The Myths and Truths of Intermittent Fasting

There are many myths surrounding fasting, and like everything else, when it becomes a trend on social media and in everyday life, there are detractors, critics, and conflicting comments about its function and results. Like everything in life, the result will be determined by dietary history and both eating and exercise habits.

 

The secret of intermittent fasting is the caloric deficit that it causes in the body, that is, each person, depending on their pace of life and activities in general, requires a certain number of calories to be able to function properly, it is like the gasoline that a car requires to be able to walk. If the gasoline supply is lower, that is, you consume fewer calories than your body requires, the body will take energy from another source, creating a “calorie deficit” that translates (in the long run) into weight loss.

 

Otherwise, if you eat more calories than your body requires, you will gain weight because you have extra energy that your body will store. After all, there is no way to use it. Not everything is as simple as adding and subtracting calories, you have to know how to combine macronutrients to achieve the goals that each one wants.

 

Intermittent fasting will help you have a caloric deficit because the food intake you will have will be less than what you need to function if you mix it with the proportional and adequate consumption of macronutrients such as protein, fats, and carbohydrates and with an adequate exercise plan. , believe me, the changes in your body will be surprising.

 

Beyond the advantages in weight control that you can obtain from practicing intermittent fasting, there are other benefits related to anti-inflammatory processes and in the prevention of cardiovascular, neurological, and oncological diseases.

The Nobel Prize for medicine that changed the way of fasting

The Nobel Prize for Medicine awarded in 2016 went to the Japanese Yoshinori Ohsumi, who discovered the mechanisms of autophagy. Word of Greek origin that denotes “eating oneself”. And it is a procedure that helps the body to regenerate itself, beyond the benefits it represents in weight control.

 

The most outstanding benefits are:

-Reduce triglycerides in the blood
-Cleanses the intestine with peristaltic movements
-Recycles the cells of the body
-Regulates metabolism and strengthens the immune system
-With the right diet retains muscle mass

 

How is intermittent fasting carried out?

The way to carry out the fast is with time for food and rest. To begin, the idea is to start with a time of 12/12, you will have twelve hours to eat and in the remaining twelve it is only liquid intake without sugar, or juices, only three or water. The next time is 8/16, sixteen hours of fasting and eight to eat, for example, the first meal you make at 10 am and from there the remaining eight hours, until 6 pm you can eat food. From 6 pm to 10 am the other day you will not be able to eat food.

 

The most radical time is 4/20 since you can only eat for 4 hours and fast for the remaining 20. Ideally, start with the 12/12 fast and try longer fasting times. Do not start with long times, because if your body is not used to it, you may suffer from a deficit or faint. The ideal is always to consult your doctor to take you by the hand and advise you on the procedure.

 

Try to alternate the days of fasting or start with once a week, every third day, and get closer to the frequency as your body responds. Once your fasting time is over, try not to get stuck or “replenish” meals since you must supply an adequate and balanced load of nutrients.

 

During the fast, the ideal is to drink sugar-free drinks such as teas or natural water, avoid juices, soft drinks, and drinks with “free calories”. When you start fasting, try to do it on weekends or at times that do not require much physical activity so that your body assimilates it little by little, later you will be able to carry out your activities in conjunction with fasting, but do not forget to go from less to more.