Intermittent Fasting . Yaayy or Naayyy!!

According to a survey by the International Food Information Council Foundation, Intermittent Fasting (IF) was the most popular diet of 2019.

But what IS “Intermittent fasting?”

“Intermittent” is defined as - Occurring at irregular intervals. Meaning that it is not continuous or steady.

“Fasting” is defined as - To not eat food for a period of time.

“Intermittent Fasting” can therefore be defined as cycling between irregular periods of eating and fasting.

How does it work?

There are several ways of intermittent fasting in which you split your day or week or month into eating and fasting periods.

• The 16/8 method: it involves skipping breakfast and restricting your daily eating period to 8 hours, such as 1–9 pm. Or you consume your dinner around 7 pm followed by breaking your fast around 11-12pm. This is the most commonly followed routine.
• Eat-Stop-Eat: This involves fasting for 24 hours, once or twice a week, by not eating from dinner one day until dinner the next day.
• The 5:2 diets: In this method, you consume only 500–600 calories on two non-consecutive days of the week, but eat normally the other 5 days.

During the fasting periods, you are allowed to consume a non-caloric beverages and supplements which do not add to your calorie intake.

How does Intermittent Fasting help in losing weight?

The food we eat is broken down by enzymes and absorbed into the bloodstream via the gut. Sugars and refined grains are rich in carbohydrates which are quickly broken down into glucose, which is used by our cells for energy. Our body stores any excess or unused glucose in fat cells. But the process of storage can only occur in the presence of insulin, a hormone made in the pancreas. Insulin allows glucose to be stored & kept in the fat cells.

Between meals, our insulin levels go down and our fat cells begin to release their stored sugar, to be used as energy. However, if we snack, our pancreas begin to secrete insulin and stop this release and drive further accumulation of glucose as fat. The basic concept behind Intermittent Fasting is to allow the insulin levels to go down far enough for long enough to allow the body to burn off stored fat.

What can I eat while I am fasting?

You can consume zero calorie beverages like water, tender coconut water, tea/coffee, cumin (zeera) water.

What can I eat during the eating window?

It is advisable to eat healthy and nutritious food only. Avoid sugary foods or desserts, refined flour, carbonated beverages, fried or oily food, junk-food etc.

What can I break my fast with?

It is common for people to feel gastric distress or nausea when breaking their fast. While this is not a hazard, one can avoid this by doing the following-

• Consume a teaspoon of chia seeds soaked in a glass of water for an hour or more. Drink the water as well.
• Wait for 15-30 minutes after consuming the chia seeds and water before your first meal.
• Ensure that the first meal in the eating period is rich in fiber e.g. fruit or a bowl of salad.
• Your next meals can include cereals and your preference of protein e.g. eggs, poultry, seafood, chickpeas, lentils, milk, avocado, nuts, oats.
• Keep yourself hydrated during both fasting and eating periods.

NOTE: Please avoid overeating immediately prior to a fasting period. - It is counterproductive to try and cram excess sugars or fat into your body prior to the fasting period. The idea is to burn off the fat stored in your body, not give your body more sugar to convert to fat. Keep your meals light and nutritious and do not worry about how you will get energy during the fasting window.

Is Intermittent Fasting for everyone?

A person with no underlying health issues or complications can certainly follow Intermittent Fasting with an intention of losing weight or as a form of detox, but it isn’t for everyone.

Certain people should always check with their doctor before following an intermittent fasting routine or making any drastic changes in their regular diet.

• Pregnant women or women trying to conceive.
• Children below 18 years of age.
• Diabetes or Pre-diabetic people.
• People on medications which need to be taken pre or post meals.
• People who are underweight.
• Athletes or those with heavy training regimens.
• People suffering from eating disorders.

Bottom line is that the average person can try Intermittent Fasting to lose weight and it will help them lose around 3-4 kg’s relatively easily. However, only sustained lifestyle modification along with a balanced diet plan will help you to shed it all.

Benefits of intermittent Fasting:

It has various benefits apart from facilitating weight loss-

• Good for brain health.
• It can lower the risk of Type-2 diabetes among adults who are overweight and obese.
• It can lead to a reduction in blood pressure, cholesterol and triglycerides.
• It benefits glucose and lipid metabolism in the body.
• It helps in losing fat mass and maintains the muscle mass.
• It can reduce inflammation in the body.
• It has proven to prevent growth of tumors in animal studies.