Global Courant 2023-05-04 18:00:19
What is intermittent fasting? Intermittent fasting is an eating pattern in which people limit their food intake to certain times of the day. Some research suggests that it may have benefits beyond weight loss. Intermittent fasting (IF) is currently one of the hottest health trends.
How is it done? There are different ways to do intermittent fasting, all of which involve dividing the day or week into periods of eating and fasting. During fasting periods you eat very little or nothing at all.
These are the most popular methods: The 16/8 method: Consists of restricting the daily eating window to 8 hours, (such as 8 am to 4 pm), then fasting for 16 hours. This could also be done longer, such as the 6/18 fast (eg 8 am to 2 pm).
There are other regimes such as fasting 5:2, 5:2 modified, 24/24, but in some cases it may not be sustainable over time, so it is important that before undergoing this regime every person has an evaluation by A professional.
By reducing your calorie intake, all of these methods should lead to weight loss, as long as you don’t make up for it by eating too much during eating periods.
Can intermittent fasting improve your health?
Losing weight and being physically active helps reduce the risk of obesity-related diseases such as diabetes, sleep apnea, and some metabolic diseases. For these conditions, intermittent fasting seems to be as beneficial as any other type of diet that produces weight loss.
Some research suggests that intermittent fasting may be more beneficial than other diets in reducing inflammation and improving conditions associated with inflammation, including:
Alzheimer’s disease Arthritis Asthma Epilepsy Insulin resistance
Who shouldn’t?
Intermittent fasting is safe for many people, but not everyone. Skipping meals may not be the best way to control your weight in some specific cases. In general, all patients with diabetes, especially those who are under hypoglycemic treatment. Neither should pregnant women, children, patients suffering from chronic diseases such as kidney and liver disease, uncontrolled gastroesophageal reflux. Talk to your doctor before starting intermittent fasting.
It is important to mention that if someone decides to carry out this type of nutritional plan, they should be previously evaluated and monitored during the process by a health professional, to avoid unnecessary risks.
Dr. Geovani Palma M., endocrinology www.endovitae.com
The 16/8 method is the most popular and is considered the most simple, sustainable, and easy to follow.
