Intermittent fasting has many benefits

Intermittent fasting is not so much a diet as a pattern or timing of how to eat. This is how primitive humanity fed for millennia. It has many benefits to improve our health. This article looks at intermittent fasting (IF), the types of intermittent fasting, and the subsequent health benefits.

To be very clear, this article is for general purposes only and should not be used individually, but rather in consultation with your healthcare provider.

Let’s start by stating that intermittent fasting means NO SNACKS! Snack is out. Intermittent means that we will wait a time interval between meals.

There are several patterns that can be used for intermittent fasting. One of the simplest is: 3 full meals a day. This is an age-old custom for many in the boomer generation and earlier generations. It involves eating breakfast, lunch and dinner and not eating overnight. Usually there is a 4-5 hour time lag between meals. Since each meal is plentiful, the person is not hungry.

Another IF method is to use 3 full meals a day and add a 24-48 hour fast once a month where one drinks only water and drinks vegetable broth in moderation.

There are a number of other patterns that can be followed and are easily researched by consulting a nutrition expert and online references.

The benefits of IF are numerous and range from weight loss, improved metabolism, decreased chronic pain, and reduced risk of cancer.

Weight loss occurs when we abstain from eating for longer periods. If we eat frequently, we are constantly burning calories from the food we have consumed. However, by using IF we burn fat and subsequently lose weight.

Many people feel that their metabolism is slow or unstable. Intermittent fasting can speed up and stabilize the overall metabolism of the body. Physiologically, IF reduces the amount of insulin produced by the pancreas and allows blood glucose levels to normalize. Over weeks and months, the body’s metabolic activities naturally become more balanced, normal and regular.

Intermittent fasting has been shown to reduce the type of white blood cells called monocytes. Monocytes are related to inflammation in the body. By reducing inflammation, chronic musculoskeletal pain can be improved.

Cancer cells normally feed on glucose. Blood glucose is high when we snack and often. Conversely, when we intermittently fast, we burn fat. Since most cancer cells cannot feed on fat cancer risk lessons.

Some studies show that intermittent fasting helps the body eliminate toxins and damaged cells. This cleansing and purification reduces tiredness and sluggishness and helps increase energy.

Fasting, in general, is an ancient process that goes back centuries in many religions and cultures. Almost anyone can easily participate in intermittent fasting, and there are a wide range of health benefits.