I think that we as a society finally are waking up to the fact that less is more. Practices like a zero-waste lifestyle and Marie Kondo’s decluttering method is starting to gain a lot of popularity. The same goes for intermittent fasting. If you have been following me on instagram stories (which you should, claro) you know that this is something I have been practicing for quite a while.
“But wait a minute, what is it?” you might ask yourself. I’m glad you asked.
Well, there are many ways to do intermittent fasting, from the simple 8-6 plan (have your meals between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m.) to fasting-mimicking protocols like the modified two-day plan.
This is where you eat normal clean meals for five days of the week (which days are up to you), and on the remaining two days, your intake will be restricted to no more than 700 calories. These are just two out of many ways to play, check the rest out here.
Even though it might seem like this is the latest diet trend, fasting is nothing new. It has been used throughout human history for health and spiritual purposes. Our ancestors hardly always had three meals a day (and snacking in between). Their access to food wasn’t constant and they have had to endure periods of feast and famine regularly.
So when practicing IF, you are really going back to your roots. It’s in our DNA.
Some of the benefits from fasting include;
- Increased human growth hormone (HGH) levels, which allows us to build muscle and burn fat
- Lowered inflammation levels
- Decreased disease risks
- Increased autophagy pathways (cellular recycling and repair)
Another key benefit of fasting is that it enhances nutritional ketosis, which has its own anti-inflammatory, fat-burning, and autophagy benefits. One thing to have in mind is that the longer your fasting window, the stronger the benefits.
Personally I fast 16h out of 24h on most days. Sometimes I go to 18, sometimes 14, i’m listening to my body and allowing myself some flexibility due to life circumstances. I also tend to workout before breaking my fast. The working out part is not for everyone, but I really enjoy it. Makes me feel like i’m burning the right kinds of fuel and I feel lighter and stronger.
I have been living the IF life for about a year now and I feel really good about it! I’m much more energized, I have no brain fog and I have more time on my hands since I spend less of it in the kitchen. Not to mention the positive impact it have had on my waistline #winning.
This probably got a lot to do with IF totally eliminating evening and late night snacking, which always was a bad habit of mine… I also enjoy IF because it’s a daily reminder that I am what (and when) I eat, and that this is actually something that I control. I choose what I put into my body.