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The pros and cons of an occasional day of fasting
Intermittent fasting means intermittent fasting. It means eating little for two or three days a week, or trying to “stretch” the time between meals. Is that good for you? And do you fall off?
We are used to eating three meals a day, and often snacks as well. Eating regularly is good for you, that’s how we’ve always been taught. But… that is of course not what prehistoric humans were used to.
The first people got up in the morning and often had to go out first to collect food. There were also times when there was simply little to eat. Scientists therefore think that our body has traditionally responded well to periods with less food. The main reason is that during fasting your body needs to use its energy reserves, so that you stimulate your fat burning. So it seems healthy to fast every now and then. In addition, you consume fewer calories: you lose weight!
BBC documentary
The focus on intermittent fasting was sparked by a 2012 BBC documentary by Dr Michael Mosley, a physician and British presenter. For the documentary, Mosley visited doctors and scientists who research the effect of fasting on health. He tried different forms of fasting on himself. In the documentary he becomes convinced of the good effect of fasting on health. He even wrote a book about it: The Fast Diet.
Fasting two days a week
Mosley’s book revolves around the 5:2 method: five days of normal eating and two days of fasting a week. During the fasting days, you eat almost nothing. You can drink water, tea and coffee on that day and have two small meals, for example with vegetables, chicken, fish, yogurt or fruit.
You are allowed a maximum of 500 kilocalories per fasting day. That applies to women, men are allowed to take 600 kilocalories. Mosley claims that this is a very effective way to lose weight. And to improve health, because Mosley says fasting is good for insulin sensitivity, cholesterol levels and life expectancy. The science is not there yet, but there are indications in that direction.
Fasting per day
Does it seem difficult to you to hardly eat two days a week? Then you can also fast for part of the day and then, for example, extend the time between the evening meal and breakfast. Suppose you have finished your dinner at 8 o’clock in the evening, then you try to eat again at 12 o’clock the next morning. That way you fast for 16 hours and that ensures that your body starts to use your reserves. In the 8 hours that you then have ‘left over’ a day, you can basically eat whatever you want. But, and that is a nice side effect of fasting: people often eat less sweets and snack because the need for fast sugars decreases.
In principle, you can do this fasting as long and as often as you want, but it is quite good to alternate with days when you do eat normally, in order to continue to stimulate your metabolism. And also keep an eye on your intake: even if you eat less often, you have to get all the nutrients.
And what about sports fasting? This is a short course of treatment that you apply once. In principle, the fasting diet or fasting for half days can last longer.
Something for you?
Scientists are researching fasting more and more and more and more people are trying it out for themselves, usually as a way of losing weight. In addition, there is some evidence that intermittent fasting is good for your health.
Do you want to try it too? Don’t take it lightly, it really isn’t always easy. For example, start by stretching the time between meals or by fasting 1 or 2 days a week. Always keep drinking a lot and watch yourself: if you keep getting dizzy, choking or nauseous, then fasting probably isn’t for you.