One of the world’s most popular fitness and health trends is intermittent fasting. Some people have allegedly used it to lose excess weight, enhance their overall health while significantly improving their lifestyle. Many studies have also shown that it has extraordinary effects on the human body and the brain as well. You may even prolong your life by following this practice.
Intermittent Fasting: what is it?
Intermittent fasting is a pattern of eating which involves cycling between periods of fasting and eating. It does not expressly specify which foods you should eat – or should not eat – but lays more emphasis on “when” you should eat the foods.
Normal eating patterns involve 16-hour fasts daily or 24-hour fasts, at least twice every week.
This eating pattern was developed based on the practice of fasting which has been experienced almost throughout human evolution. Research made it known that ancient men or hunters went for extended periods without food. They were known to be athletically fit and had sound health during their time on earth, with many of them living long and fulfilled lives.
Fasting is also one of the spiritual practices that are common in some religions such as Christianity, Judaism, Islam, and Buddhism.
How effective is intermittent Fasting on the Human Body?
Fasting has several profound and undeniable effects on the human body. These include:
- The reduction of insulin levels which makes it incredibly more manageable for the body to use up stored fat.
- Decreasing inflammation, blood sugar levels, and blood pressure
- The marked multiplication of HGH (human growth hormone) which helps the human body to grow muscle by significantly utilizing body fat
- Activation of autophagy, a healing process via which the body consumes cells that are damaged so that they don’t cause harm
Physiology and Metabolism: What occurs during intermittent fasting?
Typically in the modern world, the body runs on glucose, a simple sugar. But when you restrict your food intake – as a result of the intermittent fast – this energy source gradually becomes depleted and unavailable.
Consequently, your body starts converting stored fats into fatty acids which can readily be absorbed by your bloodstream. These fatty acids produce what is known as “ketones.”
After fasting for about 8-12 hours, your metabolism will shift to accommodate this change by replacing glucose with ketones as your source of energy.
According to numerous studies, the benefits of intermittent fasting surpasses any other dietary strategy because intermittent fasting has been an integral part of human culture due to how our ancestors lived by feasting and famine. Ketones also have anti-inflammatory properties and are also excellent sources of fuel for the brain and body.
Resetting Your Metabolism to Achieve Weight Loss
It is highly crucial for you to reset your metabolic rate, especially if you have things such as:
- Inflammation,
- High blood pressure
- Imbalance of good and bad cholesterol levels
- High blood sugar
- Obesity
These conditions could develop into chronic ailments such as diabetes, stroke, heart attack, etc.
Intermittent fasting is, therefore, one of the quickest ways of resetting metabolism and losing excess weight. There are several methods to go about it as explained earlier in this write-up.
One additional consideration is that if you eat a high sugar diet then the period of fasting will be difficult to get through because you will have less energy and may experience low blood sugar. Therefore intermittent fasting is best paired with a diet that has plenty of healthy fats. A great combo can be the Ketogenic Diet with intermittent fasting. Make sure to add in some functional foods and you have a great foundation for a healthy diet.
Conclusion
Intermittent fasting is more effective when combined with other activities such as getting a minimum of seven hours of sound sleep, reducing your stress levels, and engaging in high-intensity interval training.
Intermittent fasting has not only been proven to have health benefits, but it is also a necessary component of rewilding. If you believe that we should try to mimic the basic lifestyle activities of our ancestors then intermittent fasting is a must.