The 411 on Intermittent Fasting
You may have heard of Intermittent Fasting, a style of eating that has risen in popularity over the past few years. Intermittent Fasting is not a diet per sey, as is does not limit what you can eat, rather it provides guidelines around when you should eat.
When you fast (do not eat), certain things will happen in your body on a molecular and cellular level.
Insulin
Your insulin sensitivity will improve, and your levels will drop dramatically. Lower insulin levels make stored body fat more likely to be burned as energy.
Human Growth Hormone
Your levels of growth hormone will skyrocket, increasing up to five times their usual. This will often result in increased muscle gain, and can assist in fat loss.
Genes
The function of your genes may change. Some studies have shown that fasting can improve longevity and protection against some diseases.
Cellular Repair
When you fast, your cells will begin the repair processes. One of these processes includes autophagy, where cells remove the old, dysfunctional proteins that build up.
Many people have successfully used Intermittent Fasting for weight loss. It has been accepted as a very effective way to shed a few extra kilos, as it not only allows less time to eat (usually resulting in less calories consumed), but will also change the way the body’s metabolism and ability to burn fat.
Intermittent Fasting has many health benefits aside from weight loss, and has even been shown to reduce the risk of cancer in animals. If you are interested in trying Intermittent Fasting for weight loss, or other benefits, there are three main plans you can follow to start your journey with Intermittent Fasting today.
