Risks Of Intermittent Fasting
If I were to write this article as a news story, Id probably lead with the drawbacks or risks. This stuff tends to get sensationalized.
To be fair in this article, though, I did want to address some of the potential drawbacks. I say potential because the issues outlined below were found in the same studies where people experienced all the health benefits above.
So, in my opinion, even if someone experienced some of the changes below, it would be worth it to experience the health benefits above.
Healthy, resistant-trained men experienced a reduction in triiodothyronine , a sign that thyroid hormones dropped. Triiodothyronine is the bodys most powerful regulator of metabolic rate. However, they also lost body fat, suggesting the lower T3 did not cause a reduction in metabolic rate. Perhaps, the fasting just made the men more sensitive to T3, so they needed less.
In a few studies, testosterone levels and IGF-1 also decreased slightly, yet it did not translate into a reduction in lean mass or any other related symptom. Its possible that the study wasnt long enough for the body to return to normal levels, or there could be another cause.
Physical performance remained the same or improved as well, which would suggest the slightly lower testosterone and IGF-1 did not cause a problem.
Is Intermittent Fasting As Helpful For Women As It Is For Men
There isnt really a distinction in health benefits between women and men.
However, I do think that women are more prone to stress-related health challenges. Sometimes, the introduction of a new eating pattern can be one more stress that becomes too much.
From my experience working with both men and women, men tend to get faster body composition results from IF. I prefer to have most women stick to a 12-hour window of eating, instead of reducing it to eight hours. But, again, thats only based on my experience with clients.
Is There Anyone Who Should Avoid Intermittent Fasting?
If you have adrenal fatigue, Id recommend dealing that before experimenting with intermittent fasting. Also, make sure youre following a higher-protein diet to support your recovery needs.
Olympic, collegiate, and professional athletes, outside of endurance athletes, probably shouldnt delve into intermittent fasting either. With the hours they invest in training, and the high levels of energy they burn, they need to eat more often than intermittent fasting would allow.
Physique competitors in the last several weeks leading up to a show would also be better off eating more frequently. Due to their extreme dieting, they can be in highly catabolic state.
Young adults probably dont need to think about intermittent fasting either. Our son asked about me intermittent fasting. At the time, he was a 21-year old, healthy, fit young man. My response to him was:
Popular Ways To Do Intermittent Fasting
Intermittent fasting has recently become a health trend. Devotees claim it can cause weight loss, improve metabolic health, and maybe even extend life span.
Every method can be effective, but figuring out which one works best depends on the individual.
Several methods of this eating pattern exist. But before embarking on an intermittent fast or deciding how often to fast, you should speak with a healthcare professional.
Here are 6 popular ways to do intermittent fasting.
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When To Eat On Intermittent Fasting
With the rising popularity of intermittent fasting, new fasting plans and programs come up again and again. Meanwhile, there are numerous types of fasting.
Nevertheless, we already dealt with the essential intermittent fasting schedules. In my experience, it is also the most classical of all methods, with which most people achieve the best results.
The substantial reason for the fact that humans can successfully convert 16/8 intermittent fasting is the simple integration into daily life.
What Is Intermittent Fasting 16/8
The 16:8 fasting method means you fast for 16 hours and then have your meals during the 8-hour window.This plan is relatively effortless to follow. If you tend to eat a late breakfast and an early dinner the 16/8 method will be easy for you!You can have your first meal at noon and your last meal at 8 p.m. If youre a fan of breakfast, have it at 8 a.m. and then stop eating after 6 p.m.
Its not an easy task for late snack lovers, but it sure brings results.
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Final Thoughts About 16/8 Intermittent Fasting
16/8 intermittent fasting is one of the most popular forms of intermittent fasting that involves fasting for 16 hours and eating only during an 8-hour window. This method of fasting is good for fat loss, weight loss, and also for improving overall health.
This diet plan is easy to follow and gives good results but maybe its not for everyone. If your plan is to follow the 16/8 intermittent fasting diet you should speak first with your doctor or dietitian to make sure that this diet is good for you!
What To Eat When Fasting
Fasting and food dont seem to go together but surprisingly there are a couple of snacks and treats you can enjoy and remain in fasting ketosis.
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The key is to watch your portion sizes, especially if youre trying to lose weight. Higher fat, quality foods are best. Since your body is already burning fat for fuel at this point, eating a small amount of high-quality fats will not likely disrupt this process, Rodriquez advises.
On the other hand, eating carbs or sugar will raise your insulin levels and blood sugar, ending fasting ketosis.
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Foods To Avoid During The Intermittent Fasting
You need to avoid some foods during intermittent fasting to maintain a balanced diet and a healthy lifestyle. Processed foods such as burgers, fries, and nuggets are high in calories, and they can increase your food cravings. These foods contain fat, added sugar, and empty calories.
