Intermittent fasting. See what it's about
Table of Contents
1. Diet IF what is it?
Intermittent fasting (abbreviated IF) is a form of nutrition that consists of eating food only for a certain time during the day or a week, for the rest of the time we intentionally abstain from eating. There are different versions of intermittent fasts. The most popular is 16/8, where we fast for 16 hours, we eat snacks for 8 hours with a diet.2. Why eat like that?
However, during starvation, when the body's glucose stores run out, alternative energy pathways are launched. In the liver, so-called ketone bodies are produced, which are fuel for body cells. However, the human body is perfectly adapted to the difficulty in accessing glucose, the hormone antagonistic to insulin. But insulin, in turn, is responsible for increasing body weight, so it helps to reduce the level of blood sugar in the body, as well as the fat content of body tissues.3. Who would it even be suitable for if dieting?
Periodic fasting can be a good option for people with glucose-insulin disorders and obesity and its associated leptin resistance. By reducing insulin secretion and suppressing appetite, it greatly facilitates weight loss. It can also improve health in people with high risk of asthma, diabetes and heart disease and heart conditions.4. The defects of IF
Periodic fasting is not the ideal way to eat for everyone. There is also a very high risk that you will want to eat too much food for many hours first, especially at the beginning. During the adaptation period, you may experience dizziness and fatigue. Before the brain starts to use ketone bodies effectively, it will require fuel in the form of glucose, which will make it easier for the body to eat and eat sweets and other snacks. However, there is a greater risk that the desire to eat more food will occur, especially in the beginning of the diet. This is also the risk of excessive fasting and fat loss.5. Summary
Periodic fasting may be a good way to lose unnecessary pounds, but studies have not confirmed the advantages of this diet model over a standard diet in the context of weight loss. The IF diet can also help improve well-being and prevent or treat certain diseases. It is especially effective in people with metabolic syndrome. However, just like other diet models, it has its drawbacks. Before we decide to fast on a break, we need to think about what our way of working is, what our daily physical activity looks like, and what we want to achieve.