Lately, people are becoming more and more mindful of their diets, exercise schedules, and lives in general. Weight management as an industry is booming. While different people have different ways to approach weight management, Intermittent fasting for weight loss has grown as a medically backed, easy to manage, and effective way of training your mind and body.

What Is Intermittent Fasting?

Very simply put, Intermittent Fasting is voluntary fasting, but not a mindless one at that. The intermittent fasting benefits are plenty. It’s a properly calculated diet that speaks about making a cycle between your mealtime and your fasting time. There are multiple ways to approach this diet, but the most effective remains periodic fasting, alternate fasting, and time-restricted fasting.

Benefits Of Intermittent Fasting

1. Boosts Gene Expression, Hormone And Cell Health

When you deprive your body of any energy through food, your body triggers hormones to utilize stored fat as an energy source. This energy is used for core regenerative cellular functions, including repair and toxin discharge. Due to a lack of sugar from food, insulin levels drop, and the levels of human growth hormone increase.^[1]Horne, B. D., J. B. Muhlestein, D. L. Lappe, H. T. May, J. F. Carlquist, O. Galenko, K. D. Brunisholz, and J. L. Anderson. “Randomized cross-over trial of short-term water-only fasting: … Continue reading Both of these create a conducive environment for effective fat burn. There is also a spillover in the functioning of specific genes known for increasing your lifespan.

2. Weight Loss

Most people who undertake intermittent fasting have weight loss as their ultimate goal. One important reason is the reduction in meals, leading to reduced calorie intake. Also, the dip in insulin levels and the heightened human growth hormone levels lead to increased fat utilization, especially visceral fat (harmful fat surrounding your vital organs).^[2]Patterson, Ruth E., and Dorothy D. Sears. “Metabolic effects of intermittent fasting.” Annual review of nutrition 37 (2017). You can see a spurt in your metabolism, burning more calories and using fat to provide energy for cellular and other body functions.

3. Reduces Insulin Resistance

Most studies have shown that reduction in calorie intake results in a reduction in insulin resistance.^[3]Barnosky, Adrienne R., Kristin K. Hoddy, Terry G. Unterman, and Krista A. Varady. “Intermittent fasting vs daily calorie restriction for type 2 diabetes prevention: a review of human … Continue reading People on intermittent fasting end up eating fewer meals due to the shortened “eating” window. Fasting reduces the amount of insulin secreted into the blood due to the reduced food and calorie intake—great news for people wanting to keep sugar levels in check. Please consult your diabetologist before embarking on any new diet.

4. Improves Cognitive Function

Intermittent fasting has a positive effect on your brain health. It is known to fight against oxidative stress, the primary cause of inflammation. Excess inflammation in the body is the root cause of chronic diseases and a decline in cognitive health. Intermittent fasting can also support the growth of new nerve cells in the brain.^[4]Baik, Sang‐Ha, Vismitha Rajeev, David Yang‐Wei Fann, Dong‐Gyu Jo, and Thiruma V. Arumugam. “Intermittent fasting increases adult hippocampal neurogenesis.” Brain and behavior 10, … Continue reading fasting also decreases insulin resistance, a known trigger for cognitive decline that can lead to dementia and Alzheimer’s.

5. Good For Your Heart

Intermittent fasting is known to burn excess fat and reduce body weight. In fact, during the process of losing this weight, a beneficial side effect is a reduction in triglycerides and blood sugar levels. These are essential health markers when it comes to your heart health.^[5]Antoni, Rona, Kelly L. Johnston, Adam L. Collins, and M. Denise Robertson. “The effects of intermittent energy restriction on indices of cardiometabolic health.” Res Endocrinol 2014 … Continue reading It also has a significant and positive impact on your blood pressure and the balance between good and bad cholesterol. The drop in insulin experienced by people who follow intermittent fasting drastically reduces the risk of congestive heart failure.

6. Improves Sleep Quality

Stuffing yourself late at night will ensure that your sleep times are delayed and sleep quality is affected. After a large meal, a food coma affects your sleep cycles and overall health. Intermittent fasting ensures that your mealtimes are streamlined, and you have a sufficient gap between your last meal and hitting the sack. This also allows your digestive system ample time to digest your meal. This means that digestive issues like acidity, heartburn, or bedtime acid reflux are removed from the equation.^[6]Almeneessier, Aljohara S., and Ahmed S. BaHammam. “How does diurnal intermittent fasting impact sleep, daytime sleepiness, and markers of the biological clock? Current insights.” Nature … Continue reading Intermittent fasting also aligns with your body’s circadian rhythm making sleep natural and restful.

The Basic Rules Of Intermittent Fasting

Here are some rules regarding intermittent fasting:

– When you are fasting, limit your intake to just fluids. Avoid sugary drinks and sodas that can dehydrate you.

– Avoid fatty, saturated, processed, and junk food

– On the 16:8 method, restrict your eating to a window of eight to ten hours.

– On the 5:2 diet, eat for five days a week and limit your calorie intake to five to six hundred calories on the other two days.

– On the Eat Stop Eat method, fast for twenty-four hours once or twice a week.

– On alternate day fasting, eat one day and fast the next, alternatively.

Foods And Liquids To Eat In Intermittent Fasting

When beginning a diet, most people starve themselves in the wrong way. Not only does this result in energy dips, but also having a calorie-deficit diet can make you fall prey to many ailments. Thus, it’s better to stick to Ayurvedic juices that can help you keep a full stomach and give your body the nutrition it needs for daily functioning.

