Intermittent fasting- Practicing the healthy
Our human body is the magnificent creation in the world. Either we were created by the gods or are the result of the complex evolution of millions of years, one fact is certain that the human mind and the human body is unlike anything in the world. The human mind can create miracles that let them travel to the moon, depths of the ocean, peaks of the mountain. Humans had accomplished many things that if seen logically would have been impossible. This article well focus on Intermittent fasting and its type to live the healthy life.
We have the most magnificent thing in the world and one thing is certain we need to take care of ourselves. The body that is most unique in this world needs the greatest and most amazing care that is possible. There are many ways to care for the body some related to exercise, some related to diet, some related to certain practices and habits. Many amazing things can be done to get the body on the healthy track where it can perform with maximum efficiency and achieve its highest potential. Among the healthy habit and healthy practices of the body is intermittent fasting.
Fasting
Fasting is the process of skipping a meal or any kind of food intake for a specific amount of time. There are many types of fasting and fasting is done for various purposes. To be fair, this standard definition of fasting does not fit into all the types of fasting. However, what may be the type and method of fasting the bottom line is controlling the intake of the meal and food items. Fasting is performed in Hinduism and Buddhism. These two religions practiced fasting for thousands of years.
Fasting may be seen as the simple process of stopping the intake of food. However, it is much more complex than that and is backed by the findings of science and research.
The practice of fasting exists in the animal kingdom also and is much more common than what we imagine. In the hunting and gathering life of the humans, food was not guaranteed every day. Sometimes one must go for days without a proper meal. For this very reason, humans had evolved in the past to be even able to fast for days without a problem. However, due to the introduction of farming them industrialization food is now abundant to many humans. Now some humans even have 3 to 5 meals a day. However, the ability to fast is still with us and sometimes we need to practice it to gain multiple benefits.
Fasting and religion
Fasting in the Hindu community is more associated with God and deities rather than the science and logic behind it. Looking back thousands of years, fasting was created to rip the health benefits and maintain healthy habits. However, in the years, fasting has become more associated with religion and worshipping, covering the science and logic behind the practice of fasting.
There are many festivals and occasions that are associated with fasting in the Hindu community. The days of the weeks are associated with certain deities and people on the weekly basis take the fasting on the same day to get the benefits of fasting and please the deity. In the months of Ashar, every Monday women fast worshipping Mahadev. Also, during the Ekadashi of chaturmasha, the worshippers worship Laxmi and Narayan then take the fast in their name. Among all the fasting occasions, the most famous may be the Teej festivals where the Hindu women take the fasting on this day to get the boon of the long life and prosperity of their husbands along with their family members.
There are many occasions of fasting and the fasting differs along with the rituals. In ekchaki fasting one can eat a meal one time a day, in the Ekadashi fasting, there is the prohibition of eating food rice, and wheat while one can eat fruits and other vegetables, while in the Teej and Chaat fasting people even avoid drinking the water. The fasting of the Teej is the most sacred and difficult fasting of all.
Intermittent fasting
There are many types of fasting as we discussed above. Fasting may be associated with religion however it is also true that fasting is associated with the right way of living and practicing a healthy lifestyle. Based on needs and health benefits fasting has been classified into many types. Some follow the standard definition of fasting while some are so diverse that for the common eye, they can be hardly called fasting. Among those many types, there is intermittent fasting.
Intermittent fasting is the unique eating pattern between fasting and eating which cycles between those two actions. The practice of intermittent fasting has become the trend of the modern world. People are increasingly are adopting the practice of intermittent fasting. It is also sometimes said as an intermittent energy restriction.
What happens in Intermittent fasting is that there are few unique eating patterns at certain time differences and one practices it. There are quite a few of those patterns and one can adopt them as they like. The question here is which to pick if you are a beginner. Some of the fasting patterns have a long gap between the eating and the fasting cycle so the beginner needs to avoid the type with the long cycle in intermittent fasting. If one has a link with someone who specializes in intermittent fasting then it is the best case as they can give the best type judging your current level and ability.
Types of intermittent fasting:
16-8 intermittent fasting
16-8 is a popular type of intermittent fasting. What happens in this type of intermittent fasting is that you make the routine on which hours of the day you can eat. Here on the 16 hours of the day you fast completely or partly depending on your ability while on the 8 hours of the day you can have meals and healthy diets as you desire.
