Does Fasting Produce Health Benefits?
We have all been told time and time again that exercise and proper nutrition are key to leading a healthy lifestyle, and while this is true, people have begun to re-evaluate their relationships with food.
Reducing consumption of food for a given period of time is often associated with religious practices and medical procedures, so how has it made the jump to becoming a healthy practice? The stigma of fasting is that it is unhealthy, but when properly managed, it can actually provide amazing health benefits.
The Facts
Studies have been done to determine the impact of fasting on animals and the results show the benefits of fasting. The main reason this has proven to be healthy is the fact that it cleanses and detoxes the body while forcing cells to access fuel from sources already present in the body.
By fasting, your body is not able to receive glucose in foods, which then forces your cells to find an alternative fuel source. The process of gluconeogenesis begins which is essentially your body’s way of producing its own sugar. As a result, our basal metabolic rate increase while our heart rate and blood pressure decrease.
Another process that also begins is ketosis, which is where the body uses stored fats as an energy source. This assists in weight loss as well as balancing blood sugar levels.
Fasting also assists in strengthening our cells by placing them under mild stress, similar to the way in which we stress our body while exercising. This is why short-term fasting is a recommended practice.
Three Types Of Fasting
Fasting can be divided into three main categories, namely time-restricted feeding, intermittent calorie restriction, and periodic fasting with fasting-mimicking diets.
- Time-Restricted Feeding
As the name implies, you only eat during a given period, for example from 10:00 - 18:00. This practice has been found to align our circadian rhythm, or body clock, with our daily routine to ensure balance.
- Intermittent Calorie Restriction
This practice involves halving your calorie intake for two consecutive days a week, forcing us to carefully consider the foods that we eat. It also gives us a better idea of what our body actually needs to get through the day.
- Periodic Fasting with Fasting Mimicking Diets
For about five days, you need to limit your calorie intake to 1000 a day to force your cells to use glycogen stores and begin the process of ketosis.
The health benefits of fasting speak for themselves, it is a great way to manage your weight, be more considerate of what you eat and when you eat, as well as shine the spotlight on current fitness levels. It may be difficult to believe, but you may discover that you have more energy and improved fitness levels so playing at https://www.blacklotuscasino.com/ is even more fun. When it comes to fasting, you need to remain level-headed and listen to your body.