Intermittent fasting allows the body to enter its fat-burning peak, which occurs about 8 to 12 hours after a meal. In that way, your body loses fat without sacrificing any muscle mass.
People who follow a typical eating schedule of breakfast, lunch, and dinner don’t allow their body to reach that point.
Basically, your body will spend a few hours burning what it can from the food you ate. So, it will be easy for the body to burn energy in the bloodstream and it will choose to use that as energy rather than the fat you have stored. The truth is that your body prefers to burn sugar as energy before any other source.
But during a fasting period, your body doesn’t have a recently consumed meal to use as energy and that results in burning more fat. Here are some reasons why you should try intermittent fasting!
Table of Contents
WEIGHT LOSS
This is the primary reason why many people try intermittent fasting. You’ll be eating fewer meals and you’ll end up taking in few calories which is the basic formula for weight loss. Also, intermittent fasting allows the body to reach its fat-burning peak, long-term weight loss and it keeps your metabolism running like it should. Fasting over a short-term period has shown to increase the metabolic rate which helps one burn even more calories.
EXTENDING LONGEVITY
One of the most exciting reasons to try intermittent fasting is its ability to lengthen one’s lifespan. It boosts the body’s stress resistance and allowing one to live a healthier life.
LOWERING YOUR RISK OF TYPE 2 DIABETES
Being overweight is a major risk factor for type 2 diabetes. That’s one of the reasons intermittent fasting offers major benefits in reducing the risk of developing the condition. Moreover, it provides benefits for insulin resistance, which leads to a significant reduction in blood sugar levels.
SUPPORTING HEART HEALTH
Studies are revealing a lot of promise for this eating pattern to lower the risk of heart disease and related conditions. It can increase levels of adiponectin which has anti plaque-forming and insulin-sensitizing properties.
Moreover, intermittent fasting improves multiple risk factors such as blood sugar levels, inflammatory markers, total and LDL cholesterol, heart rate, and blood pressure.
SLOWING COGNITIVE DECLINE AND PREVENTING BRAIN DISEASES
Researchers claim that intermittent fasting can help protect neurons from both genetic and environmental stress factors. This eating pattern helps to increase insulin sensitivity and that benefits neurons that stimulate the production of enzymes that help cells cope with stress.
Intermittent Fasting Options:
- 5:2 diet
- 16/8 method
- Alternate day fasting
- Fasting for 24 hours, 2 days a week
- The Warrior Diet
Have in mind that whichever option you choose it’s something which you can maintain indefinitely!