Intermittent fasting has gained significant popularity in recent years as an optimal approach to lose weight and prevent, or reverse, disease. While most diets and meal plans focus on what you eat, this approach focuses on when you eat. Research has suggested that fasting for certain hours at a time can improve our health in a variety of ways.
How Does Intermittent Fasting Work?
Intermittent fasting includes restricting yourself from consuming calories during a specific period of time. There are a variety of techniques for intermittent fasting. Some of the popular methods include:
- Alternate-day fasting. Involves eating a ‘normal’ diet one day and on another day fasting or having one small meal (less than 500 calories) the next day.
- Daily time-restricted fasting. Involves eating normally but within an eight-hour window each day. For example, one might skip breakfast but eat lunch around noon and dinner by 8 p.m.
- 5:2 fasting. Involves eating a normal diet five days a week and fasting two days a week.
What are the benefits?
Some research indicates that intermittent fasting can be just as effective for weight loss as a standard low calorie diet. In turn, this improves health and reduces the risk of obesity-related diseases, such as diabetes, sleep apnea and some types of cancer. Furthermore, research suggests that intermittent fasting could be more influential than other diets in terms of reducing inflammation. By reducing inflammation, we are improving our health and reducing our risk of:
- Alzheimer’s disease
- Arthritis
- Asthma
- Multiple sclerosis
- Stroke
Are there Risks Associated with Intermittent Fasting?
Intermittent fasting is a relatively safe practice, however there are groups of people who should refrain and important things to remember when practicing. For example, if you are pregnant or breast-feeding, you should not be in a caloric deficit. Furthermore, you should always consult a doctor before starting this meal plan if you have kidney stones, gastroesophageal reflux, diabetes or any other medical problems. Additionally, there are a list of unpleasant side effects that go along with this meal plan. These include, Hunger, Fatigue, Insomnia, Nausea, Headaches. In totality, if someone is engaging in intermittent fasting they should be sure to do their research and consult their doctor first.
Written by GUADS intern Vivian, with contributions from Johns Hopkins and Mayo Clinic