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Intermittent fasting What it is, is it worth it?
Table of Contents
1. What is intermittent fasting
Intermittent fasting is an alternative dietary model that consists of limiting the consumption of meals to a specific time frame, the so-called nutritional window. Fasting a few hours each day or extending the hunger period to full days. During fasting, calorie intake is limited from 60 to 100%. On non-fasting days, there are no restrictions on the number of calories consumed.2. ADF
There is no single fasting method, there are many types of fasting, e.g.: (alternate-day fasting) consists of a full day fasting in shifts with any amount of food consumed; (alternative-day modified fasting), on days fasting you should consume a minimum of 60% fewer calories than on non-fasting days; (intermittent energy fasting,) a calorie-restricted diet; (periodic fasting); consisting of a fasting cycle of 2 to up to 21 days;3. Fasting interrupted as it works
During the initial period of starvation, stored glucose is released from the liver and muscles. These processes allow the body to function properly within a few hours of depleting these stores, allowing for the synthesis of glucose from free fatty acids, thus maintaining a constant level of blood sugar. Longer fasting leads to the initiation of the process of decomposition of free fat acids into ketone bodies, which are an alternative source of energy.4. Is it even a broken fast? What can you eat?
There are no restrictions on intermittent fasting. You can eat anything, but only during the food window. But it's recommended to eat whole meals that will provide all the nutrients. It's important to also take care of proper hydration during the fast. On the days of fasting, you're advised to reach for fluids that don't provide energy. These can be water, herbal steams, unsweetened coffee steams and tea.5. Interrupted Fasting and Health
Interrupted fasting can have a positive effect on human health only if a balanced, full-fledged insulin diet is followed during the nutritional window. All living organisms, including humans, function according to their circadian rhythm. Interrupt fasting reduces oxidative stress and activates the process of autophagy, which is the self-destruction of damaged cells (A. Michalsen, Ch. Li 2013). Additionally, post-interruption fasting is most commonly associated with a healthy insulin diet.6. Interrupted fasting and weight loss
Interrupted fasting appears to be an attractive nutritional model in the context of weight reduction. In a meta-analysis by C. Rynders and U.S.A., the body does not receive energy in the form of glucose during fasting. It must start using the reserves it has accumulated as glycogen in the liver and muscles. Once glucose is exhausted, it starts using fat tissue, which is most dependent on people with excess body weight.7. Intermittent fasting has its advantages
Intermittent fasting has many benefits: it doesn't require a lot of time and work in the kitchen, nor does it require you to weigh foods or deny yourself less healthy favourite snacks. It seems to be an effective method of weight loss. It also improves the lipid parameters and insulin sensitivity of cells, thereby stabilizing the body's carbohydrate economy.8. Intermittent fasting and defects
Unfortunately, intermittent fasting also has its drawbacks. Not everyone will be able to keep it because there can be persistent hunger during the fasting period. Moreover, very often after a long period of fasting, there is a so-called "wolf hunger", which affects the consumption of too much food at once, which can cause gastrointestinal disorders and contribute to the excess of individual calorie intake.9. Interrupted fasting for who?
Interrupted fasting may be used by healthy adults with normal body weight, overweight or obesity, and by athletes whose sporting disciplines require rapid weight reduction. Interrupt fasting should not be used: children and adolescents, elderly people, pregnant and breastfeeding women, women with menstrual disorders, diabetics, people suffering from eating disorder such as anorexia and bulimia, those with cancer, kidney disease, liver disease, etc.10. Interrupted fasting. How do I start?
If someone decides to fast, it's best to start with an extended night's fast. Some authors say that a good way to start is to give up breakfast (J. B. Rives 2019). Then it is best to gradually shorten the food window by an hour a week, e.g. extend the time to eat lunch. When hunger strikes during fasting, it should not be ignored. It's better to reach for a light cocktail, smoothie, or drink warm herbal drinks. After a while, the body gets used to fasting and hunger will appear worse.
