What is intermittent fasting?
Intermittent fasting is a method of eating for 8 hours and fasting for 16 hours. Eat between 10 and 6pm and fast from 6pm until 10 am.
This sounds preposterous, right? Here’s why it works:
1) It lowers your insulin levels and and allows your body to burn calories more efficiently.
2) It reduces your calorie intake so you will lose weight by having prolonged periods of rest without ingesting calories.
3) Fasting increasing the production of certain hormones like norepinephrine which also helps to control appetite and boost your metabolism which in turn can induce weight loss.
4) Can also lower LDL and triglycerides which are both risk factors for heart disease.
5) Can also increase levels of HGH (human growth hormone) which and improve lean muscle mass and promote longevity.
6) Paired up with a ketogenic diet, intermittent fasting can speed up weight loss and lower blood glucose levels dramatically.
So intermittent fasting promotes weight loss by restricting the times you eat rather than the amount you eat.
Am I a proponent? Yes and no.
Unless this type of dieting is done in earnest with a qualified nutritionist you may not be getting the necessary nutrients to sustain a healthy eating plan.
Also, intermittent fasting is not recommended for pregnant and lactating women.
So, if you are someone who is healthy, but doesn’t have time to weigh or measure food, and you want to shed some weight then intermittent fasting might be right for you.