Intermittent fasting leads to many health benefits for the body, and in addition to being useful in getting rid of excess weight quickly, it is also useful in improving insulin resistance, controlling blood sugar levels, recovering from type 2 diabetes, and preventing many chronic diseases. However, to obtain these wonderful benefits of intermittent fasting , you must know the correct way to do it. Learn in this article about intermittent fasting, its benefits, and how to do it.
The foods we consume daily greatly affect our physical, mental, and emotional health, and the amount of time we spend eating them also affects our health. Through intermittent fasting, we can improve physical and mental health by determining the foods we should eat and when we should eat them, and this It is useful in recovering from type 2 diabetes, getting rid of excess weight, reducing the risk of many chronic diseases such as cholesterol and heart disease, and also improving psychological and mental health.
What is intermittent fasting?
16:8 intermittent fasting is a type of intermittent fasting that causes changes in the body’s metabolism and metabolic processes, which helps the body burn fat stores, increase insulin sensitivity, lower blood pressure, and promote cell regeneration.
The 16:8 intermittent fasting system includes 16 hours of fasting, and during the 8-hour non-fasting period, the person should not eat food continuously, as this leads to an increase in insulin in the blood, in addition to eating foods that are low in carbohydrates and rich in fiber, fat, and protein. .
The basic principle of intermittent fasting involves fasting for 16 consecutive hours and then eating a healthy meal, followed by another eight-hour fasting period and then eating another meal, as the human body should not be in a constant state of nutrition.
Benefits of intermittent fasting
There are many health benefits associated with intermittent fasting, the most important of which are:
Intermittent fasting to lose weight
The eating pattern during intermittent fasting causes profound metabolic changes, which stimulates the liver to convert stored fat in the body into energy. When the body breaks down fat, large amounts of ketones are released, which are a byproduct of fat burning and a highly efficient energy source for cells, tissues and organs. Which supports weight loss and helps maintain a healthy weight.
Maintaining blood sugar levels
Intermittent fasting is beneficial in maintaining blood sugar levels within normal limits, which in turn leads to controlling the level of insulin in the blood and preventing insulin resistance. It also helps in improving insulin resistance in patients with type 2 diabetes, improving metabolic imbalance, controlling blood pressure, and eliminating Of excess fat in the abdomen.
Prevention of chronic diseases
Intermittent fasting activates autophagy, which is a cellular process that breaks down cells and recycles damaged or lost cellular components. An increased rate of autophagy is linked to a lower risk of chronic diseases and medical conditions in general because it helps the body heal and regenerate faster.
Intermittent fasting benefits brain health
Intermittent fasting is beneficial in improving cognitive function and memory.
Intermittent fasting method
The basic principle of intermittent fasting is to avoid foods and drinks that contain carbohydrates during the fasting period, which forces your metabolism to utilize stored fat in the body to generate energy. If you are considering intermittent fasting for weight loss , you may have a strong motivation to practice fasting for long periods. To achieve weight loss as quickly as possible, fasting for too long in the beginning is the most common mistake when starting intermittent fasting.
Your metabolism needs time to adapt to intermittent fasting , as it allows it to slowly adapt to the intermittent fasting schedule your body to get used to the metabolic and hormonal changes and allows you to adjust your lifestyle to suit intermittent fasting.
It is recommended to start with intermittent fasting for 14 hours, followed by a period of eating for ten hours, paying attention not to consume foods and drinks rich in carbohydrates, and not to continue eating throughout this period. Then, the periods of intermittent fasting are gradually lengthened according to the body’s ability to adapt, and while some individuals can Achieve an intermittent fasting pattern pattern within a week or two, others may take a month to reach this goal.
And with extended periods of intermittent fasting , you can skip breakfast and reduce the number of meals from three to two. This is the point at which most people see significant changes in their health, an actual reduction in body weight and an improvement in energy levels.
In order to follow the intermittent fasting system, you must break the habit of eating snacks, as eating snacks, even if they are healthy, low-carb foods during the fasting period , can break the fast and prevent the metabolic benefits of intermittent fasting , and while it may seem difficult to stay away from meals, Light during the early stages of intermittent fasting , your feeling of hunger and intense desire to eat will diminish when the body adapts to burning the fat stored in the body and using it as an energy source.
Drinking water with lemon is an excellent way to support kidney function and prevent the formation of kidney stones during intermittent fasting , as lemon is a rich source of acetic acid, which is a natural acid that prevents oxalate from forming calcium oxalate crystals, which is the main cause of kidney stones.
Ginger and cinnamon can also be added to tea or coffee to add additional flavor without breaking the fast. In addition, it is necessary to supply the body with salts and electrolytes by adding electrolyte powder (sugar-free) to the water during intermittent fasting , as it can lead to an electrolyte imbalance. And salts in the body cause some symptoms to appear, such as:
- Drought.
- Vertigo.
- Muscle cramps.
- Headache.
Therefore, water fasting is not recommended because it can increase the risk of electrolyte imbalance.
It is possible to adhere to intermittent fasting and obtain many of the health benefits associated with it by knowing the correct way to do it, as it is useful to start gradually by giving the body sufficient time to adapt to this new diet, and by continuing it is possible to obtain the desired results of losing weight and gaining many benefits. Other health benefits include controlling blood sugar and blood pressure, improving insulin resistance, recovering from type 2 diabetes, and preventing many chronic diseases.