In this intermittent fasting, one can make the schedule as he or she likes. The rule is simple in the 8-hour window one can eat after that for the next 16 hours eating is prohibited. For example, if you have the last meal of the 8-hour window at 7 pm then you can only have the next meal at 11 am the next day. The best schedule one can have is to have the last meal late in the evening and use nighttime as the 16-hour fasting period. This is best as many do not need food at night time. However, this may be difficult for those who have the habit of having heavy breakfast in the morning.
5:2 intermittent fasting
This type of intermittent fasting is also known as the fast diet. This fasting becomes popular after the involvement of the British journalist Michael Mosley. What happens in this intermittent fasting is your fast according to the days of the week. As the name itself suggests 5:2, the fasting ratio is 5 and 2. The 5 days of the week are normal and one has the normal diet as they used to have before practicing fasting or as they need. However, on the two days of the week, they practice fasting. It is not like to completely avoid the food it is more like restricting the diet. The rule of fasting day of 5:2 intermittent fasting is women can have up to 500 calories and men can have up to 5:2 intermittent fasting.
In 5:2 intermittent fasting, one can choose the day as they like. The day can be simultaneous if they desired so. However, two days continuously can make a body weak if you are a beginner. So, if you are a beginner then choose the days far apart from each other as the gap days make it easy to practice it.
Alternate day fasting
Alternate day fasting or intermittent fasting is a very advanced type of fasting. So, if you are a beginner who is entering into the world of fasting then alternate day intermittent fasting is not for you. As the name itself suggests alternate day fasting where one fasts every alternate day. One day is normal where you have the diet that you used to have before starting fasting, then after the day, you fast. Then the next day is when you can again have the normal diet then the next day you again must fast. This goes and goes on forever. Due to this, it is considered a very high level of fasting and not everyone can do it as it is very difficult.
In alternate day intermittent fasting there are also some rules where one can limit the calorie intake per day in the fasting days. It is for the best as to completely fast on alternate days can sometimes be very difficult even for the people who had practiced fasting for a long time. There are some versions of this fasting method, this also mainly depends upon who is the teacher and where from you are learning this method. Some allow their students to have daily 500 to 300 calories on the day of the fasting. Saying all this also it is dangerous to practice this type of fasting for beginners.
Warrior diet intermittent fasting
This is also an advanced form of fasting which many peoples may not be able to perform. In a warrior diet, intermittent fasting one eats small meals with low calories like fruits vegetables in small amounts in the day. Then at the night, they can have a huge meal. This fast becomes hard if one has very hard during day time as much energy is needed for physical work.
Eat stop eat or 24 hours intermittent fasting
It is also a very unique type of intermittent fasting. In this type of fasting, one fast for 24 hours straight without having any meal. This fasting is done once or twice a week by the one who practices it. For example, if you eat your meal at morning 8 am sharp and start the eat stop intermittent fasting then, you will have to skip the meal for net 24 hours. You can now again eat food the next day at 8 am. It is not necessary that your last meal before the fasting must be in the morning.
You can make any meal of the day your last meal before the fasting, there is no rule which says that you need to start the fast at a specific time. If you complete 24 hours fasting from the last meal you had then you eat stop eat intermittent fasting is complete. This fasting is averagely done once a week or twice if you are doing extreme fasting. More than twice a week of eat stop eat intermittent fasting is not suggested as it may deplete the vital energy that the body needs to run efficiently.
Advantages of intermittent fasting
- Intermittent fasting got the popularity after it was found that it helped to lose weight. This got more attention as more and more people are facing the problem of being overweight.
- Intermittent fasting help to reset the digestive system of the body. Sometimes due to unhealthy food schedule hampers the right and efficient processing of the digestive system of the body. Intermittent fasting occasionally resets the digestive system and helps the body to move on the right track.
- Unbalanced cholesterol is a huge problem in today’s world. This problem is even higher among the individual who is overweight and the people who are past their prime age. Intermittent fasting also helps to balance the cholesterol amount in the body.
- People due to tension and stress are unable to have the proper good night’s sleep. Sleep is very vital in maintaining a normal and healthy life as it is the thing that replenishes the energy in the body and gives it proper resting and recovering time. Intermittent fasting helps the body to get a better night’s sleep.
- People get through a lot to maintain their blood pressure. Disturbed blood pressure even can be life-threatening and severely hitting the organs. Intermittent fasting also aids in maintaining the right blood pressure.