A Guide to Intermittent Fasting....
Fasting has been a long standing cultural practice for hundreds of years used readily for health purposes before they knew the actual science behind it. They just knew it was inherently beneficial.
If you have never done fasting before one of the easiest methods to try first if known as intermittent fasting, one where you simply keep you eating period to a shorter duration. I personally use a 16 hour intermittent fast at least 2-3 times per week to assist my particular biochemistry and physiology. We now have the research to show that fasting triggers a series of beneficial changes in your body right at the cellular level.
Not only does it improve insulin sensitivity and hunger/satiation hormones (ghrelin & leptin), it regulates blood sugar levels and increases fat lipolysis. It can activate HGH (human growth hormone)involved in cellular regeneration and allow for increased detoxification through increased occurrence of autophagy (cellular clean up).
This can be done easily by being more conscious of your eating window. On your chosen fasting days, try to finish your dinner by around 6:00PM the previous night, which means you would wait until 10:00AM the next morning to ingest any caloric content, drinking plenty of water however. If you can combine these fasting mornings with a morning you exercise/train, you will assist detoxification (via sweat!) and weight balance becomes a lot easier too.
Keep in mind there are a few rules to abide by: women aren’t recommended to do this more than 3-4 times per week as with any sever drop in body fat, there can be associated hormone issues. Ladies also do not fast during your monthly cycle as your body needs the extra nourishment at this time as well as when you are pregnant or breastfeeding.
Overall, it can be a fantastic way to ensure better health long term without the extended, more difficult fasts. You’ll find once you get used to it, your energy in the morning is fantastic!!