Nowaday, people can find tons of trends when it comes to foods and diets that people end up questioning, what really works. Some people turn to becoming vegan, others quit sugars from their diets, then there are vegetarian diets or even gluten free, and lastly one that talks about intermittent fasting; nevertheless, which one really works, or how could you know which one is good for your body.
Each diet has numerous benefits, but one that has been trending and has definitely caught people’s attention is the intermittent fasting diet.
What is Intermittent Fasting?
Although intermittent fasting is a diet, it doesn’t have any food restrictions. This diet-trend involves eating in a pattern, this means eating for a certain period of time, while abstaining from foods and liquids for another period. Some people do 16 hour fasts, where they will eat for 8 hours throughout the day, but stop eating altogether after it, and abstain from food for 16 hours. This fasting time is regularly done at night, when the body is resting and therefore you give your body time to accustom to this cycle and then to experience all the benefits from this diet.
When did intermittent fasting started?
Intermittent fasting has been around for a while now, it is not a new trend however lately people are starting to practice it since they see all the numerous benefits that come from it. Lots of religions practice this type of diet restriction, like Buddhism, Judaism or even Christinaity. Here these religions would abstain from eating foods for a certain period of time, for instance when the sun was setting until the next day when the sun set again. There are numerous fasting methods, 24 hours, 16 hours, 13 hours, or even 48 hours. This depends entirely on the user and what they are comfortable with. Some chose to start with the 13 hour fast and then they keep on expanding little by little their hours.
Is Intermittent Fasting Good For You?
Intermittent Fasting is a very powerful tool, it has a lot of advantages. Some people use it for weight loss, as it facilitates weight loss because it changes the hormone levels or even lowers the insulin in the body. Lots of people use it even because they can see an immediate change from being swelled up from food and fats, and right away this can diminish from intermittent fasting. It is a great method to deal with heart disease as it reduces cholesterol, it is also great to promote brain health, as it increases the BDNF hormone, and even some people have claimed that this type of diet can help combat Alzheimer’s disease. It is a great tool for anti-aging, as people who practice this sort of diet habit have a tendency to maintain themselves healthier for a longer time.
People chose to practice intermittent fasting for numerous reasons, but above all it is a great eating habit, as it doesn’t restrict you from any foods, but it tells you when to eat and when to stop.