What is Intermittent Fasting? How to do Intermittent Fasting And it’s Benefits

Intermittent fasting is not a diet but an eating pattern switching between periods of eating and fasting on a regular schedule. It majorly emphasizes on when to eat rather than what to eat.

What is Intermittent Fasting? How to do Intermittent Fasting And it’s Benefits: Be it for religion or to follow the ancient tradition, we Indians are used to fasting for many different reasons. However, little did we know, this ancient practice is going to become a modern trend due to its numerous health benefits? Yes, popularly known as Intermittent fasting, this eating pattern is a lifestyle adopted by many individuals mainly to reduce their calorie intake and promote weight loss. In this video, we will explain you everything that you need to know about intermittent fasting, its types and benefits.

What is intermittent fasting?

Firstly, intermittent fasting is not a diet but an eating pattern switching between periods of eating and fasting on a regular schedule. It majorly emphasizes on when to eat rather than what to eat. Though it gives you the liberty to have anything you want but bear in mind to break your fast with something light and healthy.

There are several different types of intermittent fasting based on the time period you choose to eat and fast. Here are some popular ones:

1. 16/8: By following 16/8 method, you fast for 14-16 hours every day restricting your eating window to 8 hours. You can have three or more meals during that period but make sure you eat healthy as this method won’t work if you intake more calories or eat lots of junk food.
2. 5:2: Also known as the Fast diet, this method involves eating normally for 5 days per week and restricting your calorie intake to 500-600 for only 2 days of the week. It is recommended that, while fasting, women should intake 500 calories and men should intake 600 calories.

3. Alternate day fasting: In this type of fasting, you fast for every alternate day and eat normally the next day. On your fasting days, you either fast the whole day or restrict your food intake to a few hundred calories. However, fasting the whole day is not recommended for beginners.

 What are the benefits of intermittent fasting?

When you fast, you consume very little calories which increase your metabolism slightly resulting in weight loss. Intermittent fasting is also said to be protective for people with type 2 Diabetes as it lowers the blood sugar levels. Along with improving brain health another interesting benefit is that intermittent fasting may have the ability to increase your lifespan.

However, it is important to consult the doctor before you start with any type of intermittent fasting. Hope you found this information insightful and let us know about your thoughts and experiences of intermittent fasting in the comment section below.

Script by Sneha M Jain