”Fasting for the body is food for the soul” – Saint John Chrysostom.
Gone are the days when fasting was just to lose weight or keep yourself fit. Today, intermittent fasting is a fresh trend followed by many people around the world.
Intermittent fasting not only helps in reducing excess fats in your body but also detoxifies it, improves mood, removes cellular waste and whatnot. The benefits of intermittent fasting are off the charts. However, it significantly depends on the type of intermittent fasting you are undertaking.
As per a 2018 study, a 5:2 diet is as effective as daily calorie restriction for weight loss and blood glucose control for those with type 2 diabetes. The 5:2 is a fasting method, and this is not the only one. Intermittent fasting is of various other types, and all of them have varying benefits.
Let’s unravel some of these intermittent fasting methods!
The 5:2 Fasting
As teased above, the 5:2 fasting is a relatively easy method for those who are new to fasting. A 5:2 fasting method suggests that you eat normally as you do for 5 days and fast for 2 days. The decision of setting of days is on you. You can either keep the two fasting days (48-hours) together or set them apart.
The crux of this method is that you have to restrict the calorie count on two fasting days to less than or equal to 500-600 calories per day. Make sure that you only consume healthy fats, proteins, and veggies. This will keep your carb cravings away.
Health Benefits
- Regulates blood sugar levels
- Improves insulin resistance
- Reduces weight
Useful Tip – Ensure that you do not engage in any kind of endurance exercise on the fasting day.
Alternate Day Fasting (4:3)
Can you go to bed hungry to lose weight? Well, if you can, this plan can be for you.
The 4:3 plan is designed to make you fast every other day. You can either eat for 4 days and fast for 3 or vice-versa. The things that need attention in the alternate-day fasting plan are:
- You need to keep your calorie consumption to less than or equal to 25% than that on a normal day. It is nearly equal to 500 calories.
- Eat normally on non-fasting days.
- The specified 25% of your calories should not come from any sugar or starch.
As it is a bit of on extreme way of fasting, it can be tough to follow for a longer time.
Health Benefits
- It supports heart health
- Promotes weight loss
Useful Tip – Keep yourself busy on fast days and use DoFasting app for monitoring your progress.
16:8 Fasting
The 16:8 intermittent fasting is also a great way for those who are new to fasting. In the 16:8 fasting method, you need to fast for 16 hours and set your eating window to 8 hours. Usually, it is tough to manage but not if you keep your eating window between 12 noon and 8 pm.
During the fast hours, if you like to can consume coffee, tea, and non-calorific drinks. Strictly stay away from anything that has calories. Make sure that when you eat after the fast, probably in the afternoon, the meal has around 50% of your daily calorie consumption.
Health Benefits
The 16:8 fasting technique has great benefits like
- It keeps blood sugar levels stable
- It helps in weight and fat loss.
- It can prevent type-2 diabetes.
Useful Tip – Try doing meditation during the fasting window and drink cinnamon herbal tea to suppress appetite.
OMAD
OMAD is expanded as one meal a day. When undertaking this diet plan, you have to fast for 23 hours and eat for 1 hour.
Make sure that when you eat, include all the nutritious elements of a balanced diet. Restrict eating any type of junk food like a burger or a pizza. As you need to give your body enough time to digest it before bedtime, ensure that you consume your master diet of the day between 4-7 pm.
Health Benefits
- It boosts cognitive performance
- It reduces blood sugar levels
- Lowers the cholesterol level
Useful Tip – Avoid trying this fasting method as long as you don’t have any experience with fasting.
The Warrior Diet
As the name suggests, the warrior diet was formulated by Ori Hofmekler. He was a former member of the Israeli Special Forces.
In this fasting method, you have to fast for a 20-hour window and eat in the remaining four hours of the day. To sustain the fasting period, you can eat less food. Probably, poached eggs, zero-calorie beverages like green tea, etc.
In your evening master meal, you need to include organic, high-nutrient foods. You can also do this fasting if you follow a ketogenic diet.
Health Benefits
- It can boost brain health
- Decreases inflammation
- It can control blood sugar levels.
Useful tip – Avoid eating refined carbohydrates, processed meat, and artificial sweeteners.
Conclusion
Technology has made our lives easy. However, it has also made us unfit in various ways. All of us have some sort of health issue due to lack of exercise and a busy schedule.
Among all the other ways to be fit, Fasting is the one that fits in our busy lives.
By following the mentioned ways of fasting, you can lose weight and stay fit easily. However, you need to plan and then begin fasting as your body may take time to adapt.