Guide to Intermittent Fasting: What are the Pros and Cons

Before you start giving up on losing weight to become fit, you can still raise your hopes up. It’s not too late yet. When it comes to your weight loss and health, it’s never too late. But when you seem to have tried everything else and nothing seems to work, would you turn another page and try a new method of weight loss program. You might not be able to lose weight because you are doing something wrong.

Among other things that can help you become healthier is not just exercise but proper food intake. Intermittent Fasting is one of the ways to do it. A lot of health buffs, doctors and even celebrities resort to this kind of fasting not just to stay healthy but also to look better It sounds a boring thing to do but facts about intermittent fasting prove you actually can benefit a lot from it. Just a reminder, not all types of intermittent fasting is good for just anyone. As there are good things about it, there are also cons.

Intermittent Fasting (IF) is not just about restricting calorie intake. It is about limiting your eating windows to only a few hours a day. You can fast from 14 hours to 36 hours depending on the type of IF that you do. The rationale is to eat as much as you can during your “feeding window” and not to drink or eat anything with calories during your fasting period. The goal is to reach the daily required macronutrients without restricting yourself. We prepared a list of the pros and cons of intermittent fasting to help you decide if it’s the right fit for you.

REMEMBER: eating less protein than the required daily dosage will be dangerous to your health and might affect muscle mass and decrease your basal metabolic rate. This means that instead of losing fat you lose muscle. Losing muscle is what you need to avoid.

How Does IF Work?

Fasting on low carb diet uses stored fat as energy thereby making us lose body fat and weight. Since our body is depleted of its glycogen, we use fat instead and ketones as source of energy instead of glucose. It is great for controlling appetite and can keep you fuller for longer periods of time. Your body will get used to fat and ketones as the sources of energy and eventually you will be used to eating less amount of food and less frequently.

PROS: What are the Benefits?

This type of fasting is proven to give benefits for both the body figure and overall health, including joint health. Studies show that intermittent fasting improves blood lipids, cardiovascular markers, increase insulin sensitivity and insulin resistance. It also reduces high blood pressure and inflammation of joints.

1. Better Aging. Several studies conclude that intermittent fasting has an effect on increased lifespan. A reason for increased longevity is because fasting improves the symptoms of metabolic syndrome such as obesity and diabetes. Proper fasting enhances production of growth hormone which naturally decreases as we age.
2. Reduce Cancer Risks. The metabolic factors are highly linked to different types of cancer. In men, the strongest risk factors are high levels of BP and triglycerides. In women, its high plasma glucose. And since IF improves metabolism of the body, it also reduces the risk of cancer. For cancer patients who do IF, the negative side effects of chemotherapy are reduced.
3. Better Joint Articulation. When the body loses unnecessary fat, it body carries less weight. Having less weight means lesser stress on the joints. IF will give you better flexibility and mobility. The inflammation markers are also reduced which means you will feel lesser pain in your joints and muscles if you properly do IF.
4. Mental Clarity. IF is also good for the brain. In just a couple of weeks of IF, your body will become keto-adapted and become less glucose dependent. No more brain fogs and more mental clarity and focus. IF can improve neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and Huntington’s disease.

CONS

Be warned though that Intermittent Fasting is not for everybody. According to the book Escape the Diet Trap, authored by Dr. John Briffa, people who suffer type 1 diabetes should avoid IF as the response of the body to IF is detrimental to the health of the person rather than help improve overall health.

Improper IF can lead to sleepiness, anxiety, irregular periods, and hormonal imbalance. If you experience these symptoms, stop IF immediately and go back to the diet that you were used to and consult a doctor immediately.

People who have chronic fatigue, generally stressed, adrenal disorders, people who over exercise, pregnant and breastfeeding women should avoid intermittent fasting as well.

Remember to consult a nutritionist or a doctor if you feel any of these symptoms. Better yet, consult a doctor first before starting your intermittent fasting.

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