Fasting is a popular health tactic that has been shown in many studies to improve digestion and bowel health, help people maintain or lose weight, reduce inflammation in the body, increase cognitive performance, and reduce the risk for type -II diabetes lowering other common diseases. You may be overwhelmed by all of the different intermittent fasting methods, but don't worry! In fact, you already know how to be fast at times – you do it every night while you sleep! Extending your fast from seven to eight hours a night in your sleep to a fourteen to sixteen hour window can help optimize your health and wellbeing.
This article describes the right methods of intermittent fasting so that you can get all of the coveted health benefits.
Time-limited method
This method is arguably the most common way to go fast. With this option, your eating window will last for about ten hours. If you eat your first meal at 7:00 a.m., you can eat until 5:00 p.m. During this period you can easily have breakfast, lunch, dinner and a snack. A really easy way to do this method is to stick to black coffee in the morning and skip breakfast. Have a healthy lunch, a big dinner, and then just tea or water for the rest of the evening. If you find that the 14-hour quick / 10-hour feeding window works well for you, then you should try further limiting your time to a 16/8 schedule.
Five-two method
The five-two method is when you've chosen five days a week to eat regularly and two days a week to limit your caloric intake to 500-600. In general, you should make sure that your two fasting days are non-sequential and not days when you exercise vigorously. On your fasting day, try to have small meals in the 250 calorie range or a small snack with a larger meal towards the end of the day. You can also call this a 5: 2 diet or a fast diet.
Eat Stop Eat Method
The Eat-Stop-Eat method is similar to the five-two method, but goes a little further. This program makes two 24-hour fasts a week faster to make sure they are not done on consecutive days. For example, if you eat your last meal of the day at 7:00 p.m. on Monday, fast until 7:00 p.m. the next day. You will have one meal at this point and will be able to eat normally the next day. You can also have a quick breakfast, breakfast, or lunch if either of these options is more suitable for you.
Alternative daily method
The alternative day method is a combination of the five-two method and the eat-stop-eat method. In this fasting method, participants choose two days per week to either limit their caloric intake to 500-600 calories or to fast for 24 hours. You may find that you want to fast for 24 hours one day a week and limit your calories in one day. If you schedule this method in conjunction with your schedule, it will be a lot easier. For example, if you have an easy day of work every Wednesday followed by a coffee date with a friend, it can be a convenient 24-hour fasting day. As long as you stick to black coffee or tea on your coffee date!
Warrior method
The warrior method means limiting your diet to only raw fruits and vegetables during the day. In the evening you can have a big healthy meal or a "feast". Many people who follow paleo diets use this fasting method. In this fast, you eat very little during the day and limit your dinner to a four-hour window in the evening. If you are out and about all day, this might be a very convenient option for you.
Spontaneous method
If you are struggling to stick to a schedule or plan, the spontaneous method may be the option for you. This type of intermittent fast only requires that you skip a meal every now and then. If you are not hungry one morning, this is a good time to skip breakfast. If later in the week you find that you've worked through lunch, that's great! If a friend needs to cancel dinner plans, take the opportunity! If you're looking to remove a meal a few days a week, you can get many of the benefits of fasting without much planning.
Your own method
While all of these fasting options are great types of intermittent fasting, keep in mind that the perfect method for you may be a combination of these methods. This is especially important if you already have health issues affecting your caloric intake or if you have a busy lifestyle. Try to choose a method that will give you a healthy number of weekly calories and that will work with your schedule and lifestyle. Experiment with different fasting lengths per day, fasting specific days per week, or even a combination of both. You will find that once you find a routine that works well it will be very easy to stick to.
Conclusion
In conclusion, fasting can have positive effects on your mental and physical health, e.g. B. on strengthening and repairing your intestines and digestion, increasing your metabolism and improving cognitive performance. There are several ways to try intermittent fasting: the time-limited method, the five-two method, the eat-stop-eat method, the alternative day method, and many more. You might even want to create your own fasting plan! Take some time to experiment with the options above to see which one feels best for your body and lifestyle. When done correctly, fasting is said to help optimize your health and brain cognition. Always consult your GP before making any dramatic dietary changes, especially if you already have an illness or are planning to become pregnant.