What happens to your body when you are fast

It may seem harmful to limit your food body, but it's actually part of human nature - and comes with some advantages.


Nutritionists love the idea ofintermittent fast. The power exploits the natural biology of humans to lose weight and improve overall health. In rapid intermittent, you will have an 8 or 12 hour window where you can eat what you like throughout the day, then you're fast for a night from 12 to 16 hours. Because this pattern of eating is more a lifestyle change than a diet, you should know what happens when you're fast before trying it.

As we mentioned, intermittent fasting is nottechnically a diet. This will actually back to our ancestral roots. Experts ask that humans may have evolved too rapidly for our current eating habits.

"Food was scarce for our ancestors hunter-gatherers and their body has adapted to go for long periods between eating," saysDanielle Schaub, Ms, rd, cdn, A registered dietitian at New York-Presbyterian / Weill Cornell Medical Center. "Although we have almost unlimited access to food now, our bodies are not supposed to be in a constant state and digestive agoMany good things that happen in a fasting state. "

What are some of these good things? We asked Schaub and other registered dietitians for the bottom of what happens when you're fast.

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Your metabolism speeds

"Short-term fasting canIncrease metabolic rate. This is because the levels of [the hormone] norepinephrine increase during fast, "saysErin Palinski-Wade, Rd, cde, author ofBelly fat diet for dummies.

Since the metabolism is the rate at which your body burns calories - and thatthe rate is mainly determinedUnfortunately, your unique composition, being able to hit your metabolism into high speed through fasting may allow you to burn more calories.

Just be aware of the length of your speed, however. Palinski-Wade said that fasting up to 48 hours can increase metabolism, but prolonged fasting longer than that may reverse the impact on your metabolism as your body tells to conserve energy and prevent starvation.

You burn more fat

On a normal diet that includes carbohydrates, your body usually will burn glucose these carbohydrates instead of burning fat, butCynthia Thurlow, A specialized nurse practitioner in fasting and nutrition indicates that this is not the best way.

"While fasting, your body has the ability to use fat stores for energy, a process reported by lowered insulin levels," she said. "It's a good thing. It's incredibly effective and that's how our bodies are designed to work."

If you've ever wondered why it matters if you burn glucose compared to fat (calories are calories, is not it?) That's because it's becauseThe remains of glucose burned for energy are stored as fat cells. In time, hecould lead to weight gain or other health problems.

Your digestive function improves

Give your digestive system a rest he needs to do his job? If you frequently mangeez during a day of 16 or 18 hours, can not be.

"Digestion is the most taxed system of our body ... It takes a lot of work!" says nutrition coachMegan koberRDN. "When you allow your digestive system to rest, your body can get to work on the decomposition not only fat cells, but also unwanted immune cells in the body."

Due to the degradation of the cell made possible by the fast, Kober said that it is the most effective way to detoxify. Yes, even more than anyoneJuice cleans or expensive supplements that are questionable promises the elimination of "toxins".

You might lose weight

Be honest: you are considering doing intermittent fasting because you want to lose weight. Hey, we've all been there! Fortunately, there is amany emerging research on fasting This suggests that it could be a health way to lose weight, reducing calories.

According to Palinski-Wade, fasting favors not only a calorie deficiency, but also increases your metabolism (which we have already told you!). But it's a real punch to lose weight.

Two recent opinions 2019 on studies, one ofCurrent obesity reports and one ofNutrients, found that intermittent fasting (or restricted time) resulted in similar results in clinical trials as its more traditional calorie counterpart.

There is of course a warning. "Some people earn weight in fasting, but it's usually related to their food choices," says Thurlow. "Think about a highly transformed and standard American diet with a dense nutrient feed-oriented, healthy fat and appropriate carbohydrates."

So go ahead and I'm fast, but you always focus onclean and clean healthy eating For the best results.

Fasting shrinks your body

Thanks to our ancestors of hunter-pickers, our bodies are made for an intermittent fast. But thanks to our mode of modern consumption, our bodies have totally forgot this fact. If we rebuild our body to adapt to the periodic fast - or improve the change of a carbohydrate combustion and grease engraving, such as Schaub, we can reap serious benefits, includingweightloss.

Thurlow, accepts: "lower insulin levels that occur with fasting make it possible to better have better cognition and mental clarity, as well as pressing something called autophagy, which looks like neat and disordered cells . "

You maintain muscle mass

To tryBuild muscle and lose weight? The traditional diet could make it difficult to accomplish. Kober says that fasting has been more effective in preserving lean muscle mass than calorie restrictions. In addition, muscle mass is directly correlated at the metabolic rate. This means more you have lean muscle, the more calories are burning at rest.

"Losing weight via fasting compared to weight loss via the calorie restriction means that you will be more likely to lose real fat, not fat mass and muscle mass," says Kober. "This leads to a more desirable body composition and at a higher metabolic rest (which is a fancy term to burn more calories while sitting on the sofa doing nothing)."

You eat less overall

In general, practicing an intermittent fast means that you do not have calories (youcanbut it's not necessary). Why? Because there is only so much food that most people can eat in a limited time, so that counting - or calorie restriction is not necessary.

"Limiting calories to a certain restoration window helps reduce global intake, contributing more to weight loss," says Schaub.

Basically, if you listen to hunger signals, your body will tell you how many calories you need. But you should always be aware here: "You must carefully plan your fasts," says Palinski-Wade. "If an excessive hunger after a quick leads to the consumption of the frenzy, you will end up eating more calories and gaining weight."

Your insulin lowers

Schaub offers a quick biology lesson: Once you eat, carbohydrates are dildoing in sugars, then these sugars come into your blood and trigger insulin release. The work of insulin is to move the sugar from the blood circulation to your cells. But insulintoo blocks adipose cells From liberated fat, which means that your body can not burn fat when insulin levels are high. It is only when the sugar is relocated in the cells that insulin levels fall again.

Take away? "The body is only able to release fat to burn when insulin levels are low, which occurs when you have not eaten a few hours," says Schaub. "If you stick frequently, your body is simply not capable of burning fat." Instead, count on some filling meals a day, like these19 high protein breakfasts that hold you fully.


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