Benefits of Intermittent Fasting: Be In The Know
What’s the difference if I eat whenever I want?
That’s usually the initial reaction I get when I talk to people about intermittent fasting.
For the people that hear me out, they at least usually understand the benefits, but rarely act on the knowledge.
Intermittent fasting really has made the biggest change in my life. From reading daily, drastically cutting meat and dairy, meditating, and a handful of other changes, intermittent fasting has carried the most impact.
About a year ago is when I first decided to try it, and I actually put a twist to it.
I ate fruit during the fasting periods.
So when I wake up at 6 am, I cannot eat anything besides fruit before noon. I eat my meals from noon until 8 pm, and then I allow myself to eat fruit again (although I rarely do).
To know why I do this, see my blog post about it.
My energy and sleep improved a noticeable amount rather quickly. It makes me feel less bloated and groggy.
I’ve already experienced a lot of these benefits of intermittent fasting listed below, and I hope you will too!
RELATED: Fasting And Your Condition
1. Weight loss
Constantly eating food allows the body to always use incoming calories as energy. This may sound all well and good, but it really isn’t.
Because the body is always having a stream of energy, the fat stores in your body never go away.
Any unused calories will just pack into your fat stores. This is pretty much the cycle the body will go through.
When you are fasting, your body will actually be forced to use those fat stores as fuel since there aren’t any calories coming in.
Yes, you may feel hungry, however drinking black coffee or water will actually help suppress that hunger.
The benefits of intermittent fasting completely outweighs the sacrifice.
Your body is an amazing machine! Take care of it!
It will make the proper adjustments it needs to survive. This means the more you do it, the easier it gets!
READ ALSO: (How To Treat Obesity With Lemon)
2. Energy boost
How many calories does typical food digestion burn?
Although it depends on the type of food, it usually takes about 200 calories a day, or 10% of your daily energy.
Your body goes through a metabolic cycle. This cycle breaks down carbs, turns them into blood sugar, eventually used as energy or stored for later.
Once that blood sugar drops, it triggers a “hunger signal”, starting the process all over again.
The catch is once that blood sugar drops, your energy, mental performance, and mood come down with it!
Well, as you may or may not know, anything excess we eat is stored as fat. During intermittent fasting, these fat stores are used as the fuel source, as I explained above.
The fat is digested slowly because it is sent to the liver before it can be used as energy.
Because this is a slow but steady process, there are no ups and downs.
This “switch” in the body is actually called metabolic switching, and has immense benefits.
We have more energy and we feel better!
3. Improves cognitive function
As I previously explained, the constant ups and downs from our blood sugar is mentally draining.
If you don’t believe me, think of the last time you were in a “food coma” or had a “food baby”.
How did you feel? Were you tired and groggy?
I can pretty confidently bet that you weren’t up and alert, ready to take on the days challenges after going through a big meal.
In addition to having more energy, intermittent fasting actually improves our brain function as well.
The main reason is because the up and down pattern is interrupted and, quite frankly, removed from your lifestyle.
That slow digestion of the fat stores not only produces more energy, but enhances your mental state and cognitive function!
4. Sleep improvement
I’m sure you’re well aware that our bodies are in a different state when we sleep.
Your metabolic rate slows down, your body goes into a deep, reparative state, and gain back the energy lost in the day.
If your metabolic rate slows down, wouldn’t that mean digestion slows down during sleep as well?
This activity, that takes up a good amount of energy, is prolonged into the night, actually taking up some of that energy you were hoping to gain back.
Going to sleep with an empty stomach simply eliminates an energy drainer while you’re sleeping. Who wouldn’t want that?!
My recommendation is to at least stop eating two hours before bed. This will allow your body to digest most, if not all of the food! Doing so will allow the benefits of intermittent fasting to take effect!
5. Teaches discipline
If you get to know me, you will understand my opinion on discipline.
Discipline and your happiness level are literally connected. The more disciplined you are, the better you feel, the happier you are.
Another benefit of intermittent fasting is that it teaches discipline. Despite your body sending constant signals of hunger, you have to ignore it!
You can find ways to subside the signals, like as I mentioned above by drinking black coffee and water, or by eating low/negative calorie foods like celery, berries, and melons.
Your body does make adjustments that will surprise you.
As in anything, practice makes perfect. The more you intentionally ignore these signals, the easier it will become.
The better you will become!
6. Reduces disease risk
A study published by the International Journal of Health Sciences stated that intermittent fasting can reduce the risk of various diseases.
These diseases include diabetes, neurological disorders, cardiovascular disorders, and even cancer!
Not only that, but it also reduces inflammation and oxidative stress.
I actually wrote a blog about inflammatory effects on our body. To summarize, yes your body does need inflammation, but we have too much.
That is where the problem is. Millions of Americans suffer from chronic inflammation, and it wreaks havoc on our bodies!
