Intermittent fasting is a diet plan where you alternate between periods of fasting and non-fasting. There are various intermittent fasting plans to select from and the fasting and feeding windows can vary from one program to the next. One example is the 5:2 Diet, which calls for 5 days of eating regularly and then eating one fourth of your recommended daily calorie allowance on the remaining 2 days. Some fast on two consecutive days while others choose to do it on non-consecutive days, for instance a Monday and Thursday.

Advantages of intermittent fasting

There are many benefits to this practice. A lot of people look at this diet system as a part of a weight reduction plan. Fasting from time to time can help raise your insulin sensitivity which almost always results to more visible weight loss. The reason for this is that the more sensitive your body is to insulin, the more likely you are to lose fat and gain muscle. nsulin sensitivity is greater after 8-to-10-hour fasting periods and following exercise. Hence, most of the time, experts who endorse this diet strategy suggest training even during a fasted state as a way to burn more fat. Fasting once or twice a week can also help you decrease triglyceride and LDL levels. Fasting from time to time can also improve the secretion of growth hormone, which has a myriad of health benefits, particularly, its ability to cancel out the effects of cortisol like fat accumulation in the belly. Fasting, like other kinds of caloric restrictions, is also connected to things like having a longer life span and reduced risk of developing heart-related illnesses.

Who should not do intermittent fasting?

Even though this diet strategy is effective and beneficial, it can produce undesirable effects to certain groups of individuals. People recuperating from surgery are not encouraged to do fasting intermittently. You are also not advised to try this if you are feeling unwell or have a fever. Diabetic patients, specifically those receiving insulin, and people receiving maintenance medicines should consult with their doctor first before trying this. Additionally, children, as well as pregnant or breastfeeding women, should refrain from doing this diet program. For more information about 5:2 Diet Plan, click this link.

What are the side effects?

Hunger is one of the commonest side effects of intermittent fasting, particularly when you’re only starting out. Eventually, you will feel hungry more infrequently even if you eat less frequently.

In summary, the most crucial thing to keep in mind about fasting from time to time is to not consider it as a diet, but a nutritional way of life. This approach is not for everyone, but it is really an effective way to lose weight and stay healthy.