#HealthBytes: Know about different types of intermittent fasting, its benefits
What's the story
In a world where some new popular fitness and diet trend gets introduced almost daily, intermittent fasting (IF) has maintained its popularity for quite some time now. As the name suggests, IF involves long intervals of no-food consumption and focuses on when to eat rather than what to eat. Here are a few popular methods of IF and its various health benefits. Read on.
Process
Alternate day fasting, combined with moderate exercise, fuels weight loss
Alternate day fasting involves not eating every alternate day, but on days of food consumption, there will be no calorie restriction. While fasting for an entire day could seem stressful, its modified version allows up to 500 calories, on the intake restricted days. Research suggests that if weight loss is your goal, combining alternate day fasting with moderate exercises accelerates the weight loss process.
16:8 method
Alternate between eating and fasting periods everyday
The 16:8 method is about fasting for 16 hours followed by an 8-hour eating period. A person on this diet can have their day's intake during the 8-hour window, alone. Having an early dinner at 6 pm and breaking the fast at 10 am is an ideal plan. This keeps cravings at bay because you are sleeping for the maximum time.
5:2 diet
Five days of eating, complete fasting for two
In the 5:2 method, a person can have a normal food intake for 5 days a week while on the remaining two days, their intake is strictly reduced to 500 calories (for women) and 600 calories (for men). While there is no hard-and-fast rule, it is ideal to space out the fasting days between the regular eating days to give the body sufficient nourishment.
Food
Healthy foods that you can have during the fast
It's important to keep your body nourished through ample fluid intake. Water and unsweetened coffee and tea have zero calories and also aid in flushing toxins from the body. If you choose to limit your calories (up to 500 calories) than going all in, avocados, broccoli, brussels sprouts, and egg whites are a few of the many healthy options to keep your tummy full.