5 Remarkable Benefits of Intermediate Fasting that You Should Know
Dieting plays an indispensable role in this modern world. There are various types of dieting techniques that people follow. Old-school bodybuilders follow six meals a day, while regular people are used to eating three meals a day. In ancient times, there was a fasting ritual and individuals tended to avoid eating anything during the fasting period. In the past decade, various studies have been done by institutes and found that limiting your eating window to specific hours will not only help in resetting metabolism but has many other advantages. This type of time-restricted eating is called intermediate fasting.
The types of intermediate fasting techniques are –
- 14:10 – 14 hour fast and 10 hour eating window.
- 16:8 – 16 hour fast and 8 hour eating window
- 18:6 – 18 hour fast and 6 hour eating window and so one
There are various online dieticians in India that recommend and follow this type of diet and in this blog, we will dig deep into the benefits of intermediate fasting.
1. Controls Insulin Levels
Whenever we eat anything, the body starts producing insulin. The main function of insulin is to transport glucose from the bloodstream to the inside of cells and regulate blood sugar levels.
It is this imbalance in insulin production that will lead to type 1 and type 2 diabetes. So, when you eat multiple times a day, the insulin levels get spiked multiple times which can lead to an excess glucose levels in the bloodstream and inside the cell. This lead to the storage of extra fat in the body.
But how intermediate fasting will help in controlling insulin in the blood?
When you eat only two meals a day without snacking, the insulin spikes will be lower and hence blood sugar levels can become more stable. According to research, eating two meals a day improves insulin sensitivity and leads to weight loss in patients. Hence, you can become more healthier.
Sometimes in fasting, you ming experience frequent headaches. The main cause of these headaches is the loss of fluids from the body especially water trough urine. So, it is mandatory that you keep yourself hydrated throughout the day. You can also add any kind of pink salt or Himalayan salt or electrolyte to give your body the essential boost.
2. Boosts Metabolism
In the primitive period, we were hunters and gatherers. So the human body is designed in such a way that if it does not give any food, it will burn the calories stored in the body.
But now, the availability of food is abundant and options are unlimited. We are eating food for pleasure not for survival. The cruel tactics of food companies also play a vital role in our overall calorie consumption. With mindless eating of food, our metabolism gets affected and these are the major reasons for obesity.
On the other hand, when one only eats two meals a day within a time-restricted feeding window and does not eat anything during the fasting period, your metabolism gets time to reset. It starts burning fat in the body and a process called ketosis starts happening which aids in boosting metabolism.
3. Reduces Sugar Cravings
In ketosis, the body is taking energy from fat rather than carbohydrates. As we all know all the food that causes craving in our body are major sources of carbs. But with intermediate fasting, the body has changed its fuel from carbohydrates to fat. This means, we now only crave for good fat, not sugary food such as donuts, pizza, burgers, etc.
4. Good for Brain
Researchers have shown that the working of the brain improves in ketosis. The muscles of the body use glucose as a main source of energy but the brain uses ketones as fuel.
When both glucose and insulin levels in the body are low which usually happens in the fasted state, the liver produces ketosis which is used as fuel for the brain. This can also be demonstrated from our personal experience that whenever we feed ourselves a heavy meal, we feel a sense of laziness and often tend to take a nap.
5. Burns Fat
With fewer carbs in the body during the fasted state, the body will start taking energy from the fat stored in it. So, it will start burning excess stored calories stored and eventually burns fat. Moreover, if you work out in the fasted state, the body burns more calories, and has been shown effective in losing extra weight.
Conclusion
Intermediate fasting has lots of pros but it should be done under proper supervision. In the feeding window, one must make sure that the body will get all types of macro and micronutrients. Hydrating the body at regular intervals too will help in reducing loss of fluids from the body and keep it healthy.