About Intermittent Fasting
You might've heard the term intermittent fasting recently, as it has become something of a buzz word in the health community these days. You might be wondering, however, what exactly intermittent fasting is.
I decided to write this blog post this week in order to give you a little bit of a better idea about what it is. Intermittent fasting might sound intimidating, but it's really not. In fact, it's an incredibly useful healthy promoting & weight loss tool!
First things first, intermittent fasting is an eating pattern that goes back and forth between fasting and eating. Basically, you concentrate when you eat into specific periods in the day, and don't eat during the other times. It focuses on when you eat, rather than what you eat.
Keep reading to find out more about intermittent fasting...
I decided to write this blog post this week in order to give you a little bit of a better idea about what it is. Intermittent fasting might sound intimidating, but it's really not. In fact, it's an incredibly useful healthy promoting & weight loss tool!
First things first, intermittent fasting is an eating pattern that goes back and forth between fasting and eating. Basically, you concentrate when you eat into specific periods in the day, and don't eat during the other times. It focuses on when you eat, rather than what you eat.
Keep reading to find out more about intermittent fasting...
How To Practice Intermittent Fasting
First things first, it's important to know that there are a lot of different ways to practice intermittent fasting, and it's important to find what works best for you.
An easy way to build up to intermittent fasting is first, to not eat after dinnertime. It can be tempting to snack after dinner, but try and replace those cravings with having a nighttime tea or low-calorie beverage instead. Then, you can try and delay your breakfast in the morning until 10am or 11am. There you have it! You're already fasting for 14 -16 hours, and concentrating your eating between approximately 10-11am and 6pm.
Some people also find it helpful to practice intermittent fasting periodically. For example, you can try and do it during weekdays, and take a break on the weekends, or do it on alternating days, or a couple of days per week.
An easy way to build up to intermittent fasting is first, to not eat after dinnertime. It can be tempting to snack after dinner, but try and replace those cravings with having a nighttime tea or low-calorie beverage instead. Then, you can try and delay your breakfast in the morning until 10am or 11am. There you have it! You're already fasting for 14 -16 hours, and concentrating your eating between approximately 10-11am and 6pm.
Some people also find it helpful to practice intermittent fasting periodically. For example, you can try and do it during weekdays, and take a break on the weekends, or do it on alternating days, or a couple of days per week.
The Benefits of Intermittent Fasting
Intermittent fasting is still relatively new, at least in the research world, so there are still lots of studies going on to uncover the extent of its benefits. However, the following benefits have already been demonstrated:
1. Weight Loss: Because intermittent fasting reduces the number of meals you eat, or allows you to do less "snacking," it has widespread weight loss benefits. It's also been shown to precipitate hormonal changes such as lowered insulin and increase fat burning hormone levels.
2. Health Benefits: Intermittent fasting studies have shown reduce inflammation, improved heart health, cancer prevention, improved brain health, and even longer lifespans.
3. Giving Your Digestive System A Break: It's easy to forget, but our bodies are absolutely incredible and are working for us 24 hours per day! Intermittent fasting allows us to give our digestive systems and metabolisms longer periods to rest and recharge, helping them function better overall!
4. Convenience: It's definitely a lifestyle change, but intermittent fasting can be incredibly convenient when it's done right. It can help with meal planning, day to day efficiency, help us be present with our food, and decrease the amount of dishes to clean!
1. Weight Loss: Because intermittent fasting reduces the number of meals you eat, or allows you to do less "snacking," it has widespread weight loss benefits. It's also been shown to precipitate hormonal changes such as lowered insulin and increase fat burning hormone levels.
2. Health Benefits: Intermittent fasting studies have shown reduce inflammation, improved heart health, cancer prevention, improved brain health, and even longer lifespans.
3. Giving Your Digestive System A Break: It's easy to forget, but our bodies are absolutely incredible and are working for us 24 hours per day! Intermittent fasting allows us to give our digestive systems and metabolisms longer periods to rest and recharge, helping them function better overall!
4. Convenience: It's definitely a lifestyle change, but intermittent fasting can be incredibly convenient when it's done right. It can help with meal planning, day to day efficiency, help us be present with our food, and decrease the amount of dishes to clean!
Intermittent Fasting Overall
Intermittent fasting might not be for everyone, but it can be a great tool to try when trying to lose weight, or just feel healthier overall. Remember, there's no one "right way" to fast intermittently; integrating it into your lifestyle should be a process of discovering what works best for you. If you have any health-related concerns, I would recommend consulting your health care professional before taking this on.
Want More Information?
| If you'd like more specific information about intermittent fasting and how to integrate it into your life, or would just like to talk about how you can start working towards your healthiest body ever, I would love to talk to you! Please book a FREE 30 minute health coaching call with me by clicking here or on the button below, and I'd be happy to answer any of your questions, concerns, or just chat! |  |