Why Intermittent Fast?
There are many great benefits to intermittent fasting. Intermittent fasting is so very simple because you already fast every day. You get to choose what benefits you get from fasting by deciding when to eat.
Intermittent Fasting or IF for short is a cyclical diet strategy that involves a period of eating and a period of fasting (not eating). Intermittent fasting has been used for centuries. There are many types of Intermittent Fasting. The duration of the non-fasting period is what varies. What stays the same is that you do not eat or consume calories during your fasting time.
To learn more about intermittent fasting see my post What is Intermittent Fasting?
Benefits of Intermittent Fasting
One of the benefits most people use intermittent fasting for is fat loss. Intermittent fasting works by triggering your body to burn off excess body fat to fuel your energy needs.
After you eat your body digests the foods you consume in a process that can take up to 5 hours. Your insulin levels are higher during this period, and fat burning is virtually impossible.
When your body isn’t digesting food, your insulin levels are lower, and your body can burn more fat.
Next, it gives your body a break from digesting which allows your body to focus on other functions.
One of these functions is to cleanse and detoxify the body. Remember it is important to drink water for this function.
Additionally, intermittent fasting reduces blood sugar and balances insulin levels. Insulin does its job to put glucose in the muscle stores and then adds the extra as fat in the fat stores in the body. Then your blood sugar and insulin balance to normal levels after that digestion is complete.
Benefits of Fasts Longer than 16 hours
After longer fasting periods, some people have increased energy, increased growth hormones, lower cholesterol, improved concentration, improved mental clarity, and reduced systemic inflammation. These processes happen as the body starts to use body fat for fuel.
After fasting 12-16 hours, you tap into the body’s innate healing processes called autophagy. Additionally, fasting can help give the liver a break and allow it to naturally rest to perform better.
The benefits of intermittent fasting keep you healthier. If you would like to learn more about fasting and create a fasting schedule that meets your lifestyle then sign up for my free Easy Guide to Intermittent Fasting.
