The world is obsessed with the latest diet trend. From juice cleanses to the Paleo craze, we’re always looking for that next eating plan that will help us lose weight and get fit faster than ever before. The ketogenic diet is another popular trend that has been steadily gaining traction over the past few months, especially since celebrities like Adriana Lima have touted its benefits.
The keto diet revolves around a fundamental concept: fasting. While it may seem counterintuitive at first, fasting or restricting your intake of food has numerous health benefits when done correctly. In this article, we’ll explore the truth behind why so many people are now adopting intermittent fasting as a way of life.
The History and Basics of Fasting
The human body was built to eat; it was never meant to go without food. And yet, in the name of health and wellness, we’re seeing more and more people adopt fasting as a way of life. This poses a bit of a conundrum, because fasting is a powerful yet dangerous way to lose weight. The reasons why fasting is so popular, and why you should think twice before trying it yourself, are explained below.
Benefits of Fasting
- Improves Performance – You’ve probably seen athlete after athlete adopt a daily fast to enhance their performance. By cutting out food for a few hours before a workout, your body enters a “fed” state where it uses the nutrients it’s been storing all day to fuel the entire workout. In most cases, this leads to better performance because you’re generating more power and endurance.
- Clears Brain Fog – As we age, our brains start to show signs of cognitive decline due to the gradual reduction in hormones like cortisol, estrogen, and testosterone. People who fast regularly have significantly lower cortisol levels, which helps to reduce brain fog and improve cognition.
- Strengthens Bones – A majority of your body’s calcium is stored in your bones, so a lack of calcium can lead to osteoporosis. Fasting decreases calcium levels in the blood, which makes your bones weaker so they’re more likely to become brittle and porous.
Types of Intermittent Fasting
- Water fasting – This involves drinking only water for periods of up to 24 hours. This is beneficial for people who are trying to lose weight or are looking for a cleanse.
- Time-restricted feeding – This is a form of intermittent fasting that restricts your eating window to a specific time frame. Health nuts have been implementing time-restricted feeding for years to reap the benefits of “intermittent fasting without the hunger.”
- Alternate-day fasting – This is similar to water fasting, except you consume only liquids for two nonconsecutive days each week.
How Intermittent Fasting Works
While the concept of fasting may seem confusing or even dangerous, the reality is that your body is actually designed to go without food. Your organs and tissues need energy but don’t actually get most of their nutrients from food. When you don’t eat, your body has a few ways of getting what it needs.
The body breaks down protein into amino acids, which then get converted into energy by the liver. Fasting reduces levels of insulin, a hormone that helps to regulate blood glucose. When insulin is low, the body doesn’t store as much glucose, so you don’t experience as many sugar cravings. Your body starts using fatty acids for energy. The majority of fat stores in your body are sent to your liver, which can be used for energy.
Is intermittent fasting safe for weight loss?
There are so many myths and misconceptions out there about intermittent fasting, but the truth is, researchers have found that fasting is safe for both weight loss and health. Studies have found that intermittent fasting may help with weight loss by decreasing insulin levels and allowing the body to metabolize fat more efficiently.
Intermittent fasting doesn’t usually lead to extreme cravings like calorie-counting diets do because it allows us to eat every 2-3 hours without having to think about what we’re eating.
How to do a fast properly
First, you need to decide what type of fasting you want to do. This will determine the fasting diet you should follow. You’ll want to choose a fasting diet that allows for enough calories and nutrients to keep your body running well. If you’re doing a diet where you’re not consuming any calories, you’ll need to drink plenty of water and consume a multivitamin.
You’ll also want to make sure you’re getting enough nutrients from your diet. If you’re following a more restrictive diet, you’ll need to make sure you’re eating enough nutrients. This can be a bit tricky if you’re fasting for longer periods of time.
To make sure you’re getting enough nutrients on a diet where you’re not eating, you can take a multivitamin supplement. Or, you can try adding your fasting diet foods such as vegetables, fruits, nuts, and seeds to your meals, salads, and smoothies.
Pros of fasting for weight loss
- Fasting may increase metabolism and decrease insulin, which can decrease weight.
- Fasting may increase the number of calories your body burns during rest, making it easier to maintain a healthy weight.
- Fasting may improve cognitive function and also reduce stress, both of which may be helpful for weight loss.
- Fasting may boost the production of human growth hormone (HGH), which is good for improving metabolism.
- Fasting may decrease the number of toxins in your body that may cause diseases or symptoms.
- Fasting may increase feelings of fullness, which can make it easier to limit unhealthy calories.
- Fasting may help with stress, which can be helpful for weight loss.
Cons of Fasting for Weight Loss
- Fasting may restrict the number of calories you can consume, which can make it harder to maintain a healthy weight.
- Fasting may lead to cravings and increased hunger, which can make it harder to stick to a diet and lose weight.
- Fasting may decrease your strength and energy levels, which can make it more challenging to exercise and still maintain a healthy weight.
- Fasting can lower the amount of Vitamin B2, B3, B5, B6, B9, B12, and C in your body, which can decrease your energy and immunity levels.
- Fasting may also affect your thyroid function, which can make it harder to maintain a healthy weight.
- Fasting can negatively affect your microbiome, which can lead to increased cravings for unhealthy foods or even an increased risk for diseases.
Conclusion
There’s no denying that fasting can be an effective tool for health and weight loss. However, you need to be aware of the potential cons of fasting for weight loss and make sure that you’re prepared for them. Fasting for very long periods of time can lead to decreased levels of B vitamins, which can affect your energy and immunity levels.
It can also negatively affect your microbiome, leading to increased cravings for unhealthy foods or even an increased risk for diseases. If you are looking for a diet program that will help you lose weight, we recommend that you try intermittent fasting. You can also check out this article for more helpful information about intermittent fasting.
