The health benefits of intermittent fasting
When we hear the word ‘fasting’, we often associate it with something challenging or difficult to sustain. It doesn’t sound very appealing to most people and is often mistaken for a diet. However, intermittent fasting, also known as periodic fasting, focuses on when you eat rather than what you eat.
Benefits
The two main benefits of intermittent fasting are weight loss and slowing down the body’s ageing process. There are different forms of intermittent fasting, and we have listed the three most popular variants for you.
16/8 variant
This is often described as the easiest and most accessible way of fasting. This variant involves fasting for 16 hours and allows you to eat normally during the other 8 hours. An example of how you could schedule this is by choosing not to eat anything after 8:00 p.m. and waiting to have your next meal until noon the next day.
5/2 variant
This method involves fasting for 2 days out of the week. On these days, you restrict calorie consumption to no more than 500 calories, and for some, they choose to avoid eating altogether. On the other 5 days, you eat as you normally would.
Alternate day fasting
This method involves alternating between a full day of fasting and a day of eating as you usually would.
Choose the variant that suits your lifestyle best
If you want to adhere to intermittent fasting successfully, choosing a variant that suits you best is crucial.
Weight loss
If your goal is to lose weight, the 16/8 or alternate day fasting options would be the best fit for you. The 16/8 variant can help transform your metabolism from primarily sugar metabolism to fat metabolism. With the alternate-day fasting variant, you will consume fewer calories than you normally would. Both methods can contribute to weight loss.
Slowing down the ageing process
If you want to slow down the ageing process in your body, it’s better to choose the 5/2 variant. This variant promotes autophagy, which is the body’s cellular repair process. Through this restorative process, cells don’t need to be replaced as frequently. This process is associated with slowing down the ageing process.