The study mentioned above found that fasting can limit inflammation, weaken pro-inflammatory cytokines, aka immune cells, and improves metabolic efficiency due to decreased oxidative stress!
7. May help you live longer
Reported by The New England Journal of Medicine, intermittent fasting has been proven to improve longevity in humans.
What?! How can that be? How does it work?
Various studies have shown that alternating your eating window supports cellular health.
It triggers an age-old adaptation to periods of food scarcity called metabolic switching which was referenced above!
This switch is accompanied by cellular and molecular adaptations of neural networks in the brain.
This improves their functionality, bolstering their resistance to stress, injury, aging, and disease!
2. Energy boost
How many calories does typical food digestion burn?
Although it depends on the type of food, it usually takes about 200 calories a day, or 10% of your daily energy.
Your body goes through a metabolic cycle. This cycle breaks down carbs, turns them into blood sugar, eventually used as energy or stored for later.
Once that blood sugar drops, it triggers a “hunger signal”, starting the process all over again.
The catch is once that blood sugar drops, your energy, mental performance, and mood come down with it!
Well, as you may or may not know, anything excess we eat is stored as fat. During intermittent fasting, these fat stores are used as the fuel source, as I explained above.
The fat is digested slowly because it is sent to the liver before it can be used as energy.
Because this is a slow but steady process, there are no ups and downs.
This “switch” in the body is actually called metabolic switching, and has immense benefits.
We have more energy and we feel better!
3. Improves cognitive function
As I previously explained, the constant ups and downs from our blood sugar is mentally draining.
If you don’t believe me, think of the last time you were in a “food coma” or had a “food baby”.
How did you feel? Were you tired and groggy?
I can pretty confidently bet that you weren’t up and alert, ready to take on the days challenges after going through a big meal.
In addition to having more energy, intermittent fasting actually improves our brain function as well.
The main reason is because the up and down pattern is interrupted and, quite frankly, removed from your lifestyle.
That slow digestion of the fat stores not only produces more energy, but enhances your mental state and cognitive function!
4. Sleep improvement
I’m sure you’re well aware that our bodies are in a different state when we sleep.
Your metabolic rate slows down, your body goes into a deep, reparative state, and gain back the energy lost in the day.
If your metabolic rate slows down, wouldn’t that mean digestion slows down during sleep as well?
This activity, that takes up a good amount of energy, is prolonged into the night, actually taking up some of that energy you were hoping to gain back.
Going to sleep with an empty stomach simply eliminates an energy drainer while you’re sleeping. Who wouldn’t want that?!
My recommendation is to at least stop eating two hours before bed. This will allow your body to digest most, if not all of the food! Doing so will allow the benefits of intermittent fasting to take effect!
5. Teaches discipline
If you get to know me, you will understand my opinion on discipline.
Discipline and your happiness level are literally connected. The more disciplined you are, the better you feel, the happier you are.
Another benefit of intermittent fasting is that it teaches discipline. Despite your body sending constant signals of hunger, you have to ignore it!
You can find ways to subside the signals, like as I mentioned above by drinking black coffee and water, or by eating low/negative calorie foods like celery, berries, and melons.
Your body does make adjustments that will surprise you.
As in anything, practice makes perfect. The more you intentionally ignore these signals, the easier it will become.
The better you will become!
6. Reduces disease risk
A study published by the International Journal of Health Sciences stated that intermittent fasting can reduce the risk of various diseases.
These diseases include diabetes, neurological disorders, cardiovascular disorders, and even cancer!
Not only that, but it also reduces inflammation and oxidative stress.
I actually wrote a blog about inflammatory effects on our body. To summarize, yes your body does need inflammation, but we have too much.
That is where the problem is. Millions of Americans suffer from chronic inflammation, and it wreaks havoc on our bodies!
The study mentioned above found that fasting can limit inflammation, weaken pro-inflammatory cytokines, aka immune cells, and improves metabolic efficiency due to decreased oxidative stress!
7. May help you live longer
Reported by The New England Journal of Medicine, intermittent fasting has been proven to improve longevity in humans.
What?! How can that be? How does it work?
Various studies have shown that alternating your eating window supports cellular health.
It triggers an age-old adaptation to periods of food scarcity called metabolic switching which was referenced above!
This switch is accompanied by cellular and molecular adaptations of neural networks in the brain.
This improves their functionality, bolstering their resistance to stress, injury, aging, and disease!
DR. APPIAH
Dr. Appiah is a Natural Health Therapist (Naturopath) who engages the natural healing agents given by God to save lives. EAT FOOD AS MEDICINE! EAT TO LIVE, DON'T LIVE TO EAT!! FOR BOOKINGS AND MORE: WANT TO ADVERTISE YOUR PRODUCTS? WANT A PERSONAL(CERTIFIED) NATURAL MEDICINE PRACTITIONER? REACH ME DIRECTLY ON WHATSAPP +233245643615 appiahinok@gmail.com
