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Intermittent Fasting: Clearing Up the Misconceptions
As intermittent fasting has gained popularity across the globe, so too have the misconceptions about it. So, what’s the real story? Are the intermittent fasting success stories to be believed, or should we listen to the intermittent fasting naysayers?
Intermittent Fasting: Good or Bad?
Let’s cut straight to the chase. Intermittent fasting, when done right, is healthy for most people. Many use intermittent fasting as a way to manage their weight, and it also helps keep cholesterol and blood sugar at normal, healthy levels.
Intermittent fasting (IF) is a dietary practice that revolves around a time-restricted eating schedule, fluctuating between periods of eating and fasting, with the fasting window typically lasting 12–16 hours. The most common IF schedule is 16:8, in which you eat all your meals during an eight-hour window and fast for the remaining 16.
Clearing Up Common Misconceptions
Most of the misconceptions about intermittent fasting stem from people not doing it correctly. To fully understand how intermittent fasting works, it’s important to first clarify what intermittent fasting is NOT:
- Starving yourself: The point of intermittent fasting isn’t to constantly deprive your body of food, but rather to give your body a longer break from food each day, which helps stabilize blood sugar levels and provides other benefits.
- Anti-food: Again, intermittent fasting is not about casting food as the villain. Its purpose is to help us eat at the right times each day and provide our bodies with natural breaks from food.
- An excuse to binge: Binge-eating after a long fast may feel like a well-earned reward, but this can negate any benefits and actually cause weight gain. Intermittent fasting works best with a healthy, well-balanced diet. Loading up on carb-heavy and processed foods will only increase your hunger and cravings later on.
- Impossible to maintain long-term: Fasting for longer than 12 hours each day may seem daunting, but humans have evolved to thrive on this type of schedule. Spending most of our waking hours eating can disrupt circadian rhythms and increase the risk of metabolic conditions. Intermittent fasting helps our bodies get back to a more natural fasting/eating cycle.
Because fasting is usually associated with hunger, it tends to get lumped into the “bad” category. But truth be told, intermittent fasting is more doable than it sounds.
For starters, most of the fasting happens while we sleep. For most people, simply delaying breakfast a few hours and/or avoiding snacking after dinner is all it takes to maximize the benefits of intermittent fasting—no skipping of meals required.
Getting the Fasting Window Right
Intermittent fasting is a lifestyle, and for any lifestyle to be sustainable, it needs to work with your daily routine in Lytham St Annes or anywhere else.
Finding the fasting window that’s right for you is key. If you can’t start your day without breakfast, then don’t skip it—eat breakfast when you need to and plan on an earlier dinner instead. If you prefer to eat dinner later in the evening, breaking your fast around 11 or 12 the next day might work better for you.
The length of your fast should also be specific to your needs and lifestyle. A 16-hour fast is generally considered to bring about the most benefits, but if you need to shorten that to 12 or 14 hours, then by all means, do it. The first week or two on intermittent fasting are the hardest, but if you’re still struggling after a few weeks, it might be time to make some adjustments.
The great thing about intermittent fasting is its flexibility. As long as you find a fasting window that you can stick to, you’ll reap the benefits for years to come. Even in the charming town of Lytham St Annes, you can easily adjust your routine to fit intermittent fasting.
The Bottom Line
It can take some time to find an intermittent fasting schedule that works for you, but in general, intermittent fasting is healthy for most people. However, if you are pregnant or breastfeeding, have a history with eating disorders, or have a medical condition, it’s best to consult with your doctor before making significant changes to your diet.
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