Is intermittent fasting good for your health?
Intermittent fasting is one of the most popular practices at the moment. This approach, which does not involve depriving yourself of food but limiting food intake to a specific time window, can have impressive benefits. Here are the main ones:
It improves body composition
First, setting a strict time window for eating can naturally reduce our calorie intake, which can promote weight loss (a few fewer pounds to stay in shape!) and therefore reduce feelings of hunger. In addition, intermittent fasting helps increase levels of norepinephrine, a hormone that stimulates our metabolism and helps us burn calories throughout the day.
It promotes autophagy
Autophagy is a recycling system in which cells consume themselves. In other words, cells repair themselves and remove anything that is damaged or unnecessary. This "cellular cleanup" is associated with anti-aging, longevity, and improved metabolic health, but it only occurs during periods of fasting.
It increases our attention span
Although this may seem contradictory, our energy levels are higher during fasting than after eating a meal (unlike a diet that can cause fatigue spikes). This is common to all mammals because we need to stay alert in order to find food and eat. In fact, digestion, on the other hand, uses a great deal of energy, at the expense of our cognitive functions such as memory and concentration.
It helps regulate the body's natural hunger mechanisms
In the medium and long term, intermittent fasting not only does not cause hunger, but is also a method that helps control it and free us from dependence on food. Fasting has been shown to help regulate ghrelin, known as the hunger hormone, and stimulate leptin, the hormone responsible for sending the satiety signal, allowing us to balance our appetite and reduce the risk of cravings.
It has an anti-aging effect and slows cellular aging
Intermittent fasting limits calorie restriction, which is the most effective way we know of to extend lifespan. When we fast, our cells are able to detoxify and recycle themselves, slowing cellular aging and improving the prevention of age-related diseases.
How do you practice intermittent fasting?
To be effective, intermittent fasting should last between 12 and 16 hours; the longer it lasts, the more we stimulate the autophagy process. This is mainly done by skipping dinner or breakfast, or by eating dinner early and postponing breakfast as much as possible. It is very simple to implement because it does not require reducing your calorie intake or following a strict diet, but simply stopping eating for a certain period. The most widely used method follows this schedule: 16/8: 16 hours of fasting and 8 hours for eating. So, to fast for 16 hours, you might have dinner at 7 p.m. and breakfast at 11 a.m., for example. During fasting hours, only liquids such as water, herbal teas, tea, coffee, or strained broth may be consumed without interrupting the fast.We forget the snack and the bad habit of nibbling between meals.
Be careful: this practice is not recommended for children, pregnant or breastfeeding women, or people who are seriously ill. In addition, before trying it, it is advisable to have a healthy and balanced diet.
Sources :
