{"id":7655,"date":"2016-05-27T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2016-05-27T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/1millionbestdownloads.com\/nutrition-intermittent-fasting-diet\/"},"modified":"2016-05-27T00:00:00","modified_gmt":"2016-05-27T00:00:00","slug":"nutrition-intermittent-fasting-diet","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/1millionbestdownloads.com\/nutrition-intermittent-fasting-diet\/","title":{"rendered":"Intermittent Fasting Is All the Rage—But Is It Healthy?"},"content":{"rendered":"
When you hear the word “fasting,” you probably think of gimmicky diets—and, um, feeling “hangry.” But a growing body of research suggests that cycling super low-calorie days into your normal eating plan could potentially improve your health (more on that later). But before you skip lunch and let your gut start growling, read on for everything you need to know about intermittent fasting.<\/p>\n
In very basic terms, IF is occasional starvation done in a strategic way. The idea is to cycle between periods of regular eating and fasting, during which you severely restrict your calorie intake or don’t consume any food at all. Some people fast for hours, while some may go for a full day or longer.<\/p>\n
IF may mean something different depending on who you talk to. One of the more commonly known fasting systems is the 5:2 diet, which involves restricting calories for two non-consecutive days a week and eating without calorie restraints on the other five days. (Jimmy Kimmel credited the 5:2 diet with his weight loss<\/a> in a Men’s Journal<\/em> story last year.)<\/p>\n Others may fast on a day-to-day basis by eating only during a specific time window. Mark Mattson, a neuroscientist at the National Institute on Aging in Maryland who has researched the subject extensively, shared with the New York Times<\/em><\/a> that most days he skips breakfast and lunch and eats all of his calories within a six-hour window starting in the afternoon. And, Hugh Jackman revealed that he fasted for 16 hours<\/a> and ate within an 8-hour window to get in shape for his role as Wolverine in 2013.<\/p>\n Fasting may improve your overall health and extend your life, likely due to the ways that it affects cell and hormone function, according to several studies. In one recent study in Cell Metabolism<\/a><\/em>, for example, periodic fasting was linked to lower risks of heart disease, diabetes, cancer, and aging.<\/p>\n So why does fasting have such a positive health impact? During the fasting phase, many cells die and stem cells turn on, which starts a regeneration process and gives rise to new, younger cells, study author Valter Longo, PhD, recently explained to Health<\/em>. “It sounds too good to be true, but it’s not,” he said.<\/p>\n Other studies have shown that intermittent fasting may decrease low-density lipoprotein (LDL), or “bad” cholesterol, as well as inflammation. Additionally, IF may improve insulin resistance, which, in turn, helps stabilize blood sugar levels.<\/p>\n RELATED<\/strong>: 49 Ways to Trick Yourself Into Feeling Full<\/a><\/p>\n There's no one-size-fits-all fasting diet; plans can be highly individualized. Some folks allow themselves to drink black coffee and green juice during the no-food period, while others may give themselves a cap of 500 calories on fasting days.<\/p>\n For instance, Kimmel told Men's Journal<\/em> that on fasting days his "meals" might consist of peanut butter and an apple, the whites of hard-boiled eggs, or possibly a bowl of oatmeal. “The rest of the week I'm a glutton—pizza and pasta and steak,” he told the mag.<\/p>\n But here, Kimmel reveals one of the issues with fasting diets, says Libby Mills, RD, a spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. “The focus isn’t always on nutrition," she says. "A lot of the time it’s just about calories.”<\/p>\n “Some people may also interpret the normal eating time as free rein to go calorie crazy,” Mills adds, “which can backfire.”<\/p>\n Hey, it helped Kimmel and Jackman shape up. But Mills warns that while a fasting program may aid weight loss, it’s not a plan that is practical or sustainable for everyone.<\/p>\n “It’s not something that I personally recommend in my practice because I think there are lots of ways to get a jumpstart on weight loss without going cold turkey with food,” she explains. “You can instead focus on eating more vegetables and fruits. That way you’re focusing on picking healthy calories and adding nutrients. It’s a positive change as opposed to an all-or-nothing mindset."<\/p>\n You also don’t know how you will react physically and mentally to calorie restriction, she adds. “You may not know how your body will respond to, say, low blood sugar,” Mills says. “Or, some people find that fasting seems like a piece of cake until around 3 o’clock, and then suddenly cravings come on and you end up eating all sorts of things you normally wouldn’t.”<\/p>\n The bottom line? “You have to consider how you personally are affected by restriction,” she says.<\/p>\n The health benefits of fasting go beyond weight loss<\/strong> <\/h3>\n
It typically focuses on when<\/em> to eat, not necessarily what<\/em> to eat<\/strong> <\/h3>\n
It can help with weight loss, but it may not work for everyone<\/strong> <\/h3>\n