Intermittent fasting has been gaining popularity in recent years.
To date, several methods have been developed and fairly well studied, each of which differs in its compliance pattern, food set, and the risk of developing side effects.
In this article, we will take an in-depth look at the many benefits of intermittent fasting. We will review the scientific evidence supporting its use and provide practical tips for incorporating intermittent fasting into your lifestyle. Whether you’re looking to lose a few pounds, reduce your risk of chronic disease, or simply improve your overall health and well-being, this post will give you all the information you need to get started on intermittent fasting. So, let’s dive in and explore the incredible benefits of intermittent fasting!
Table of contents:
What is intermittent fasting?
Intermittent fasting is a special eating pattern in which periods of eating and periods of fasting alternate.
Scientists say intermittent fasting is good for people. It triggers autophagy, the process of cell regeneration.
It has also been proven that fasting helps you lose weight, improves the health of almost all body systems and even increases life expectancy.
The 8 most popular schemes
There are many different intermittent fasting schemes. Usually, the difference lies in the duration and alternation of time intervals of hunger and food intake. It is recommended to try several options in order to choose the best one, taking into account physical and psychological tolerance. It is also advisable to consult a doctor beforehand to rule out possible contraindications.
1. Method 16/8: fast for 16 hours each day
Intermittent fasting 16/8 is a daily fast for 16 hours. During the remaining time (8 hours), you are allowed to eat any food, but it is necessary to watch the total daily caloric intake. Eating too much can nullify the benefits of the diet and lead to undesirable results (obesity).
The technique was proposed by fitness expert Martin Berhan.
The described eating regimen can be repeated any number of times a week: from 1-2 to continuous adherence. It all depends on the individual tolerance of such fasting.
The technique has these proven properties:
- Reduction of body weight.
- Normalization of plasma glucose levels.
- Reducing blood pressure.
- Prevention of atherosclerosis.
- Prevention of malignant diseases.
- Increase life expectancy.
The essence of the method is simple. It is necessary simply not to take food for about 16 hours a day. For example, you can eat anything from 12-00 to 20-00, and the rest of the time (most of which is sleep) – starve.
During fasting it is possible to take various drinks: water (including mineral), tea or coffee without sugar. Carbonated and other drinks rich in dyes and preservatives and containing sugar should be avoided.
It is important to prefer “healthy foods”: fruits and vegetables (apples, bananas, pears, peaches, oranges, broccoli, tomatoes and cucumbers, leafy greens, cauliflower), berries, grains (oats, buckwheat, rice), fats (olive and coconut oils, avocados), protein products (chicken, beef, eggs, nuts).
The 16/8 scheme is an intermittent fasting regimen in which you should fast for 16 hours a day, and the rest of the time you are allowed to take any type of food.
2. More gentle regimens: fasting for 10, 12, or 14 hours a day
The 16/8 method may be out of reach for many people because of the rather long period of not eating (16 hours). However, there is a simpler equivalent: fasting for 10, 12 or 14 hours a day.
Even a short period of fasting (10 hours) can put the body into “fat elimination” mode and facilitate significant weight loss.
Gentle schemes are ideal for beginners, as most of the time intended for fasting coincides with sleep and the feeling of discomfort (hunger) is practically not felt.
The most popular example is fasting from 7-8pm to 7-8am. Of course, as with the 16/8 diet it is necessary to limit the daily caloric intake and give preference only to natural foods.
Intermittent fasting for 10-14 hours a day is a simplified version of the 16/8 diet, which is ideal for beginners and is better tolerated by the human body.
3. 5/2 method: limit your diet to two days each week
The 5/2 diet means eating your usual food for 5 days a week. Then, for the remaining 2 days, food intake is limited to 25% of the daily requirement, which is about 500 calories for women and 600 calories for men.
Two days of fasting do not have to follow each other, any variation during the week is allowed. Specialists recommend to choose Monday and Thursday for fasting. It is believed that in this way the body adapts better to the diet.
