WHAT IS INTERMITTENT FASTING? A GUIDE FOR BEGINNERS

Intermittent Fasting has become one of the most kept secrets among experts and nutritionist to keep following a healthy lifestyle. But in the end, what is it in reality? More importantly, how can you start an intermittent fasting regimen?

In this article, we will review the general aspects of this trend, how to manage it and how to obtain better results. Also, we will study the implications involved when practicing an Intermittent Fasting regimen and, most important, we will figure out if this is the right method for you. Let’s find out!

Backgrounds

The earlier days of mankind were so harsh that they led our species to transform our metabolisms to endure long periods of time with just a little nourishment or none at all. Our bodies were forced to optimize the energies we obtained until we were able to feed again. This landscape allowed to overcome shortages of resources and evolved our species to be extremely effective and resilient to manage any situation. Also, as far as we can remember, fasting has become a vital part of many different cultures around the world. It is viewed as a way of repentance, penitence, and thanksgiving. In perspective, we could say this practice has been vital for the development of our society and who we are.

So, what’s this all about?

As the name itself estates, Intermittent Fasting is a way to control the frequencies of food ingestion so, as many experts affirm, this is not exactly a diet, but a systematic method to program the schedule of the best moments you should obtain nutrients, proteins, and carbs. The direct effects of fasting of Intermittent Fasting are evidenced in the prevention of obesity, hypertension, asthma and rheumatoid arthritis.

In the practice, Intermittent Fasting consists of having periods of complete abstinence of food during a certain period, that can go from hours, to complete days. This method mustn’t be compared with starvation, mainly because fasting involves a voluntary will to stop eating for a determined amount of time.

Benefits

Controlled intermitted fasting isn’t just a fast way to metabolize the concentrated calories you have in your organism to lose weight. This is also one effective method to eliminate toxins you already by replacing them with water and fight them with healthy eating habits. The impact on your blood sugar levels will help you regulate and adapt how you transform the food you have. Instead of depositing the nutrients in your organism, your body now will invest them more efficiently in different areas.

How to do it

There are many ways we can practice Intermittent Fasting. They all depend on your particular goals, metabolism and even how much you can handle. However, the most important Intermittent Fasting methods are:

Eat-Stop-Eat

This is the quintessential fasting method for beginners, especially because it doesn’t represent a huge sacrifice to do. You can do it by selecting one day of the week where you won’t eat. Then, the other six days you will eat as usual. Even if it is just one day, it will have a huge impact on your system. We strongly believe that you need to match the Eat-Stop-Eat method with a healthy food diet and proper exercise. This method might go to waste if you ingest food with a high-calorie count and low essential nutrients.

The 16:8 method

This is one of the most popular fasting methods and works by spending 16 hours of the day without eating and spend the rest of it consuming nutrients on reasonable proportions. If you have fixed schedules on your daily routine, this is the right method for you. You can skip breakfast and then have a complete balanced lunch and then repeat. For the effects of committing to the hour rule, you can also do lunch and dinner, however, if you are starting fasting, we do not advice skipping breakfast if you have an active morning.

This method is very popular amongst fitness celebrities that want to keep a certain weight without compromising muscle bulk.

Alternating Days

This modality consists basically of having a schedule of intercalating days that you will be fasting. For 24 hours, you will cease to receive food, and the following day you will receive just one meal that cannot be more than 500 calories. It is important to keep hydrated constantly and maintaining your active daily routine, this will help you burn calories fast. Alternating Days works by shaping your body for a whole new set of conditions, transforming it for eventually having to “learn” how to maximize the transformation of the few nutrients it gets and to burn the excess of energy available it has on internal fat deposits.

It is important to remark that this an extreme method, specially designed for people with sugary problems and obesity, so it is not recommended for everyone. If you decide this is the right fasting method for you, we strongly remark:

• Follow this schedule under a limited period of time that you set, and then slowly switch for a method that involves having more meals and less fasting periods. This all depends on the results you wish to obtain. Remember that we are looking to teach our body how to perform and maximize the nutrients it gets, so it is not recommended to making your organism “forget” all that we have achieved so far.
• Before committing to this regime, we recommend to consult with a professional first, so they can give you proper guidelines for its maximum success.

Regardless of the method you choose, it is vital to know that it is not recommended to fast for more than 24 hours.

Bottomline

There are many benefits to the practice of voluntary intermitted fasting. You will start to see the effects of this schedule on your fast. However, we also believe on the importance of having a responsible fasting routine, so keep yourself hydrated, consult your nutritionist, have constant checks to evaluate your process and, if necessary, adopt a different fasting routine if it fits better for you.