Intermittent Fasting: What is it, and How Can it Help You?

Originally, fasting was a natural phenomenon that occurred when food got scarce and people had to turn to their barns and silos. People were forced to ration their meals and even stay hungry for a while so that the food can last.

With the evolution of the world, fasting became one way of the ways religious people use got closer to their God. It is a time when people consciously deny themselves food and abstain from any form of sin. Following extensive research and collation of reviews from sites like uk.collected.reviews, it has been proven that when people fast, the body uses the fat that it has reserved as a source of energy when the belly is empty and there is no food to supply energy. These researches and other diet company reviews have caused people to begin to fast for non-religious reasons because when the body uses its fat reserve, it results in weight loss and better health.

What is Intermittent Fasting?

Intermittent fasting means shuttling between fasting and eating. It has to do with abstaining from food for some time before going back to eat again. There are different ways to fast intermittently, some are;

  • Fasting 12 hours on a stretch: The person observing the fast will choose any 12 hours that will be convenient say 6am to 6pm and fast between those hours.
  • 16:8 Fasting: 16:8 fasting has to do with abstaining from food for 16 hours in a day and eating within the remaining 8 hours. People
  • 5:2 Fasting: The 5:2 goes beyond fasting for a day; it involves fasting for five days in a week and eating on two non-consecutive days.
  • Meal Skipping: As the name implies, meal skipping involves skipping meals in the day. It is advisable for beginners and they can choose what meal is convenient for them to skip.

How Can Intermittent Fasting Help You?

In the olden days, it was easier for the body to burn calories because people were always outside working and doing other sorts of activities, but these days, people are always in front of their computers staring at their screens all day without doing any physical activity. This inactivity coupled with the accumulation of calories in the body can lead to a series of health issues like obesity, high blood pressure, obesity, etc.

Intermittent fasting helps to prevent or probably cure the effect of this less activity and more calories in the body. Some benefits of intermittent fasting are:

  • Prevention of weight loss because the body gets supply for its fat reserves when there is no food in the belly.
  • Insulin is reduced because there is less food in the body as a result of the reduced intake of food and this can reduce the possibility of cancer.
  • The human heart is allowed to function properly and protect against heart issues when there is reduce in the intake of alcohol
  • People who indulge in intermittent fasting live longer than those who eat everything that their eyes see and their mind craves.

It is important to know that intermittent fasting is not for everyone. Existing medical conditions like diabetes, low blood pressure, etc can prevent one from partaking in intermittent fasting. Also, women who are pregnant, breastfeeding, or trying to conceive are not advised to do intermittent fasting. So, before you think of fasting, make sure to consult your doctor.