Intermittent fasting is a practice that involves alternating periods in which food is consumed with periods in which no food is consumed at all or caloric intake is significantly reduced. This practice has gained popularity in recent years due to its potential health benefits.
Health benefits of intermittent fasting:
- Weight loss: Intermittent fasting can help reduce calorie intake and increase fat burning, which can lead to weight loss in some people.
- Improved metabolic health: Intermittent fasting can help improve insulin sensitivity and regulate blood sugar levels, which may be beneficial for people with type 2 diabetes or insulin resistance.
- Improved brain function: Some studies have suggested that intermittent fasting may improve brain function, including concentration, focus and memory.
- Reduced oxidative stress and inflammation: Intermittent fasting can help reduce oxidative stress and inflammation in the body, which may have positive effects on cardiovascular health and chronic disease prevention.
Types of fasting
- Daily fasting with a time restriction: Daily fasting, also known as “window feeding”, involves limiting feeding time to a specific period of the day and fasting during the rest of the time. There are fasts from twelve hours however, the most common are as follows:
- 16-8: 16 hours fasting and an 8-hour feeding window.
- 18-6: 18 hours fasting and a 6-hour feeding window.
- During the feeding window, you can eat normally.
- Alternate-day fasting: Alternate-day fasting involves alternating days when you eat food normally with days when you fast or consume few calories. On fasting days, it is recommended to consume only 25% of your normal calories. For example, if you normally consume 2,000 calories a day, on fasting days you would only consume 500 calories.
- Alternate day: every other day 24-hour fast or low-calorie fast.
- 5:2 Two days of the week of fasting or very low-calorie diet, they do not have to be consecutive.
- Prolonged fasting: Prolonged fasting involves fasting for more than 24 hours. This type of fasting should be supervised by a health professional and should only be done by healthy people with no health problems.
- Weekly 1-day fasting: Once a week a 24-hour fast is performed, the diet is only with water 1 day a week and the other 6 days of the week you can eat regularly.
Recommendations
Consult a health professional: Before starting any type of intermittent fasting, it is important to consult a health professional to make sure it is safe for you and will not negatively affect your health.
Start gradually: If you are new to intermittent fasting, it is advisable to start with a daily 12-hour fast and gradually increase the fasting time. Choose the right type of fasting for you It is important to choose the type of fasting that best suits your lifestyle and nutritional needs.
Hydrate adequately: During periods of fasting, it is important to stay hydrated by drinking enough water, tea or coffee without sugar or milk.
Healthy eating: During feeding periods, it is important to consume healthy and nutritious foods to obtain the nutrients necessary to maintain good health.
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