Intermittent fasting

Intermittent fasting or Intermittent fasting is a new trend among eating habits and diets. This article aims to provide information about what intermittent fasting is, how it works and what it does for the human organism.

What is intermittent fasting?

The word "intermittere" comes from Latin and means to suspend or interrupt. As the name suggests, intermittent fasting means fasting in phases. Eating is only allowed at certain times or on certain days.

The rest of the time the body fasts. Intermittent fasting is not unusual, because it is the feeding rhythm of our ancestors. Our ancestors were used to fasting for long periods after each meal. Constant eating is a phenomenon of modern times and our affluent society.

And it has been shown to lead to diseases of the cardiovascular system and other degenerative diseases. Thus, intermittent fasting can protect the body and improve health. Because fasting days relieve the whole organism.

How does intermittent fasting work?

As long as the human body is busy digesting food, this is its top priority. All other tasks are postponed. As long as there is food in the gastrointestinal tract, the body has no time to do other important tasks. One of these is autophagy.

In this process, the body destroys damaged and unusable cells and cell parts. He cleans up inside. Failure to do so can sooner or later lead to cancer or other diseases such as diabetes or heart and circulatory diseases. However, autophagy only takes place in the body when the body is not busy with digestion, but rather gains energy from its own cells.

With intermittent fasting, the body benefits from the advantages of fasting without completely giving up food for a long time. Due to the rhythm of part-time fasting, the body is forced to use its energy reserves. In the long term, this has a positive effect on the whole body.

The four most common variants

There are different variants of intermittent fasting. This post introduces the four most common methods: the 16: 8 method, the 36:12 method, the 20: 4 method, and the 5: 2 method.

The 16: 8 method:

This method, also known as leangains, fasts 16 hours a day. Eating is permitted for the remaining eight hours. This method is particularly suitable for people who do not have breakfast from home. With this method, it is advisable to skip breakfast and only have lunch and dinner. For example, anyone who is at noon must have had dinner by 8 p.m. at the latest. That makes the method socially acceptable. Because nothing stands in the way of dining with friends, colleagues or family. If you know that there will be a later dinner, you only have to postpone lunch a bit.

The 20: 4 method:

This method also became known as "The Warrior Diet". It also divides the day into a window for meals and a fasting period. Eating is allowed in a 4-hour window. The remaining 20 hours are fasted. Due to the 4-hour time window, the method is harder than the 16: 8 variant. The time window in which you can eat can be freely selected. However, it has proven useful to put it in the early evening hours.

The 18: 6 method:

As an alternative and compromise between the 16: 8 and the 20: 4 method, the 18: 6 method can still be used. You can eat in a time window of 6 hours and fast for 18 hours. For example, it is advisable to forego breakfast and only eat lunch from 12 p.m. and then dinner shortly before 6 p.m. Those interested in intermittent fasting should try all methods once and implement the version that is best possible for everyday use and keep it permanently.

The 36:12 method:

With the 36:12 method or Alternate Day Fasting (ADF), both the fasting and the eating cycle are lengthened. Eating is allowed for twelve hours and then fasted for 36 hours. Specifically, this means: On day 1, you are allowed to eat from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. The recommendation is to have meals that day. The next meal, however, is only allowed on the day after next at 9 a.m.

Eat-stop-eat method:

The Eat-Stop-Eat method follows a different concept. Eating is allowed for 24 hours and then fasted for 24 hours. On non-fasting days, high-quality and above all protein-rich foods should be consumed. However, it is not intended to change every day. Rather, it is recommended to take one or two fasting days per week. On the other days - as with all methods - you should pay attention to a healthy and varied diet.

The 5 to 2 diet:

This method allows you to eat normally five days a week. On the remaining two days, the calorie intake is reduced to 25 percent of the normal requirement. For men this is around 600 calories and for women around 500 calories. The fasting days can be freely chosen within the week. However, the two days should not be consecutive. As with the Eat-Stop-Eat method, it is advisable to consume foods with a high proportion of protein and fiber on the fasting days.

The pros and cons

Without a doubt, intermittent fasting requires discipline and planning. Because especially at the beginning the body is not adjusted to fasting and will defend itself with intense hunger and a bad mood. This is nothing unusual and is part of the changeover. However, those who exercise discipline and do not give in to the feeling of hunger will be rewarded later.

Good planning is also important in order to be able to attend social dinners. In addition, part-time fasting does not lead to the infamous fasting crisis that occurs with full fasts. Those with discipline and planning can take advantage of the many advantages of intermittent fasting.

Who is intermittent fasting for?

Intermittent fasting is suitable for many people. It is easier to stick to than a classic diet, because a lot is allowed during the eating phases. Athletes can also combine their activity with the methods.

It has proven useful to put the workout at the end of the fasting phase and then eat. However, there are some groups that should avoid intermittent fasting. This includes children, pregnant women, breastfeeding mothers, and people who have an eating disorder. People who take medication for high blood pressure or low blood pressure, as well as diabetics and people who suffer from migraines, should speak to their doctor beforehand. Fasting may have a positive effect on the disease and the dose of medication can be adjusted downwards. However, this must be monitored and clarified by a doctor.

What can and shouldn't eat while fasting?

During the Lent must be completely given up on food. To balance the fluid balance, water, unsweetened coffee and coffee (without milk) are allowed. Drinks with sugar and sweeteners are not allowed. This includes soft drinks, but also juices. These drinks would stimulate the release of insulin in the body and would therefore be counterproductive.

The Eating phase should not be used to eat empty calories in bulk. It should be eaten as healthy and varied as possible. The so-called "power foods", which have a particularly large number of good ingredients, are to be preferred. This includes avocados, nuts or berries. Food like vegetables, fruit and raw vegetables or grainy cream cheese are also recommended.

In addition, it is not advisable to overeat and "stuff yourself" with food during the eating phase. This makes the body sluggish and stresses it even during the fasting period. A diet high in fiber and protein helps the effect of fasting. High fat and high carbohydrate foods should be reduced.

The key is to avoid sugar!

Those who opt for intermittent fasting should eliminate sugar and other short-chain carbohydrates from their diet. Industrially processed foods with added sugar should also disappear from the menu. This includes classic sweets such as chocolate and cookies, baked goods, but also ready-made meals.

Sugar sets the insulin metabolism going and makes people feel hungry again soon after eating. As long as there is insulin in the blood, fat migrates directly into the body's own fat stores and is not burned. The omission of sugar stimulates the fat metabolism, because the body is forced to gain energy from fat.

Because if the amount of insulin in the blood drops, the body sends hunger signals. That is why intermittent fasting can be perfectly combined with approaches such as "clean eating" or the [[Paleo diet: This is how the entry into the Stone Age diet can be combined with the Paleo diet. These forms of nutrition reduce empty carbohydrates (e.g. pasta, rice, white bread) and focus on products such as vegetables or high-quality meat.