Intermittent Fasting
Intermittent Fasting (IF) is an eating pattern that cycles between fasting and eating. It's one of the world's most popular health trends. IF specifies when you should eat, rather than what you should eat.
Benefits
Weight loss is the most common goal of people considering IF. By making you eat fewer meals IF can lead to an automatic reduction in calories. In addition to this, IF can change hormone levels to facilitate fat-burning. There is also evidence that it can favorably influence heart health, brain health and cancer risk.
IF also has the advantage of being easy. One of the greatest obstacles to healthy eating is all the work required to plan, cook and clean up from meals. IF can significantly simplify your life and potentially save you money.
Risks
IF doesn't work for everyone. The obvious drawback is hunger. This can manifest as hanger, fatigue and fuzzy-mindedness. The physical shock of fasting can also contribute to dehydration, headaches and digestive problems.
IF can also create mental health challenges. It can drive an obsession with food and over-eating of treats in the limited windows. If you have any kind of condition that impacts your physical or mental health it's important to get the clearance of your doctor before you try out IF.
First factor for success ... your biotype
There are three main factors that will affect your success with fasting. The first is your biotype. Some people's bodies are naturally designed for fasting, they will experience benefits after a short settling-in period. Other people's bodies are not designed for fasting. They are more likely to be disappointed by unpleasant side effects and lack of results.
Second factor for success ... your exercise schedule
The second factor is your exercise schedule. Some types of exercise marry well with IF. For example, fasted cardio in the morning can be an excellent way to burn fat. But for some people, exercise intensity coupled with food deprivation is a recipe for failure. You may need to experiment with fasting windows / time of day to exercise / intensity of exercise to get this right.
Third factor for success ... your current level of stress
The final factor to consider is your current level of stress. Fasting is a stress on the body (so is exercise). Appropriate stress can be positive, encouraging your body to make adaptations. But if you're already under stress (for example, sleep-deprived, unwell or in the middle of a personal crisis) then the stress of fasting can be negative. It can put your body into an overtrained state, causing you to lose condition rather than gain it.
If you've weighted up the pros and cons and you feel IF might be worth a try, check out these tips on how to make a smart start.
Benefits
Weight loss is the most common goal of people considering IF. By making you eat fewer meals IF can lead to an automatic reduction in calories. In addition to this, IF can change hormone levels to facilitate fat-burning. There is also evidence that it can favorably influence heart health, brain health and cancer risk.
IF also has the advantage of being easy. One of the greatest obstacles to healthy eating is all the work required to plan, cook and clean up from meals. IF can significantly simplify your life and potentially save you money.
Risks
IF doesn't work for everyone. The obvious drawback is hunger. This can manifest as hanger, fatigue and fuzzy-mindedness. The physical shock of fasting can also contribute to dehydration, headaches and digestive problems.
IF can also create mental health challenges. It can drive an obsession with food and over-eating of treats in the limited windows. If you have any kind of condition that impacts your physical or mental health it's important to get the clearance of your doctor before you try out IF.
First factor for success ... your biotype
There are three main factors that will affect your success with fasting. The first is your biotype. Some people's bodies are naturally designed for fasting, they will experience benefits after a short settling-in period. Other people's bodies are not designed for fasting. They are more likely to be disappointed by unpleasant side effects and lack of results.
Second factor for success ... your exercise schedule
The second factor is your exercise schedule. Some types of exercise marry well with IF. For example, fasted cardio in the morning can be an excellent way to burn fat. But for some people, exercise intensity coupled with food deprivation is a recipe for failure. You may need to experiment with fasting windows / time of day to exercise / intensity of exercise to get this right.
Third factor for success ... your current level of stress
The final factor to consider is your current level of stress. Fasting is a stress on the body (so is exercise). Appropriate stress can be positive, encouraging your body to make adaptations. But if you're already under stress (for example, sleep-deprived, unwell or in the middle of a personal crisis) then the stress of fasting can be negative. It can put your body into an overtrained state, causing you to lose condition rather than gain it.
If you've weighted up the pros and cons and you feel IF might be worth a try, check out these tips on how to make a smart start.