The Benefits of Intermittent Fasting

Popular dieting trends seem to come and go like waves in the ocean: Huge one moment, non-existent the next. However, in recent years the practice of intermittent fasting has soared in popularity, and it appears that it’s here to stay. It’s being used as a tool to achieve not just weight loss, but steadier levels of both physical and mental energy. The concept involves limiting the time frame during which we can eat in a day, without necessarily limiting how much or what we eat. Intermittent fasting works by forcing our body to use up fat stores for energy, rather than the glucose from food we’ve just eaten. The most popular routine is a 16 hour fast, along with an 8 hour window during which we can eat. The first 8 to 10 hours after eating, we remain in a ‘fed’ state, i.e. our body uses that glucose for energy. However, after around 10 to 12 hours without food, the ‘fasted’ state begins, and our body starts to burn off fatty acids to sustain our energy levels.

The list of scientifically proven benefits is quite comprehensive: Intermittent fasting causes helps us lose weight and improves our glucose and insulin regulation. This in turn helps our energy levels to remain much more stable throughout the day, rather than being dependent on a meal or snack. Fasting also reduces inflammation in our body. In fact, it is during a fast that our body’s molecules begin to repair themselves. In the long term, this can help us avoid obesity, cardiovascular issues, diabetes, certain cancers and even neurological conditions.

Contrary to what might seem the truth, fasting helps us increase our physical endurance, and maintain muscle mass. This actually makes sense on an evolutionary or anthropological level, as thousands of years ago when humans were hunter gatherers, they went hunting on empty stomachs. While intermittent fasting might sound like a difficult habit to develop, the easiest way to start is simply by skipping breakfast and sticking to coffee or tea for the morning. If, for example, you have dinner at 7pm, then you could eat again at 11am. That’s not too difficult, is it?