A healthy diet can be very much about WHEN and HOW we eat as opposed to just what we eat. Intermittent fasting can be done in several ways. Here are 4 examples that you can put into practice right away...
1. The 16/8 method: Fast for 14-16 hours each day and restrict your daily "eating window" to 8-10 hours.
This method can be as simple as not eating anything after dinner, and skipping breakfast. You can drink water, tea, coffee during the "fasting" period.
2. The 5:2 Diet: Fast for 2 days per week.
This method involves eating normally 5 days per week, while restricting calories to 500-600 on 2 non-consecutive days of the week.
3. Eat-Stop-Eat: Do a 24hour fast, once or twice a week.
For eg, if you finish dinner on Monday at 7pm, and don't eat until dinner the next day at 7pm, then you've just done a full 24hour fast. Water, tea, coffee and other non-caloric beverages are allowed during the fast, but no solid food.
A full 24 hour fast can be difficult for many people and not recommended for children, pregnant women or those with medically-diagnosed hypoglycaemia.
4. The Warrior Diet: Fast during the day, eat a large meal at night.
This diet involves eating small amounts of raw fruits and vegetables during the day, then eating one large meal at night.
Benefits of intermittent fasting include:
1. Blood levels of Insulin drop, which encourages your body to BURN MORE FAT.
2. Blood levels of Human Growth Hormone levels may increase by as much as 5-fold. This facilitates fat burning and muscle gain.
3. Cell repair such as removing waste material from cells.
4. Increased metabolic rate by 3.6-14%, which helps you burn even more calories.
5. Reduces belly fat, the harmful fat in the abdominal cavity that causes disease.
6. Reduces insulin resistance, which may protect against Type 2 diabetes.
7. Enhanced resistance to oxidative stress, which means less damage to your cells.
8. Fights inflammation - a key driver to many chronic diseases such as cancer and heart disease.
9. Decreased risk of heart disease by improving blood pressure, cholesterol, triglycerides, inflammation markers, and blood sugar levels.
10. Cancer prevention - there is some evidence, from animal studies, that indicates IF may help prevent some cancers, likely through reducing insulin, inflammation, and oxidative damage.
So give it a try, I can personally say IT WORKS! But if you are hesitant, don't know which method to use, or are concerned about any contraindications to intermittent fasting, then please call the clinic or email me to make an appointment.