India is among the list of countries, where the people perform fasting as a part of traditions or rituals on several occasions. People from ancient India knew about the benefits of fasting and giving time for body to heal. Today, the word IF (Intermittent Fasting) has become one of the most talked about ways to lose pounds and curing diseases easily. Here, we have jotted down the ultimate beginner’s guide to intermittent fasting.
What Is Intermittent Fasting?
Intermittent Fasting has emerged as one of the best weight loss strategies in ever busy modern world. It is an hack that most of the celebs and sports personalities use to lose fat quickly, while maintaining lean muscle mass. This type of fasting is also suitable for people who work and are always busy. Intermittent fasting is basically maintaining empty stomach for an extended period of time (15-16 hours) and then eating the breakfast-lunch-dinner in a set period of time(8 hours).
Benefits Of Doing Intermittent Fasting?
- The blood levels of insulin drop significantly, which facilitates fat burning process in the body.
- It boost the human growth hormones. The blood levels of growth hormone may increase as much as 5-fold. Higher levels of this hormone facilitate fat burning and muscle gain, and have numerous other benefits.
- Intermittent fasting allows body to heal the body from cellular level. The body induces important cellular repair processes, such as removing waste material from cells and boosting the rejuvenating process.
- There are also beneficial changes in several genes and molecules related to longevity and protection against disease. People who perform intermittent fasting tend to have a good immune against viral infection and other disease.
- Intermittent Fasting can reduce Oxidative stress and inflammation in the body.
- It boots the autophagy state of the body, which is a process by which components inside of cells (including proteins) are degraded and recycled.
- As per reports, this fasting type is also known for uncontrolled growth of cells, such as cancer cells(the cells which grow in an uncontrolled manner).
How To Do Intermittent Fasting?
The intermittent fasting includes a daily 16–hour fast, which is followed by an 8–hour eating period (you can only eat healthy and nutritious food). It doesn’t matter when you start your 8–hour eating period, however, you need to give your body the healing time of 16 hours if you aim for faster results. During the 16 hours of fasting you can drink plenty of water, but can not eat. Usually people who perform this fasting method, consider eating their breakfast as lunch and then they eat dinner in the last hours of 8 hour window. The fasting type could vary from daily fasting to alternate day fasting also.
Ps: People who are suffering from any time of chronical disease or other ailment should first consult with their doctors before planning to opt for the intermittent fasting.
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