To eat or not to eat - that is the question

Only the lazy have not heard about intermittent fasting, which is now fashionable. Still, after all, odes are composed and books are written about its benefits: it helps to lose up to 15 kilograms, and the body renews, and life prolongs. The 2016 Nobel Prize in Medicine, awarded to Yoshinori Ohsumi for his work on autophagy (the process that allows cells to obtain energy during starvation), contributed to the growth in popularity of this method. His work, of course, was not aimed at helping those who lose weight, the molecular biologist “only” tried to help cancer patients, but fasting became very popular among the first. It cannot be said that until 2016 the world was not aware of the benefits of fasting, because Hippocrates spoke about it, but now intermittent fasting is being actively popularized and firmly kept in trends.  

Even a few kilograms of weight gain can upset a girl. It is good if there is time and opportunity to go in for sports or go on a diet. But what if calorie counting and diet food don't help you regain your old weight? In this case, you can try intermittent or intermittent fasting.

The essence of the method

When we eat food, we get a supply of energy, which enters the liver and accumulates in the form of glycogen, which in turn consists of glucose. At first, the body uses glycogen stores for work. Frequent snacks, drinks with sugar lead to the fact that glycogen stores in the liver do not end, and the body works at their expense. If the supply of new reserves of "fuel" does not occur, then after 10-12 hours the body begins to use fat cells for the body's work, breaking it down into ketones, which replace glucose.

Thus, fats are gradually burned, and you lose excess weight. It is important to note that during the meal window, you can eat whatever you want.

Frequent snacking, drinking drinks with sugar lead to the fact that glycogen stores in the liver do not end 

Fasting schemes 

There are several popular fasting schemes.

The simplest is 14/10. It implies that for 14 hours you are fasting, while the remaining 10 hours you can eat as before.

The second option is 16/8, when you can only eat for 8 hours. The rest of the time you need to starve. It is with this scheme that it is advised to start. In this mode, one meal is skipped. You can eat according to this scheme several times a week, or even switch to this diet.

More extreme schemes follow.

The 24/0 option assumes that you have breakfast in the morning and the next meal will be the next morning. Thus, food intake should be abandoned for 24 hours. The second scheme is even tougher - 36/0, in which food will have to be abandoned for a day and a half.

Such fasting should be resorted to no more than 1 - 2 times a week.

Another fasting scheme is 5/2. With her, 5 days a week you eat as expected, and for another two days you can consume no more than 500 - 700 calories.  

Preparation 

It is important to properly prepare for intermittent fasting.

First of all, you need to visit a therapist and consult with him. If you are registered due to illness, it will not be superfluous to consult your attending physician.

It is important to stop smoking and coffee, as these products change the metabolism and make you feel hungry. Also set up a sleep and rest mode. So, you need to sleep at least 7 hours. In this case, sleep necessarily falls on the fasting period.

In case of excessive physical activity, it is worth reducing it somewhat. That is, if you run in the morning or go to the gym daily, try to reduce the number of workouts.

It is also important to adjust the diet, in particular, reduce the intake of calories to 1500 - 1700 per day, adhere to proper nutrition and not pass on fast food. Doctors recommend taking plenty of water and eating healthy foods - vegetables and fruits, nuts, cereals, lean meats, dairy products, fish. Avoid sugar, salt and fried foods.

In order to prevent dehydration, it is important to drink as much liquid as possible. During a hunger strike, only water or, in extreme cases, juice is allowed. It is allowed to drink tea or coffee without sugar and sweeteners.

It may take several weeks or even a month to get used to periods of no food. 

Positive results

The main positive results that can be achieved by adhering to the method of nutrition described above include:

• Weight loss due to reduced calorie intake and the use of fat stores to provide energy to the body.

• Prevention of diabetes, oncology, cardiovascular diseases.

• Slow down aging.

• The growth of new nerve cells in the brain, which increases the ability to learn, increase concentration, enhance the thought process.

• Get rid of the habit of eating fast food.

• A set of muscle mass during sports.

Contraindications

It is important to remember that, like any diet, intermittent fasting has its contraindications. In particular, the method should be practiced with caution by those who have:  

• diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, in particular, ulcers and gastritis;

• problems with the gallbladder and adrenal glands;

• problems with pressure, in particular, hypotension;

• oncological diseases.

• Intermittent fasting is prohibited for pregnant and lactating women.

Patients with diabetes should first consult with their doctor. Insulin-dependent and this method is contraindicated at all.

Intermittent fasting is one of the most effective weight loss methods. With its help, you can not only lose extra pounds, but also put your health in order.

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