Fasting in general is an age old practice, but it has nothing to do with your dream of achieving a beach body physique. Actually, you have been into it all your life.... you have been eating breakfast.....BREAK - FAST.
Pythagoras, Socrates & Plato fasted to purify their spirit and mind. Many major religions practice fasting to strengthen their faith. Mahatma Gandhi fasted 17 times during his campaign for Indian Independence, it not only shred few pounds but also shred the British Government.
One important aspect is people are eating much more than what they should eat. Between one meal to the next there should be a minimum 8 hours space. Whatever health problems you have, minimum 50% of it will go away in 6 weeks time if you eat proper food with right gap between meals.
There are examples of 100s and 1000s of people who just become healthy and well simply because they are not fuelling up all the time when the tank is spilling. At many eminent Yoga centres and Ashrams in India I have seen every body eating at 10 am and then 7 pm, each one of these people are very much physically active. Everybody there either walks or cycles covering several kilometres every day. As a result everybody there are very hungry by the time it is 3.30 or 4 o'clock in the evening. But they live with that, because hunger and empty stomach are two different things. Hunger means your energy level starts to drop, but empty stomach is a good thing in the Yogic sciences, and even in modern science which is coming in line with this. Your body and your brain works at it's best only when your stomach is empty. So, we should always make sure to eat in such a way that our stomach should be empty within two to two and a half hours time.
For any correction and purification that needs to happen in body, your stomach needs to be empty, this is very important. Otherwise the purification at the cellular level will not happen. Health is not that you can do from outside, it has to be done from within. From outside when something goes wrong you can seek some help, but all the time if something is wrong with you, means you have made yourself to a faulty machine. Our body has been designed for health, every cell in your body is being designed to create health. They are all working hard to create health, except you. So, minimum 8 hours gap between meals is what is recommended in YOGA. If you do this, you will see minimum 50% of your health problems will go away in 6 weeks, along with it if you do little Yogic practices and there is something of meditative within you, then you will find 90% of your health issues gone. The balance 10% can be treated.
In today's world it has become like this that most of the people are eating and drinking all kinds of rubbish and then go to the doctor and say - "FIX ME". This is not how it works.
Fasting gained recognition as a way to lose weight. It was popularised by American writer Upton Sinclair in 1900s, he practiced juice cleansing and fasting at the same time. In 1912 fasting gained popularity in the health and fitness community, thanks to Dr Michael Mosley, who published a book titled "The Fast Diet".
The misconception about intermittent fasting is, it is often considered as a type of diet . With intermittent fasting you are not watching what you eat, instead you have to watch when you eat. It's not about diet plan , but it is about eating pattern.
The second misconception is - you must starve yourself. Let us look into the definition of starving - "To suffer or die from lack of food". Where as FASTING means - "To eat no food for a period of time". With intermittent fasting you still have to eat and drink, but it should be TIME - RESTRICTED. That's why intermittent fasting is some times called "TIME - RESTRICTED EATING".
The third and last misconception is about the safety and health conception associated with intermittent fasting.
HOW INTERMITTENT FASTING WORKS :
As we now know it is an eating pattern, with intermittent fasting your entire day or week is divided into 2 parts - the eating period and the fasting period. During the eating period you can eat your regular meal, so you do not have to starve yourself. Whereas in the fasting period you are not allowed to consume any food, not even a single bit. But there is an exception to this rule, during fasting you can drink only water, tea or black coffee, with no sugar or cream. In some cases you can consume few 100 calories of fruit & veggie combos while in fasting mode.
How to split your day or week into a eating and fasting period ?
Can it be 2 hrs fasting and 22 hrs eating ? Absolutely NO, it does not work that way. Let us see what options we have :
The 16:8 pattern also known as "Lean Gain", was invented by fitness expert Martin Berkhan, this is good for beginners. This involves fasting for 14-16 hours a day, the remaining 16 hrs are for the eating period.
The 5:2 pattern also known as "The Fast Diet", was created by British doctor Michel Mosley. This is lighter than the lean gain protocol. Here you can eat 500-600 calories or calorie rich foods during the 2 days of fasting, then eat normally for 5 days.
"Eat Stop Eat" was discovered by fitness expert Brad Pilon. In this intermittent fasting pattern you have to fast for 24 hrs once or twice a week. For example - you can start your fast on Monday 12 pm and end it on Tuesday (next day) at 12 pm.
"Alternate Day Fasting" as the name suggests, you fast the every other day. When in fasting period, you can either eat 500-600 calories or nothing at all .
"The Worrier Diet" was popularised by fitness expert Ori Hofmekler. This recommends fasting all day, but can still eat small portions of fruits and vegetables. The eating period is from 6 pm to 10 pm, and you can eat one huge meal.
The primary concern about intermittent fasting is the insane amount of time required for the fasting period. Why do we require breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks every day ? How would your body feel if you skip breakfast or lunch ? You might experience hunger, weakness, dizziness or vomiting , or have sudden mood swings from frustration to irritation. These are normal body reactions during first weeks or months of intermittent fasting. Because the body is still adjusting.
But, what can you really achieve by practicing INTERMITTENT FASTING ?
Over a course of time your body will eventually overcome the side effects. under normal circumstances your body gets energy from the food you ate. This energy is stored in your liver and muscles. How about when you are in fasting period ? Your body gets it's energy from it's last reserve - FAT , the fat stored in your body is burnt to convert into energy. The longer your fast, the more fat is burn in the process.
Blood samples show that people who had fasted for 12-24 hours experienced a 60% increase in energy from fat, with the biggest change occurring after 18 hours. This is the benefit to intermittent fasting because it puts you in a state called "Ketosis". This is why researchers think intermittent fasting could be the key to a longer, healthier life.
Intermittent fasting can prevent type 2 diabetes and promote insulin resistance.
Intermittent fasting is good for the heart.
Intermittent fasting may prevent cancer.
Intermittent fasting improves brain function.
Intermittent fasting promotes longevity.
Intermittent fasting moreover simplifies your life style, because you don't need a plan, cook & pack 3-6 meals every day. Thus saving money and time..... fewer dishes to wash-up too.
Although Intermittent fasting seems promising, but this program is not for everyone. If you really want to try it, it is always suggested to consult your doctor first, especially those with diabetes, low blood pressure, underweight, pregnant, breastfeeding, or trying to conceive, eating disorder history. In addition children and teens are advised not to try Intermittent fasting because at this stage of their development they need more energy than adults.
You should also remember that you can't also lose weight by Intermittent fasting alone, if you are regularly fasting your body needs proper nourishment from healthy foods, like dairy, lean proteins, nuts & seeds, veggies, whole grains, and unprocessed & whole foods. It is also safe to exercise while fasting, but it is recommended doing it after your body has adjusted and is no more experiencing side effects like hunger or weakness. It is tough to lose weight regardless of the slimming program you go with, sacrifices has to be made by saying goodbye to the variety of favourite greasy foods, or not eating from time to time.
Keep in mind, you need to consult your doctor before starting anything. Intermittent fasting might work for others, but it might not be right for you, it is not because you can not keep away from that bag of chips or have enough self control, it might have something to do with your body's constitution. You have to go for what is good for you in the long run.
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