Here is the list of foods you need to avoid during your intermittent fasting
- Snacks such as fried chips
- Sugary drinks like carbonated drinks, coffee, cold coffee
- Processed, packed juices
- Processed foods such as cheese, meat, etc
- Popcorn
- Candies
Many studies suggest that processed foods and carbonated drinks lead to weight gain. You can replace carbonated drinks with fresh juices and fried foods with healthy salads. Be more mindful while choosing your food to make your intermittent fasting more powerful.
Do We Need Intermittent Fasting Rules For Weight Loss
Intermittent fasting sounds very simple. For example, standard 16/8 intermittent fasting has just two rules:
- No breakfast
- No snacks
But even simple concepts hide complex relationships.
Youve probably read about countless intermittent fasting success stories. Youve done your research, tried things out, and still arent convinced?
To achieve lasting success with intermittent fasting, it comes down to supposed subtleties.
Thats why this article sets up rules for intermittent fasting that get to the heart of all the essential basic principles. If you dont know this basic information, you will find yourself disappointed over and over again.
In addition, people need clear rules that they can always keep in mind to bring the necessary continuity into their daily lives.
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Struggling To Cook Healthy We’ll Help You Prep
Ive been a dietitian for nearly 15 years, so Ive read my share of research on IF, Ive written about it a handful of times, and Ive even tried intermittent fasting out for myself. Heres my take: it works really well for some people regardless of what type of IF they follow, but one common denominator is that plenty of folks out there are doing it wrong.
There happens to be a lot of misinformation floating around the internet , so I culled a list of some of the top comments and questions on Reddits Intermittent Fasting thread and answered them the best I could. Here are some common questions I found about IF, plus some common mistakes to avoid when trying it.
If You Prefer An Early Dinner This Intermittent Fasting Method Is The One For You
By now, you’ve probably heard about the benefits of intermittent fasting some people experience, such as weight loss, more energy, improved digestion, decreased sugar cravings, and better sleep. There are so many ways to fit intermittent fasting into your life, so if you’ve been thinking about it, there’s bound to be one that’s right for you.
Of course, before starting any new diet plan, including intermittent fasting, be sure to check in with your doctor first. Once you get the OK, doing 14:10 fasting is a great place to start, where you fast daily for 14 hours and have a 10-hour eating window. If you’re ready to do longer fasts, the 16:8 protocol is the perfect next step. It extends your fasting window by two hours for example: eating from noon until 8 p.m. If you find that you eat dinner earlier, though, you might be interested in trying 18:6.
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The Backstory On Intermittent Fasting
IF as a weight loss approach has been around in various forms for ages, but was highly popularized in 2012 by BBC broadcast journalist Dr. Michael Mosleys TV documentary Eat Fast, Live Longer and book The Fast Diet, followed by journalist Kate Harrisons book The 5:2 Diet based on her own experience, and subsequently by Dr. Jason Fungs 2016 bestseller The Obesity Code. IF generated a steady positive buzz as anecdotes of its effectiveness proliferated.
As a lifestyle-leaning research doctor, I needed to understand the science. The Obesity Code seemed the most evidence-based summary resource, and I loved it. Fung successfully combines plenty of research, his clinical experience, and sensible nutrition advice, and also addresses the socioeconomic forces conspiring to make us fat. He is very clear that we should eat more fruits and veggies, fiber, healthy protein, and fats, and avoid sugar, refined grains, processed foods, and for Gods sake, stop snacking. Check, check, check, I agree. The only part that was still questionable in my mind was the intermittent fasting part.
What About Taking Supplements During A Fasting Period
This depends on the fasting schedule you’re following, and you should discuss any supplements with your doctor before beginning to take them, says Palinski-Wade. If you fast for a set amount of hours each day, take your supplements during the eating hours , since most supplements like a multivitamin are better absorbed when taken with food.
If you practice intermittent fasting that involves fasting on specific days, like the 5:2 diet, taking supplements is still recommended to ensure you are meeting your nutrient needs each day. Palinski-Wade recommends taking a high-quality multivitamin daily when following any IF plan.
âGenerally, the small amount of calories found in a chewable/gummy/liquid vitamin would not offset a fast day,â she says. “But do discuss this with your doctor or dietitian first to make sure you can take your supplement on an empty stomach.â
The bottom line: At the end of the day, you want to consume close to zero calories during fasting periods. By avoiding sweetened drinks like soda and bottled iced tea, as well as caloric add-ons in your hot beverages, you can ensure you follow your IF plan correctly and successfully.
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Lean Gains Or Muscle Building
If this is what you are trying to do at the present moment, whether for a competition or for beach season, then the OMAD diet might not be ideal.
To get bigger, most people need to pack on the calories in some cases, they need 4000 to 6000 plus calories. This is increasingly difficult on the OMAD diet, even for the eater with the biggest appetite. So, spreading meals out during the day is much easier to ensure the caloric intake is met. Although the OMAD diet can work, it can be very difficult to incorporate.
