Intermittent Fasting: What are the Benefits

Intermittent fasting or simply fasting means that you do not voluntarily eat for a period of time each day or week. Duration of fasting varies from twelve hours to days. Shorter duration fast can be carried out more frequently. For example in 14/10 fast, you fast for 14 hours and eat all your meals within 10 hour window. One popular fasting method is 16/8 in which you fast for 16 hours and eat all your meals within 8 hours window.

What Happens in Feeding State?

When we eat food, a hormone is released by the body called insulin. This hormone causes the body to store glucose in lever, muscle and fat cells. Glucose is stored in lever and muscle as glycogen and in fat cells as lipids. Now a days, we eat 5 to 6 times a day under the influence of  press, media, parents, friends, etc. Every time we eat, insulin levels are raised and in the presence of insulin in the blood, glycogen and fat reserves are not unlocked.

What Happens in Fasting State?

Intermittent fasting works because it increase body’s response to insulin, a hormone released by the body when you eat food. When you stop eating, insulin level goes down and for first 12 – 18 hours, your body consumes glycogen present in lever and muscles and your glucose level will be maintained. As you extend fast, glucose in blood is maintained by creation of glucose from non-carbohydrate sources (gluconeogenesis).

Benefits of Intermittent Fasting

1. Insulin level in blood drop significantly, which facilitate fat burning.
2. Human growth hormone (HGH) increases, high level of HGH increases fat burning, muscle growth, lean body mass and metabolism.
3. Intermittent fasting helps you to eat less calories while boosting metabolic rate. As a result, loss of weight and visceral takes place.
4. Intermittent fasting decreases insulin resistance and blood sugar levels.
5. Intermittent fasting can improve risk factors for heart disease, such as blood pressure, cholesterol levels and triglycerides.

Healthy Ways to do Intermittent Fasting

1. Avoid snacks or late night eating.
2. Do simple form of intermittent fasting, eat early in the day and finish all your meals early in the evening consistent with circadian rhythm.
3. Do any form of exercise before breaking the fast, this will allow you to burn fat.
4. Avoid empty calories that have minimal nutritional value (sugars, refined carbohydrates, etc.)
5. Eat plenty of whole fruits, vegetables, legumes, beans, whole grains, lean proteins and healthy fats while avoiding processed foods. 

Sources

[1] https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/intermittent-fasting-surprising-update-2018062914156

[2] Fung J. Obesity Code. Vancouver: Greystone Books; 2016.