The main advantages of the diet are:
- Prevention of atrophic pathologies of the brain, toxic effects of various substances on the nervous tissue.
- Prevention of atherosclerosis.
- Reduction of body weight.
- Prevention of type II diabetes.
- Strengthen the immune system.
- Improve the course of bronchial asthma.
In just 12 weeks of regular adherence, body weight is reduced by an average of 11 pounds, and body fat volume is reduced by 7.7 pounds. The concentration of hunger hormone (leptin) also drops by 40%, C-reactive protein almost completely disappears, and dyslipidemia is corrected.
In order to improve the safety and effectiveness of the diet, it is necessary to use only natural products and monitor the total daily energy value of the diet.
Scientists recommend that this type of interval fasting should not be eaten in its pure form, but in the form of various dishes:
- Vegetable salads. Great for: cabbage, broccoli, carrots.
- Natural yogurts with berries (strawberries, strawberries, blueberries).
- Baked or hard-boiled eggs.
- Lean meats (chicken, turkey).
- Fried fish (preferably without oil).
- Rice with cauliflower.
- Vegetable soups.
Water, tea or coffee without sugar – no restrictions.
No major studies have been conducted on the 5/2 scheme. All positive properties are based on the fact that the diet is a classic version of intermittent fasting.
The 5/2 diet involves standard eating 5 days a week and restricting the diet to 500-600 calories for the remaining 2 days.
4. Eat-Stop-Eat method: give up food for 24 hours once or twice a week
The Eat-Stop-Eat diet is one of the heaviest intermittent fasting protocols in which you must fast for 24 hours once or twice a week. The scheme was introduced by fitness expert Brad Pilon and has become extremely popular in just a few years.
For better tolerance, it is recommended not to eat anything from the dinner of the current day to the dinner of the next day. In the process of fasting it is allowed to take any non-caloric drinks (tea or coffee without sugar, regular or mineral water).
The main disadvantage of the diet is the extremely long fasting period, which is not suitable for most people, especially beginners. It is recommended to start with simpler regimens: 16/8 or 14/10.
The useful properties are almost similar to the 16/8 scheme: reduction of body weight (mainly due to fat deposits), prevention of malignant tumors, correction of lipid and cholesterol metabolism in the body, general increase in life expectancy due to suppression of chronic inflammatory processes.
The Eat-Stop-Eat scheme is a 24-hour fast several times a week. The diet is hard for unprepared people to tolerate.
5. Hunger every other day: eat for a day, starve for a day
Day by day fasting is a type of cyclical fasting, when on the first day there are no restrictions on food intake (it is desirable to give preference to natural products and observe the total recommended daily caloric value), and on the next day you should eat about 20-25% of the basic daily energy value (about 500-600 calories).
During fasting it is allowed to take any drinks that do not contain calories. The described scheme can be repeated any number of times. Food can be taken at any time of the day, it will not affect the benefits and the overall health of the human body.
The creator of the diet is a specialist in the field of health, Krista Varady. It is under her leadership that a huge number of studies have been conducted, proving the high effectiveness of this food system. Some of the main positive effects include the following:
- Reducing body weight.
- Prevention of type II diabetes and other glycemic abnormalities.
- Improvement of cardiovascular health. There are positive dynamics in such pathologies as chronic heart failure (only 1st and 2nd degree), myocardial infarction, coronary heart disease, hypertension.
- Overall increase in life expectancy.
Fasting every other day is not suitable for beginners or for people with mental problems.
Every other day fasting is an alternation of days with all kinds of food in reasonable amounts and days with restriction of daily caloric intake to 20-25% of the norm.
6. The Warrior Diet: Starve during the day, eat at night
The Warrior Diet was developed by a former member of Israel’s Special Forces, Ori Hofmekler. It was inspired by the incredible stamina of Roman legionaries, who practically fought and trained all day and ate during the evening and night hours.
The essence of the diet was fasting for 20 hours and then eating before going to bed. The qualitative and quantitative composition of food does not matter much. During fasting, small snacks are allowed (raw vegetables or fruits, tea or coffee without sugar, plain water, hard-boiled eggs).