Herbal Tea

Herbal or Ayurvedic tea, like the Kapiva masala tea, forms an excellent substitute for regular tea on fasting days. With its zero-calorie content, the masala tea doubles as a slimming agent and provides the body with various benefits. The soothing properties of an Ayurvedic tea can help kill hunger, calm your nerves and keep you satisfied in general.

Amla Juice

Ayurvedic juices help you fight fatigue and build resistance against hunger while saving you from hunger pangs around the clock. But does amla juice break intermittent fasting? Yes, it does. Once your body gets into fasting mode, it becomes very easy to give in to cravings when at low energy. This is precisely where you need to shift from unhealthy to healthy. Amla Juice has many benefits, one of which includes it being an excellent calorie cutter. The detoxifying properties of Amla are bound to make you feel refreshed every single day and help you achieve your ideal weight sooner.

Aloe Vera Juice

This wonder plant has long been used for its burn healing and skin fixing properties. But very recently, it has passed its way to the kitchen table, getting to be a part of many juices. It finally stands on its own as a juice that can help boost metabolism and further the process of weight loss. Not only this but the Aloe Vera juice can also be used to maintain blood sugar levels. But does aloe vera juice break a fast? Sure, it does.

Apple Cider Vinegar

Apple Cider Vinegar is considered a blessing for anyone trying to reach their ideal weight. Can you drink apple cider vinegar with intermittent fasting? Whether with or without intermittent fasting, Apple Cider Vinegar is entirely self-sufficient. But, when it comes to making it a part of your intermittent fasting schedule, Apple Cider Vinegar only helps in speeding up the weight management process for you. Consuming one to two tablespoons of apple cider vinegar diluted with water on an empty stomach accelerates the digestive process.

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What Is The Best Way To Start Intermittent Fasting?

There is no written rule in the book about starting intermittent fasting, yet some methods are more suitable for some body types, and others should choose others. Your intermittent fasting schedule should rely heavily on the kind of lifestyle you live, including your daily diet, whether or not you exercise, and most importantly, the goal you have in your mind.

How Long Does It Take For Intermittent Fasting To Work?

While Intermittent fasting is highly effective, it is not an internet quick-fix. When you start intermittent fasting, you usually have to wait for six to ten weeks before seeing any visible results. This wait does mean that intermittent fasting is a slow process, but the weight loss over a few weeks is harder to gain back.

How Much Weight Can You Lose In A Month With Intermittent Fasting?

When looking to invest your time in diets like intermittent fasting, it is good to know that they take their time to show results. So, while there is no way you can lose extraordinary amounts of weight in a month, you can healthily manage your weight.

Methods Of Intermittent Fasting

1. The 16:8 Method

The most popular method of intermittent fasting, the 16:8 method, involves restricting your diet to a window of eight to ten hours and, at the same time, being on an empty stomach for the rest of the time. It is important to note that one should stay away from fatty, saturated, processed, and junk food even when eating. It is as easy as not having anything post-dinner and skipping breakfast. But since skipping breakfast isn’t always a healthy option, one should see which method of intermittent fasting works for them.

2. 5:2 diet

The 5:2 diet, on the other hand, involves eating for five days and limiting your calorie intake to five to six hundred calories on the other two days. The 5:2 diet is an easier form of diet to follow since it doesn’t involve actual fasting. On most days, you’re free to consume everyday home-cooked food, and on the two days, you must limit calories. It is also a given that you have to stay away from processed, oily, and junk food.

3. Eat Stop Eat

The Eat Stop Eat method involves twenty-four-hour fasting once or twice a week. The eat stop eat diet means not eating anything post-dinner on day one to the time of your dinner on the following day. While having water, coffee, and other zero-calorie beverages are allowed, one should completely stay away from solid foods.

4. Alternate Day Fasting

As the name suggests, Alternate Day Fasting demands you to eat one day and fast the next alternatively. Of course, this diet is the hardest to achieve; hence isn’t advisable for beginners or anyone who can suffer any side effects.

Summing It Up

Fasting has long been practised by various religions to detox and rejuvenates your bodies. Just focusing on its weight loss potential is looking at fasting with a myopic vision. Fasting can have short term and long term health benefits that are equal, if not more, than most low-calorie diets going around. You can choose from a myriad range of fasting methods. Start slow and gradually adopt a fasting method that works for you. The benefits to blood sugar, blood pressure, and heart and brain health are immense. Do consult your nutritionist or health care practitioner before starting with fasting.

FAQs

Q1. Can you intermittent fast every day?

Yes. You can follow intermittent fasting every day. Consult your nutritionist or medical practitioner before starting with any new diet regime.

Q2. Can I skip breakfast or dinner in intermittent fasting?

Yes. You can skip either breakfast or dinner. You need to keep a fixed window for eating for 8 to 10 hours and stay on fluids for 14 to 16 hours of the day. An ideal eating window can be 12 noon to 8 pm or 11 am to 7 pm if you wish to skip breakfast. You can also choose 9 am to 4 pm if you want to skip dinner.

Q3. How should a beginner start intermittent fasting?

Start slow. Start with fasting for 12 hours (8 pm to 8 am) and then gradually proceed to 16 hours of fasting. Consult your nutritionist or medical practitioner before starting with any new diet regime.

Q4. Who should avoid intermittent fasting?

Intermittent fasting is beneficial for everyone. But if you are already underweight or struggling to put on weight, under 18 years of age, pregnant, or breastfeeding, you should avoid intermittent fasting.