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Fasting and fasting Does it make sense to use them?
Table of Contents
1. What's a hunger strike?
Hunger, alternatively called fasting, is a nutritional practice consisting of consciously limiting food intake for a certain period of time. Hunger may take various forms. Depending on individual preferences and goals, it can mean e.g. total abstinence from eating food (total hunger), consuming only liquids (e.g., water, tea) or restricting food intakes to very low calorie intake (eg., vegetable hunger). Fasting can be used for a variety of reasons, including for health, spiritual purposes, as a form of body cleansing, and in the context of weight-loss diets (A. Attà, etc.).2. It's all kinds of starvation
Medicinal starvation, also known as therapeutic hunger, is the practice of restricting food intake for a certain period of time or abstaining from eating altogether for the purpose of improving health or treating certain diseases.3. Interrupted fasting
In recent years, intermittent fasting (IF) has gained immense popularity. It is a method used mainly for weight reduction. It consists of cyclic overlapping of periods of food intake with periods of hunger. There are several types: nutrition window assumes a specific time when a person is able to eat meals. For example, in the popular 16/8 dietary scheme, the nutritional window includes 8 hours during which one can eat.4. The impact of restrictive hunger on health
The most obvious effect of starvation is weight loss. Indeed, strict fasting is associated with very rapid effects. In a week you can lose up to 5% of your body weight. However, there is no real fat burning to such a great extent. Most of these kilograms are water and glycogen, which you will lose when you return to your normal diet. It is also important to emphasize that eating an inappropriate number of calories is also associated with fatigue and weakening of the body, which significantly reduces the level of physical activity in the body.5. Mental health
For some people, starvation can be a source of stress and tension, especially if it is carried out in an extreme or prolonged manner. Constantly thinking about eating, controlling calorie intake, and worrying about weight loss can lead to increased stress and stress, and in some cases even to the development of nutritional disorders.6. What about the intermittent fast?
Unlike strict hunger strikes, intermittent fasting can sometimes be quite beneficial to health. Research clearly shows that this method contributes to moderate weight loss, lowering blood pressure, so-called bad LDL cholesterol, triglycerides, fasting glucose and glycated hemoglobin levels, and increasing tissue insulin sensitivity. However, it should be emphasized that intermittents do not have better effects compared to a normal, healthy reductive diet.7. Hunger in the treatment of obesity
Fasting is often seen as a method of treating obesity because of its potential impact on weight loss. However, in reality, its long-term effectiveness is limited, and its potential benefits must be balanced against health risks. Keep in mind that fasting does not teach a healthy eating approach, and after it is completed, it often returns to old habits and regains weight. Instead of fasting, weight loss typically involves lifestyle changes such as a balanced diet with adequate macroeconomic and calorie ratios, regular physical activity, and psychological and supportive elements.