Numerous scientific studies have noted the benefits of this type of intermittent fasting:
- Reducing body weight.
- Improvement of brain health. The diet improves the cognitive sphere (thinking, attention, memory), effective for the prevention of neurodegenerative pathologies (Pick’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease).
- Suppression of chronic inflammation, prevention of autoimmune disorders, increased longevity.
- Prevention of type II diabetes.
- Prevention of atherosclerosis.
The main disadvantages of the warrior’s diet are the long time it takes for the body to get used to a radically new way of life. Not every modern person is capable of giving up their usual food for a 20-hour period of time.
The Warrior Diet is a variant of periodic fasting in which food is consumed for only 4 hours a day.
7. FMD Diet: Eat little 5 days a month
The FMD diet (Fast Mimicking Diet or fasting diet) is a variant of intermittent fasting developed by a University of Southern California employee. The methodology has a massive evidence base.
The essence of the diet is to limit the caloric content of the diet for only 5 days per month. The composition of the diet during the period of giving up food is as follows:
- Day 1. The daily caloric content is 54% of the recommended norm (about 1090 kcal). The percentage of nutrients: protein – 10%, fat – 56%, carbohydrates – 34%.
- Day 2-5. Daily caloric intake – 34% of the recommended norm (about 725 kcal). The percentage of nutrients: protein – 9%, fat – 44%, carbohydrates – 47%.
To achieve the maximum possible positive effect, you should repeat the fast regularly. The ideal is every month.
The main benefits of the method:
- Reducing body weight.
- Prevention of type II diabetes.
- Prevention of atherosclerosis.
- Reducing the risk of autoimmune disorders. Proven effectiveness against Crohn’s disease, nonspecific ulcerative colitis, systemic lupus erythematosus and multiple sclerosis.
- Slowing down of aging and the possibility of “senile” abnormalities.
- Prevention of malignant neoplasms.
A distinctive feature of the diet is the presence of a certain list of recommended foods that do not contain gluten:
- nuts and nut bars with flax seeds, almonds, peanuts, coconut, honey, macadamia nut oil;
- algae (seaweed);
- soups (tomato, mushroom);
- herbal teas (mint, hibiscus, carcade);
- dark kinds of chocolate;
- olives;
- fresh herbs (dill, coriander, parsley, onions);
- freshly squeezed juices based on fruits and vegetables;
- whole fruits and vegetables.
It is also necessary to reduce the consumption of animal meat, bakery and confectionery products as much as possible.
The method is well tolerated and has a low frequency of side effects.
The FMD diet is a caloric restriction of the daily diet for 5 days a month. It is characterized by good tolerance.
8. Spontaneous skipping of meals
The easiest way to intermittently fast is to spontaneously skip any meal.
You can skip any meal during the day (for example, dinner on the first day, lunch on the second day, etc.).
Partially skipping meals also reduces the daily caloric content of the diet, which at least has a positive effect on body weight.
It is recommended to skip meals when there is no particular craving for food due to various reasons.
The diet is perfectly tolerated and has almost no contraindications (exceptions – pregnancy, breastfeeding, diseases of the digestive system with lesions of the mucous membranes). This particular option is ideal for beginners.
Giving up any food intake during the day is the easiest way of short-term fasting. It has a favorable effect on body weight and is well tolerated.
Are all methods safe?
It is necessary to understand that starvation is always a stressful situation for the body. And stress is not always safe. Therefore, all diets have a certain range of contraindications:
- Low body weight (BMI less than 18.5).
- Active tuberculosis of any organ.
- Diabetes mellitus type I (caused by direct damage to the islet apparatus of the pancreas).
- Thyroid gland pathology and hyperthyroid background.
- AV blockade of II and III degree. Tachysystole forms of arrhythmias.
- Chronic renal, hepatic or cardiac (grade 2b-3) failure.
- History of thrombophlebitis or “critical” thromboembolic complications.
- Arterial hypotension.
