By Munira Rahat
Whilst the Internet, TV and other entertainment available 24/7, many adults and children stay awake for longer hours to watch TV, scroll through the social media, play games and chat online. This can mean sitting and snacking all day and most of the night.
This lifestyle results in extra calories taken with less activity which can also mean higher risk of obesity, Type 2 diabetes, heart diseases and other illnesses. Scientific studies are showing that intermittent fasting may help reverse these trends.
Intermittent fasting is currently one of the world’s most popular health and fitness trends.
What is intermittent fasting?
Many of the diets focus on ‘what’ to eat, but intermittent fasting focuses on ‘when’ to eat. Intermittent fasting is an eating plan that switches between fasting and eating on a regular schedule. With intermittent fasting, you only eat during a specific time. Abstaining from food for a number of hours each day or eating just one meal a couple of days a week may have certain health benefits. However, water and zero calorie drinks are allowed during intermittent fast which does not result in raising the insulin levels.
How does intermittent fasting work?
The concept of losing or maintaining healthy weight with intermittent fasting is all about ‘metabolic switching’.
There are different ways of doing intermittent fasting, but they all are based on choosing regular time periods to eat and fast. For instance, a person might try eating during an eight-hour period each day and fast for the remainder of sixteen hours (16:8). Or they might choose to eat only One Meal A Day for two days a week, popularly known as ‘’OMAD’’.
After hours without food (fasting period), the body exhausts its sugar stores and starts burning fat. Intermittent fasting works by prolonging the fasting period in which your body is burning through calories consumed during your last meal and begins burning fat.
Changes inside the body
During the fasting period (ketosis), the body goes to its fat stores for energy and fatty acids called ketones, which are released in blood stream.
As your body breaks down fat, these ketones are released from liver and are used as fuel to drive the body’s metabolism and to support muscle function. The body typically needs ketones when insulin levels are low.
Every living body possesses the capability of switching from sugar to ketones for fuel. For most people producing small amount of ketone bodies is safe and can even be desirable by the body. Ketones act like antioxidants which help in energy production, protection and regeneration of the nervous system, prevent muscle mass, improve the quality of life and also help prevent cancer.
However, even in ketosis, dietary fat is burned first and after that body fat. The body does not automatically lose weight by being in ketosis (fasting) state. Calorie deficit is still required so the metabolism runs out of dietary fat and starts running on stored body fat.
Benefits and side effects of intermittent fasting
The body does adapt to such lifestyle changes very quickly. Starting with intermittent fasting routine may result initially in a difficult sleep at night, as one may feel famished or thirsty. But as the body adapts to eat – fast routine, it results in the following benefits:
Weight loss
- Weight loss
- A lower risk of Type 2 diabetes
- Blood pressure control
- Reduced digestive issues
- Limit social eating
- Improved heart health
- Improved brain health
- Reduced risk of cancer
- No calories counting
Though intermittent fasting is generally considered safe, studies show that it may result in side effects, including hunger and cravings, constipation, irritability, headaches, and bad breath. It is always better to check with a health practitioner first, ensure it is safe and appropriate choice for you.
Is intermittent fasting safe?
Some people try intermittent fasting for weight management and others use the method to address chronic conditions such as irritable bowel syndrome, high cholesterol or arthritis. But intermittent fasting isn’t for everyone.
The following people should steer clear of trying intermittent fasting as they need sufficient calories on a daily basis for proper development;
- Children and teens under the age of 18
- Pregnant or breastfeeding women
- Underweight persons
- People struggling with weight gain
- People with Type 1 diabetes
- People with a history of disordered eating
Ramadan fasting
Ramadan fasting is same as intermittent fasting but with a spiritual dimension indicating a range of benefits for e.g. reduced oxidative stress, preserved learning and memory functioning. Fasts in Ramadan also knowns as ‘dry fast’ (as compared to intermittent fasting) can also help boost immune system, reduce cholesterol and promote weight loss. Abstaining from food for long periods of time can cause the body to use energy from different sources.
Consideration should be given to the food choices made at the time and after opening the fast. Unhealthy food choices will reverse all the benefits attained during fasting without any weight loss.
Studies shows that it is common for people to regain weight lost during Ramadan fasting after returning to their normal eating habits, i.e. if they are not healthy. Also the dehydration caused during the dry fasts reverses when people are drawn back to their normal routines.
However, the popularity of applying intermittent fasting has increased as more and more people are trying to avoid or alleviate obesity and metabolic diseases. Intermittent fasting is more beneficial in reducing weight without affecting lean mass compared to other fad diets and effectively improving insulin resistance and blood lipid conditions of the body.
The writer is a IFA certified Fitness Instructor and Nutrition Therapist