This is also true with the concept of lean gains. The better approach is the 2- to 3-meal-a-day eat window. Your body will get more out of this eating pattern. Again, the OMAD diet is not off limits, but it might not deliver the best results for the period of time you want to see them.
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What To Eat When Intermittent Fasting
With intermittent fasting, there is only one basic approach that works for better health and weight loss:
Do not eat during fasting periods!
Otherwise, there are situations where at least small amounts of certain foods may be acceptable.
If you are not yet used to a new, more extended fasting period and find it challenging to maintain the duration, you might benefit from fasting aids.
For example, if you are hungry and irritable after 12 hours but can last for 16 hours with a Bulletproof Coffee, this is probably acceptable.
Since the added fat limits autophagys health benefits, it hardly stimulates insulin secretion at all, and you can continue to burn fat.
After your body has gotten used to intermittent fasting, however, you should be able to go without training wheels.
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What Exactly Is Fasting
According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, to fast can mean one of two things:
As you can understand, since fasting can, technically, mean both completely abstaining from food AND eating a little/not eating some foods, were in a bit of a pickle.
Remember when, at the start of this article, we said that things are not as straightforward as you may think? Well, this is partly why.
Hold your horses, though, because this is going to get a little more complicated.
What To Eat During Intermittent Fasting: A Full Guide
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Intermittent fasting is all about when to eat and not what to eat. But does that mean you can binge on ice cream, chocolates, and chips? Certainly not If, during intermittent fasting, what to eat is your biggest concern, you are at the right place. This article will discuss intermittent fasting and how the right food choice can help you reap more benefits from this diet regime.
While practicing intermittent fasting, planning a balanced meal is essential to maintain optimal health. During your periods of fasting, making healthy food choices to meet your daily nutritional requirements is vital. You need to focus more on eating protein-rich foods, low-carb food from whole grains, and healthy fats.
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Intermittent Fasting Food List: What To Eat
Hello, hello, and welcome to Part 2 of my Intermittent Fasting Series! In Part 1, I covered what Intermittent Fasting is and the benefits of time-controlled eating. You can catch Part 1 here.
This week, were focusing on the Intermittent Fasting Food List to help you get the most out of your fasting goals.
What you eat during your eating window has a significant impact on your intermittent fasting goals. For example, lets say you break your fast with a double patty cheeseburger because you wanted your food to be rewarding after many hours of fasting. Unfortunately, the calories you lost during your fasting period will come back and disrupt your fat and sugar levels.
Whereas, if you eat a protein-rich salad bowl , you consume fewer calories and get the essential vitamins and minerals you need to feel your best after fasting.
My personal eating window consists of eating whole foods, whole grains, fresh produce, minimal white sugar, and healthy and essential fats. Like I mentioned in part 1 of this series, I follow IF most of the time and take a break from it on the weekends. But during my eating window I aim to eat as healthy as possible. Get in those nutrients! Such foods allow me to prevent nutrient loss and energy deprivation.
Now, without further ado, lets jump right into the Intermittent Fasting Food List.
You Are Consuming Too Many Calories
You’re not alone, according to Mills. “It can be easy to overeat when a fast breaks, either because you’re feeling ravenous or you justify to yourself that you’re making up for lost calories.” She advises to use a scale of 0-10 where 0 is famished and 10 is stuffed. You should feel hungry before eating and you should stop eating when you’re full, not just to clean your plate. She also recommends slowing down while eating so your brain has time to signal when you’re getting full. “It may take 15-20 minutes after you start eating,” Mills notes.
Recipe pictured above: Greek Burgers with Herb-Feta Sauce
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Benefits Of Eating Protein
Meat, along with fish, eggs, soy, and legumes, is a high protein food that may provide certain health benefits:
- Reduced appetite and increased metabolism. Numerous studies have shown that high protein diets increase metabolic rate, reduce hunger, and promote fullness (
57 ).
In any case, the effect of grassland management for cattle on carbon storage is uncertain. Some experts claim that it might help increase carbon storage in pasturelands. Still, the overall effect is expected to be minor .
Additionally, meat consumption particularly wild meat is linked to viral infections, as numerous viruses have been discovered in meat marketplaces .
Some people choose not to eat meat because they do not believe that animals should be killed for food when other options exist to meet their nutritional needs.
Others object to animals being raised in large industrial complexes that are sometimes referred to as factory farms.
Many of these farms are overcrowded and dont allow adequate exercise, sunshine, or space for the animals to move. Antibiotics are frequently given to livestock to prevent infection, which can result in antibiotic resistance .
Many animals are administered steroid hormones, such as estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone, to speed their growth. That raises additional health and ethical concerns (
65 ).
