Intermittent Fasting and its Benefits

When looking at fasting as a possible way for losing weight, intermittent fasting has picked up more importance as it is not that intense but yet effective. It basically means fasting for alternate days. It is currently under scientific study to see if it is a viable approach to calorie restriction. Intermittent fasting mainly involves you eat for a day then you don’t the following, then you again resume the next day. In this non-eating day, you can drink water. There have been marked improvements in health of people following this kind of plan along with losing weight.

Intermittent fasting is more on the lines of every other day diet (EODD) where you eat your desired foods on the ‘off’ days. In case of intermittent fasting you have something called every other day feeding (EODF).

The whole concept and idea of intermittent fasting is still under study. There have been many reports counting the benefits of the same.

• IF as it is commonly called is known to enhance cardiovascular and brain functions and also reduce risks of heart diseases.
• It is a good way of clearing up the digestive system,
• removing toxins from the body and
• Regulating the metabolic rate in the body.

It is a pretty natural way of eating. You do end up eating a lot on the non-fasting days but then gradually this will become stable.

For intermittent fasting you need to follow the three stages involved in the process:

• Preparatory stage mainly signifies that you prepare your self physically and mentally that you are embarking on a fast. Physically, you eat well the night before the fast, you take plenty of liquids. Beware not to overeat. Mentally, you need to be convinced about the whole idea and its goal because any kind of ambivalence will trigger thoughts like whether to continue or no when you are feeling hungry the next day and weaken your resolve. Thus, be clear about the whole thing.

• Day of the fast: try and do some light work on this day. Pace yourself well. Keep a check on your mood levels. Avoid thinking about food. This could trigger hunger. Try and be as relaxed as possible. Avoid a lot of exertion physical or mental on this day.

• Post fasting: while breaking the fast, first of all drink lime juice. It helps a great deal in removing the toxins from the body. Following that eat a good breakfast.