It is one of the few times in CLARA that we applaud a method to lose weight that is in fashion. In fact, we already did an analysis of other diets such as the dukan diet or the pineapple diet in which they did not come out well.
5 reasons why you should do the intermittent fasting diet
The 16/8 intermittent fasting diet is based on eating in a window of 8 consecutive hours - it does not mean that you will be eating for 8 hours continuously - and fasting the remaining 16 hours. Fasting normally encompasses the hours you sleep, so you're not really fasting for a full 16 hours. Logically losing weight is the first consequence of doing 16/8 intermittent fasting. By eating in a smaller window of time, 8 hours, you eat less, which leads to weight loss. But this is not the only benefit of intermittent fasting and it is not the main one. Since intermittent fasting brings with it very positive things for your health like these:
1. Autophagy
Autophagy is a recycling system in which cells eat themselves. Let's say that cells repair themselves and eliminate everything that is damaged or not needed. This "cellular cleansing" is associated with anti-aging, longevity, and improved metabolic health, but it only occurs during periods of fasting.
2. Protects you from serious illnesses
Fasting can help reduce the level of triglycerides in the blood, "bad" cholesterol, and improve blood pressure, all of them risk factors in strokeand other cardiovascular diseases. In addition, according to a Canadian study published in the journal BMJ Case Reports, fasting every other day (3 times a week) can lower blood sugar levels and thus prevent type 2 diabetes . And even, according to studies by Dr. Valter Longo's team at the University of California (USA), intermittent or semi-fasting in mice with cancer helps to eliminate tumor cells.
3. You have more energy
Although it may seem like a great contradiction to you, energy levels are higher when you are fasting than when you are very well fed. In fact, it is something common in all mammals. We are very active when we are hungry and we tend to be sedentary when we have eaten. Of course, if you notice excessive fatigue, stop fasting and talk to your doctor.
4. Control your appetite
In the medium long term, intermittent fasting not only does not cause hunger but also helps to control it. And it is that, it has been shown that fasting helps regulate ghrelin, known as the "hunger hormone" and leptin, the hormone responsible for telling us that we are satiated, which allows us to balance our appetite.
5. Know you better
Face it, you often eat without hunger. You do it to distract yourself or to avoid feeling any negative emotions. When we eat like this, we are looking for an immediate happiness or positive feeling that counteracts the other. When you fast, this option is no longer within your reach. You cannot “anesthetize” a feeling with food and you are forced to deal with that emotion. Avoiding or masking what you feel does not benefit you physically or mentally. Observing what you feel for a moment and trying to see what happens with that emotion is a healthier way of living. Intermittent fasting can help you have a much healthier relationship with food and with yourself.
What else do we like about the 16/8 intermittent fasting diet?
In addition to the fact that this diet has great health benefits, we also like it because it is a healthy way to eat and not a restrictive regimen. Therefore, whoever follows her usually does it for very long periods and does not leave her. And there is no greater reflection of the success of a diet than its level of adherence.
We are also convinced by its great degree of adaptability. This diet adapts to your rhythm of life and social commitments and not the other way around. Hence, many celebrities like Elsa Pataky or Hugh Jackman confess loyal fans.
Here you can find much more information about the intermittent fasting diet and you can download the PDF with menus for free.
