Does intermittent fasting work? | HuffPost

For years, we were told that it was important to have breakfast in the hour following wake up, boost our metabolism and start the day well. But a more recent trend, intermittent fasting, casts this wisdom out the window. The technique involves restricting your diet at fixed times and switching between feasts and fasts.

"Intermittent fasting allows the body to have an extended rest period without caloric intake," says Adam Perlman, an internist at the Duke Center for Integrated Medicine in Durham, North Carolina.

Supporters of intermittent fasting say that it is less a diet than a lifestyle. "What sets intermittent fasting apart from the diet is that you regulate when you eat, not what you eat," said Dr. Luiza Petre, a cardiologist and weight management specialist who follows the principles of diet. even. However, she said, limiting your window to eating "does not give you an excuse to eat excessively, especially on unhealthy foods, when you do not fast because you will not see the benefits."

So, what are the benefits? practice? And should you do it? We had the breakdown of the experts. Here's what you need to know:

There are various ways to incorporate intermittent fasting into one's daily routine. Here are some of the most popular techniques.

The 16: 8 Method: This structure involves eating your meals in an eight-hour window and giving your body a break for the next 16 hours. "You are asleep during the majority of the fasting period, which makes it a medium difficulty compared to other variations," Petre told HuffPost in an e-mail. "16: 8 is also the most common way of intermittent fasting and has attracted the attention of the media."

The 5: 2 Diet: Also known as "Fast Diet", intermittent fasting type includes two non-consecutive days of a strict 500 calorie diet and five days of normal and healthy food. "This method corresponds to the profile of people who have busy family lives or social commitments that would prevent them from following a daily diet," said Mr. Petre. A caveat, by Perlman, is that this "diet program" can have an impact on a person's sleep, mood, and energy level. "

Alternate Day Fasting: This, according to Petre, becomes popular way to start weight loss. The practice involves fasting every other day, but eat what you want on the days without fasting. People who follow this trend usually eat 500 calories during their fasting days and do not count the calories of other days.

A study published last year in JAMA Internal Medicine concludes that this method of fasting ] has not been shown to be more effective than a low calorie diet. "It is the least durable of all fasting methods in [the] long-term and is associated with more eating during days without fasting," said Petre.

Eat Stop Eat: This method involves consuming only non-caloric beverages for 24 full hours, one to two times a week. So, for example, if your fast day was going to be Tuesday, you would stop eating after finishing a meal on Monday and eat nothing else before the same meal the next day

According to Perlman, the potential benefits of intermittent fasting include weight loss and increased muscle mass. "During the state of fasting, the body burns more fat stored for energy," he said. Intermittent fasting can also improve metabolism, he says, allowing you to use food more efficiently for energy.

"Research has also shown that intermittent fasting has effects on intestinal flora – effects on metabolism," said Perlman. He added that there could be positive effects on insulin sensitivity and various hormones in the body, which can result in such effects as a decrease in appetite and improved energy levels.

"My whole body seems more effective", says Jazmine Giovanni, a Los Angeles-based writer of his experience with intermittent fasting. "With digestion limited to these few hours, the energy reserves of my body are concentrated elsewhere the rest of the time, which speeds healing and healing. I am more focused and I have more pep. "

Studies have shown that intermittent fasting can decrease inflammation in the body and improve blood pressure and heart rate ] It also It has been claimed that intermittent fasting can lead to an improvement in brain function and a decrease in the risk of cancer and Alzheimer's, but these claims are less supported by evidence, said Perlman

Erin Wathen, Addiction Counselor and Author of Why Can not Stick to My Diet says that in general, practice is a great way to give pause to your digestive system. Reduces the number of occasions we eat, so that our body does not constantly have to process food, "she said." It's a huge benefit for our GI pathway. " , our control of appetite, our sleep and m even our teeth, which will help us reduce the frequency with which we ask our bodies to metabolize food. "

At the highest level Basic, intermittent fasting can be difficult for your schedule. Fitness and Nutrition Trainer Ivana Chapman warns that people may have difficulty integrating intermittent fasting into their social life, for example. If your friends want to dine at 7:00 pm but your last meal has to be done before 6:00 pm, that could be a problem

And when people break the fast, they often do too much. "The larger meals can be harder on the digestive system and can trigger acid reflux in sensitive individuals," Chapman said.

Lisa Cooper a dietitian from Orlando Health, noted that fasting some initial side effects, such as "increased hunger, hypoglycemia, headache, irritability, hypoglycemia / hypoglycemia , dizziness, lightheadedness, tiredness, nausea and tiredness. "

And the practice may be

" Some women, especially those who are already lean and who are active, may experience hormonal problems if they reduce their caloric intake and intermittent fasting for whole days, or just too often, "said Josh Ax, clinical nutritionist and author of The Real Food Diet Cookbook [19659032Thesewomencanbenefitfromintermittentfastingonlyafewdaysaweekratherthaneverydayandpayingcloseattentiontohowtheirbodiesrespondstressedthatpregnantandlactatingwomenshouldavoidintermittentfastingsomediagnosesthatrequirecaloriesorthatdeterminethetimingofthemealsuchasthosewithdiabeteshypoglycemiaorunderweightshouldavoidfastingaswellaspeoplewhoneedtotakemedication
Lisa Cooper, dietician of Orlando Health

Cooper said that fasting would not be appropriate in the circumstances where people need extra calories or nutrients for growth and development, like during childhood or adolescence, or when they are breastfeeding. "People with certain diagnoses that need calories or meals, such as people with diabetes, low blood sugar or underweight, should avoid fasting, as well as people who need food to take medicine.

And anyone with a history of eating disorders should give up the practice. Perlman said that for people with such a history, any type of diet or dietary restriction program could put more emphasis on food and exacerbate an already difficult or even unhealthy relationship with others. his diet.

Anorexia and Bulimia, "can lead to malnutrition, which has various negative effects on the hormonal balance and metabolism of someone." Intermittent fasting can aggravate these problems if someone is already malnourished and has trouble producing enough hormones

. Fasting can basically worsen all types of symptoms associated with eating disorders, especially if someone is already underweight or very active, "says Ax.

What you need to know before to try it

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Many experts support the practice of intermittent fasting, as long as it is performed correctly and safely. This means in part continuing to adhere to a healthy eating plan, no matter when you consume your calories.

"I have seen some people go to the sea with food during their window of nutrition," said Sunny Brigham, an board of directors. certified clinical and integrative nutritionist in Texas. He insisted that the goal is to maintain a good amount of calories for your body, not to "bounce back".

If intermittent fasting is incorporated, it must be included in a healthy and balanced diet Cooper Cooper said: "If intermittent fasting is incorporated, it should be included as part of a healthy and balanced diet and of a lifestyle change, and this, under the supervision of a health care provider
.