as possible.
Most people choose to fast through the night, and opt to eat their first meal at about 11am or in the middle of the day.
Tom says, The most common hours adopted for the eating period is 12 till 8pm. The reason for this is because people arent normally that hungry in the morning, you dont want to be consuming too many calories during the evening and this allows us to eat our lunch and dinner as well as a healthy snack.
Do We All Experience The Same Benefits
No regime will be right for everyone all the time, says Collins. So much depends on what you eat, and to some extent when you eat it, he adds. It also depends on whether youre going to follow eating with activity or inactivity, and whether youve accumulated lots of calories throughout the day. Every persons body reacts differently to eating and fasting.
Another contributing factor is your circadian rhythm natural cycles of sleep and activity. Many digestive, metabolic and cellular processes follow a daily rhythm based on cycles of light and dark, just like your sleep patterns. Nutrition scientists are now investigating whether eating out of kilter with our circadian rhythm having a large meal at night when your body is signalling for you to sleep is not optimal for health.
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The Complete Guide To Intermittent Fasting 16/8
Intermittent fasting is an effective fasting method with research-backed health benefits, including healthy weight loss, better cognitive function, and lower inflammation. It has become a popular tool for improving overall health and reaching nutrition and fitness goals. The most well-known, approachable, and sustainable method is intermittent fasting 16/8.
Easier Intermittent Fasting Plan
In my opinion, 12 hour fasting is the easiest and least painful way to go about fasting. If you are following an otherwise nutrient dense clean eating diet, it should actually be easy to do.
Truly, if youre interested in embracing intermittent fasting, this 12 hour intermittent fasting plan is the most pleasant way to go.
As mentioned, I have been doing it more or less by accident for years.
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Could Help Promote Balance In Other Areas Beyond Food
When we think of intermittent fasting we immediately think of food, since that is what we are limiting. But could we benefit from taking a break from other things in our life?
The basic concept of fasting is to abstain from something for a specific period of time, so what other things could we fast besides food?
Television, social media, and video games to name a few may all be things we could use a break from that may positively impact our health and well-being.
At the end of the day, consciously choosing to reduce or shift our habits can help us create health and wellness goals based on our values and beliefs.
Is Skipping Breakfast Bad For You The Surprising Truth
Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. This myth is pervasive in society.
Breakfast is perceived as healthy, even more important than other meals.
Even todays official nutrition guidelines recommend that we eat breakfast.
It is claimed that breakfast helps us lose weight, and that skipping it can raise our risk of obesity.
This seems like a problem, because up to 25% of Americans regularly skip breakfast .
However, new high-quality studies have started questioning the universal advice that everyone should eat breakfast.
This article takes a detailed look at breakfast, and whether skipping it is really going to harm your health and make you fat.
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How To Begin 5 2 Intermittent Fasting
You will begin by eating normally for 5 of the days each week. By eating normally, we encourage you to eat a clean, healthy diet that is filled with whole foods, healthy meats and pastured eggs.
For the 2 fasting days, you will eat 1 meal consisting of 600 or 500 or 2 meals each day consisting of 300 or 250 calories each.
Again, you can also drink water, coffee and other drinks that have no calories.
Diet Plan: What Can You Eat And What Are The Benefits
The 16:8 diet has been one of the most popular diet plans weve seen in years and with good reason.
The 16:8 plan also called the 8-hour diet is an easier and more consistent way of fasting that avoids heavily calorie restricted days found in other popular intermittent fasting plans like the 5:2 diet or Fast 800 calorie diet.
Studies have shown that intermittent fasting can have benefits on both your body and mental health, as well as being one of the diets that work fast for weight loss.
A famous fan of the 16:8 intermittent fasting plan is Hollywood icon Jennifer Aniston. In an interview with the Radio Times, Jennifer revealed that shes a big fan of intermittent fasting in general but specifically this plan. I do intermittent fasting, so no food in the morning. She said, I noticed a big difference in going without solid food for 16 hours.
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