Intermittent fasting
I’ve been following this diet for a year and have lost nearly 2 stones/14kg/30pounds. Intermittent fasting is rapidly growing in popularity and becoming a great way to lose
weight. It’s used successfully by 1000's of people worldwide including Arnold Schwarzenegger and doesn’t cost anything.
So What Is Intermittent Fasting?
Intermittent fasting is a diet plan where you fast for a set period of time during the day. You only eat during an 8 hour window every 24 hours.
I eat between 12pm and 8pm every day. I fast for the other 16 hours. I tend to focus on hydration during those 16 hours (water, black coffee or green tea).
The 16 hours of fasting allows your body to focus on its housekeeping, as it doesn't need to break down food over this period.
While fasting you can eat and drink low calorie or calorie-free foods.
Here are some of the Health Benefits:
Lose fat
According to a 2014 review of the scientific literature, intermittent fasting can cause weight loss of 3-8% over 3-24 weeks (1)
When you're fasting, your body will be forced to use its stored body fat for energy. Burning calories this way, instead of from the food you're eating throughout the day, will help you lose weight from any excess body fat you're carrying. This means that you won't just be thinner but will also be healthier.
Furthermore it helps to optimize the release of the key fat burning hormones in your body. This is especially true for the two most important hormones: human growth hormone (HGH) and insulin.
Human growth hormone plays a key role in turning on your bodies' fat burning furnace so it gets the calories you need to work and play from stored body fat.
Studies show that fasting can increase your body's production of growth hormone by 1,300% in women and 2,000% in men. The blood levels of growth hormone may increase as much as five-fold (2). Higher levels of this hormone facilitate fat burning and muscle gain, and have numerous other benefits.
Helps to manage diabetes
(type 2)
The influence intermittent fasting has on insulin is just as impressive and possibly more important. Following an intermittent fasting style of diet for 15 days is shown in clinical studies to help 'balance' your insulin levels. Studies show that blood levels of insulin drop significantly (3). In human studies on intermittent fasting, fasting blood sugar has been reduced by 3-6%, while fasting insulin has been reduced by 20-31% (4). This will help your body stay in a calorie and fat burning state. You'll also find that it gives you more energy throughout the day.
Improves your Immunity
Studies show that there are beneficial changes in several genes and molecules related to longevity and protection against disease. (5)
Reduces Cancer Rates
Studies show that the body induces important cellular repair processes, such as removing waste material from cells. (6)
I've been doing it on and off for a year and I'd highly recommend it. It's hard at first, but after two weeks your body adapts and you get into a routine. If you fall of the wagon (because of a social engagement etc.) it's easy to start back up. The best part is you can eat what and as much as you like during your 8 hour window so it's more of a lifestyle than a restrictive diet.
If you have any questions about intermittent fasting, please feel free to direct message me via Instagram @barefootdocs
References:
(1) http://www.translationalres.com/article/S1931-5244(14)00200-X/abstract
(2) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC329619/
(3) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1548337
(4) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15640462
(5) http://www.translationalres.com/article/S1931-5244(14)00200-
X/abstract?cc=y
(6) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24048020
