Good Lifestyle

Intermittent fasting is a type of diet that has become popular in recent years. In it, the person intersperses meals with often long, fasting periods, aiming to reach the metabolic state of ketosis, in which the body uses fat as energy instead of glucose.

Since 2013, intermittent fasting has been widely adopted, with the release of the book “The Diet of the 2 Days”, by doctor Michael Mosley. In his work, the British presented method 5: 2, in which the person could normally eat for five days a week and make a "semi-jam" in the other two. According to Mosley, during these fasting days, women could consume up to 600 calories, and men, 500 calories. In the five days of food, the person could not overdo it, but to eat normally.

Nowadays, this is just one of the intermittent fasting methods that exist, being considered one of the most radical. Other types of intermittent fasting are:

• Restricted feed for time: One of the most popular approaches in intermittent fasting, time restricted for time, as the name suggests, requires that the person eats a specific time window (usually 8 hours) and fast for the remaining period (16 hours).
• Fasting alternate days: Another method of intermittent fasting is alternate days, which can also be considered radical. In it, you alternate between normal feeding days and restricted diet days, consuming up to about 500 calories daily. The amount of calories you eat on fasting days can vary depending on how radical your diet is.
• Eat, stop, eat: In this intermittent fasting approach, you choose a week or two of the week to fast for 24 hours. On other days, you can eat normally to achieve your caloric needs.

There are other variations with different periods of fasting and feeding windows. Depending on your lifestyle and caloric needs, these patterns can be changed. During full fasting periods, it is possible to eat non -caloric beverages such as water, tea and sugar without sugar.

After fasting, a balanced meal is recommended, with vegetables, vegetables or fruits, proteins and carbohydrates. During the feed window, it is important to focus on consuming foods with high nutritional value, including whole grains, lean protein sources and essential fat sources such as seeds, oilseeds and fish.

Intermittent fasting does it work?

In the aspect of weight loss, intermittent fasting is not much different from other diets, and those who remain consistent often lose weight. Changes that occur when we fast, such as the reduction of blood insulin, can contribute to this goal. However, results may depend on the type of intermittent fasting chosen and their consumption during feeding windows - for example, if you eat exaggerated during feeding periods, fasting may be no use for weight loss.

Additionally, fasting is a difficult practice for some people, and there is common dropouts at first. In such cases, as soon as the person stops fasting, the lost weight can return and end up affecting the effectiveness of the diet.

In addition to the benefits of weight loss for overweight or obese people, such as a reduction in the risk of diabetes and sleep apnea, research suggests that intermittent fasting may be more beneficial than other diets to reduce inflammation and conditions linked to it.

It is noteworthy that although intermittent fasting is safe for many people, it is not recommended for everyone. If you have a health problem, such as diabetes, gastrointestinal reflux or kidney problems, it is recommended to consult a doctor before you start. Pregnant or breastfeeding women should also consider other options before starting an intermittent fasting diet.