- Gastritis. Peptic ulcer of the stomach and duodenum. Gallstone disease.
- Age less than 14 or older than 75 years of age.
The FMD diet has the least list of contraindications. Therefore, it is the safest for the human body. The 16/8 or 14/10 intermittent fasting options are also excellent for beginners. The usual skipping of meals is also well tolerated.
At starvation it is possible to develop the side effects caused by low caloric content of food and deficiency of nutrients:
- weakness;
- decreased physical and mental performance;
- dizziness and fainting.
If unwanted reactions develop, it is necessary to temporarily abandon the fasting regimen and consult a doctor.
Besides, according to research data, periodic fasting is less useful for women than for men. This is due to the peculiarities of the female body. For women, more gentle fasting schemes are suitable.
Thus, intermittent fasting has contraindications, and there is a probability of developing side effects. It is recommended to consult a doctor beforehand. Only a specialist can competently assess the state of health and make a decision regarding the appropriateness of this or that variant of the diet.
General tips
Regardless of the chosen scheme, you need to follow a number of simple rules to increase the results:
- Take into account the caloric content of the diet. With any type of fasting, the amount of calories consumed per day should not be higher than recommended.
- Drinking enough water. Never limit your water intake. Reject “dry” fasting techniques.
- Lift your spirits. When you are extremely hungry, try to cheer yourself up and distract yourself (go to the movies, take a walk in the park, etc.).
- Focus on satiation. Foods should be eaten that are low in calories, but cause a quick feeling of filling the stomach (raw fruits and vegetables, grapes, melon, popcorn).
- Use of spices. They will allow you to give any dish a more pleasant taste and better satisfy your hunger. Great for: spices, vinegar, herbs and garlic in any form.
- Maintain a balanced diet. The human body should get enough vitamins, macro- and microelements and fiber to support its vital functions. A balanced diet is the basis of a healthy lifestyle!
Following the simple rules of fasting can increase the benefits and reduce the risk of side effects and complications from a poor diet.
Conclusion
- Thus, there are many ways to intermittent fasting. Some are suitable for beginners, others only for experienced ones.
- Each option differs in the method of adherence, spectrum of useful properties and contraindications.
- It is recommended to try different types and choose the most suitable, taking into account psychological and physical tolerance.
- Regardless of the methodology, it is necessary to emphasize safety. It is extremely important to consult a doctor beforehand to exclude possible contraindications; to react competently to the appearance of side effects, to choose only natural and quality foods.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT INTERMITTENT FASTING
Can I drink fluids while fasting?
Yes. Water, coffee, tea and other non-caloric drinks will do. Do not add sugar to coffee. Small amounts of milk or cream are acceptable.
Coffee can be especially helpful during a fast because it satisfies hunger.
Is not eating breakfast unhealthy?
No. The problem is that most stereotypical breakfast skippers lead unhealthy lifestyles. If you follow a healthy diet for the rest of the day, then the practice will be perfectly healthy.
Can I take supplements while fasting?
Yes. However, keep in mind that some supplements, such as fat-soluble vitamins, may work better if taken with meals.
Can I exercise while fasting?
Yes, working out on an empty stomach is okay. Some people recommend taking branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs) before working out on an empty stomach.
Will starvation cause loss of muscle mass?
All weight loss methods can cause loss of muscle mass, so it is important to lift weights and keep your protein intake high. One study showed that intermittent starvation causes less loss of muscle mass than regular calorie restriction.
Will fasting slow down my metabolism?
No. Studies show that short-term starvation does speed up your metabolism. However, longer fasting for 3 or more days can suppress your metabolism.
Is intermittent fasting okay for children?
Allowing your child to intermittent fasting is a bad idea.
Intermittent fasting was a game changer for me. The discipline of restricting food intake not only helped me manage my excess weight, but also improved my overall energy levels and mental clarity. It is a flexible approach that can be adapted to different lifestyles. However, before starting any fasting regimen, you should consult with a health care professional to make sure it is safe for your individual needs.