Is Intermittent Fasting Right For You? A Guide for Beginners

Deep in the mists of early time, when the human race still lived a hunter-gatherer existence, our experience of life was very literally feast or famine. If a hunt was successful, our ancestors would gorge for a week—yet if there were a drought and nature’s larder of nuts and berries rendered barren, we would often have to go days on end surviving on nothing but the little excess energy our bodies were able to store as fat during the good times. Of course, nowadays, food supply is generated by agriculture and distributed by global markets, and so especially for those in the affluent West, it is possible to eat more or less whenever we feel like it. I say this not necessarily as a pat on homo sapiens’ relatively hairless back but to question whether, perhaps from time to time, we ought to get more in touch with the primal being at each of our cores and whether, if so, intermittent fasting might be a way to do so.

What Is Intermittent Fasting?

Intermittent fasting is a general term for any diet plan that involves switching between periods of eating to periods of not eating at all. This puts it in contrast with more traditional diet plans, which might involve you eating fewer calories but at the same intervals, you would regularly eat at or try to substitute out one food group (commonly carbohydrates, for example) for another—increased protein diets such as the keto diet, for instance, are popular with enjoyers of the gym. As healthcare professionals such as those qualified through online nurse practitioner programs are well aware, it is critical to maintain the correct balance of micro- and macro-nutrients in a diet, as well as to consume enough calories to maintain an active lifestyle (even if one is in a caloric deficit). Thus, the obvious caveat to intermittent fasting is that it must be done in a way that will not damage your overall health. 

Methods Of Intermittent Fasting

It is very important to remember that there is no ‘right’ way to engage with intermittent fasting, but before undertaking any radical change to your diet, remember to consult a physician and stop if you begin to feel unwell or develop symptoms of malnutrition. That said, several methods of intermittent fasting have been developed, which are believed to be generally non-harmful and involve splitting the week into eating and non-eating periods in different ways. Here are three common approaches: 

The “5:2” Diet: 

In this diet, as the name suggests, you eat as normal for five days of the week and fast on the other two. Normally, this “fast” does not involve eating anything at all but rather limiting your calories to around 500 (down from an average of 2,000-2,500). This only works, though, if you don’t overeat in the following days to compensate. 

Eat-Stop-Eat: 

Similar to the 5:2 diet, but harsher, this method involves taking two strictly enforced 24-hour total fasts over the course of a rolling seven days. This is hardcore, and should therefore be warmed up to. 

The 16/8 Method (or Leangains protocol):

Slightly different from the other two, this divides daily periods rather than weekly: each 24-hour day becomes an 8-hour eating window and a 16-hour fast. There are traditionally no limits to what you eat in the eating window (although obviously, this is not to be taken as a challenge).

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Benefits Of Intermittent Fasting

The chief benefit of fasting, in general, is weight loss. The overall philosophy behind it is that humans tend not to compensate fully for the energy lost during an extended period of fasting and that it is, therefore, easier to maintain a caloric deficit when using intermittent fasting. Assorted research has also suggested a plethora of other potential benefits to it, including lowering blood pressure, lowering your resting heart rate, and improving the concentrations of cholesterol and fats in your blood. It is not clear yet whether these benefits are specifically greater from intermittent fasting than from a standard diet, but it appears to be at least as effective, if not more. Animal research indicates that fasting may induce faster autophagy as well, although this is yet to be proven in human subjects.

Is Intermittent Fasting Right For You?

Despite its potential benefits, there are certain groups of people for whom intermittent fasting is certainly not to be advised. These include, but are not limited to, diabetic people (particularly those who take insulin), children (anyone under 18), pregnant or breastfeeding people, and anyone with a history or susceptibility to eating disorders.

So, if you are not in one of these groups, consider intermittent fasting as a dieting option: it is more interesting and less limiting than many other diets, and there are several potential health benefits. However, as always, it is good to reiterate the general warning that radical change to your diet should only ever be done in consultation with medical professionals, and should be ceased immediately if it is making you feel unwell—it should also be done in conjunction with sufficient hydration, and regular exercise. 

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