A couple of weeks ago I posted a question on my IG (@coconutsandcocoa , hello shameless plug) about whether or not you'd like to read about intermittent fasting. The response?
Well, you're reading this now so you can guess.
I can already hear the skepticism "Why on earth would I want to STARVE myself? Isn't that bad for me?!".
Well, there's a difference between starving and intermittent fasting.
Timing.
Intermittent fasting, put simply, is giving yourself a window of time where you can eat and then only sticking to non-calorific fluids afterwards.
This is basically for people who have either hit a plateau, want to practice self restraint, or want to lose that last bit of stubborn belly flab. I should note that if you're going to attempt it, do your research. I'll be talking about it briefly, but all the links provided should be read through first. MMkay?
Do any of you remember of have heard of that "no food after 7pm" diet that was super popular in the 90's?
Well, this is very similar to that, but there's a proper strategy to it that a bunch of people disregarded.
Intermittent fasting is also known as "Scheduled Eating". It can't be defined any better, in my opinion.
The average health conscious human would argue "Well, breakfast is the most important meal of the day! And I'm supposed to eat 6 meals a day, anyway!". I thought that as well, and hey, if it works for you, by all means stick to it!
What happens when we don't eat? Our body starts burning stored fat to create energy.
Now, one thing that I've had an issue with is thinking I need to eat many small meals in order to keep my metabolism up!!, and like I said earlier, this method does work, for many of us, but throwing in a fasting day or two per week is beneficial in many many ways.
Recent research has shown that our metabolisms run on marathon basis (how many calories you consume over a long period of time) as opposed to a sprint basis (calories that you consumed eating that piece of cake last night).
So as smart as our bodies are, it doesn't follow the same structure as our daily calorie counter apps do. And if you are counting calories, do it more on a weekly basis for a more accurate reading.
Might I add, one thing I was afraid of was going into "famine mode", but logically, our bodies weren't designed to get food 6 times a day, EVERYDAY. We were meant to deal with famine. We are supposed to feel hungry at times. It's how we're meant to survive.
Why should I be trying this out?
Good, you're asking your questions.
Apart from shedding fat, getting rid of cravings for sugar and unhealthy foods, and making it easy to maintain healthy body weight, science has confirmed other good reasons to try out IF such as: "
- Normalizing your insulin and leptin sensitivity, which is key for optimal health as insulin resistance (which is what you get when your insulin sensitivity plummets) is a primary contributing factor to nearly all chronic disease, from diabetes to heart disease and even cancer
- Normalizing ghrelin levels, also known as "the hunger hormone"
- Promoting human growth hormone (HGH) production, which plays an important part in health, fitness and slowing the aging process
- Lowering triglyceride levels
- Boosts brain health
- Reduce the risk of heart disease and diabetes
- Reducing inflammation and lessening free radical damage"
Research has also shown that fasting dramatically increases the human growth hormone HGH, otherwise known as the "fitness hormone".
HGH, commonly referred to as "the fitness hormone" plays an important role in maintaining health, fitness and longevity, including promotion of muscle growth, and boosting fat loss by revving up your metabolism.
The fact that it helps build muscle while simultaneously promoting fat loss explains why HGH helps you lose weight without sacrificing muscle mass, and why even athletes can benefit from the practice (as long as they don't overtrain and are careful about their nutrition).
Another reason that shows how fasting is beneficial for you is something I can relate to seeing as I am currently dealing with it: insulin resistance.
Another reason that shows how fasting is beneficial for you is something I can relate to seeing as I am currently dealing with it: insulin resistance.
"In a 2005 study, Danish researchers showed that intermittent fasting quickly increases insulin-mediated glucose uptake rates. Eight healthy men in their mid-20’s fasted 20 hours every other day for 15 days. At the end of the trial, their insulin had become more efficient at managing blood sugar."
Insulin resistance is a huge health problem. In recent decades it has spiked due to a marked decrease in daily physical activity combined with constant access to food.
This lifestyle collides with our genome: "survival". Fluctuations are required for optimal metabolic function.
"So, by mimicking the natural fluctuations in food availability with an intermittent fasting schedule, you naturally optimize your metabolic function without actually changing what or how much you eat when you DO eat (keeping in mind the quality of the nutrients you eat, of course)."
How do I start?
Well, first you're going to have to read up about it yourself. I am just a mere blogger, researcher, and health enthusiast and am by no means am a physician to tell you what to do. Let that be my little disclaimer.
AND, STAY HYDRATED! This is important. NO SODAS, NO SUGARY DRINKS, WATER WATER WATER, TEA, BLACK COFFEE <-(in reasonable amounts).
A good starting point is trying it out 2 days of the week, for the minimum fasting time.
16 hours of your 24 hour day should be your fasting period, meaning you have an 8 hour window for when you can eat. Keep in mind that eating the RIGHT foods and fats are essential, not only for this to benefit you, but for your health in general.
Remember that sleeping is also considered fasting (or are you a sleep-eater?), so calculate your sleeping hours into the fasting time.
Consider skipping breakfast (you're usually not hungry the moment you wake up, just thirsty, so drink up on water water water!), eat lunch and dinner, making sure to stop eating about 3 hours before you go to sleep so that you're eating within your 8-hour time frame.
Again, make sure that when you do eat, you have healthy proteins, swapping out "bad" carbs (pasta, bread etc) with having healthy fats like organic butter, eggs, avocado (love), coconut oil, EVOO, nuts.
The fats that many a media post and "expert" has told you to avoid.
By doing this, you shift to fat burning mode from being in carb burning mode.
Remember, this takes some getting used to, but once you stick it out for a few weeks, your cravings will stop, you won't feel so hungry, and you'll burn those last bits of flab that are super stubborn (hello, belly).
But don't just take my word for it, go through all of these links to get more of an idea of why it's good for you:
WHAT SCIENCE HAS SAID ABOUT INTERMITTENT FASTING:http://fitness.mercola.com/sites/fitness/archive/2013/06/28/intermittent-fasting-health-benefits.aspx
INTERMITTENT FASTING: HOW TO START: http://www.theiflife.com/intermittent-fasting-101-how-to-start-part-i/
"IF" BECOMING MAINSTREAM: http://fitness.mercola.com/sites/fitness/archive/2013/01/18/intermittent-fasting-approach.aspx
Also, there's a channel on youtube ( http://www.youtube.com/user/fastingtwins ) that is dedicated to fasting and building muscle hosted by the funniest twins out there. They're hilarious to watch and not too hard on the eyes, either.
Let me know if you're trying "IF" out, or have and have a story to tell.
Stay smiling, errbody.
No comments:
Post a Comment