Intermittent fasting is an increasingly famous eating pattern that involves not eating or sharply restricting your food intake for specific periods.
This fasting method has been associated with a range of potential health advantages, including short-term developments in human growth hormone (HGH) and alterations to gene expression.
Such effects are connected to longevity and a lower risk of disease. This is why people who fast daily often hope to lose weight or live a healthier, peaceful, and longer life. You can also try any weight loss business opportunity.
However, fasting can be threatening if not done correctly.
Here are a few ways to help you fast safely.
- Keep Fasting Period Short
There is no one way to fast, meaning that the period of your fast is up to you.
Common regimens include:
The 5:2 Pattern:
Constraint your calorie intake for two days a week (500 calories a day for women and 600 for men).
The 6:1 Pattern:
This design is the same as the 5:2, but there’s only one day of decreased calorie intake instead of two.
“Eat Stop Eat”:
A 24-hour total fast 1–2 times per week.
The 16:8 Pattern:
This method involves only consuming food in an eight-hour style and fasting for 16 hours daily. Most of these regimes advise short, fast periods of 8–24 hours. Though, some people pick to undertake much longer fasts of 48 and even up to 72 hours. Fast short periods increase your risk of issues associated with fasting. This has dehydration, irritability, mood changes, fainting, hunger, a lack of energy, and inability to focus.
The best way to evade these side effects is to stick to a shorter fasting time of up to 24 hours — especially when you are just beginning it out.
If you want to double up your fasting period to more than 72 hours, you should seek medical supervision.
- Eat Small on Fasting Days
In general, fasting involves removing some or all food and drink for some time. However, you can remove food altogether on fast days; some fasting designs like the 5:2 diet let you consume up to around 25% of your calorie requirements in a day. If you desire to try fasting, constraining your calories so that you still eat small amounts on your fast days may be a better option than doing a full-blown fast. This method may help reduce some of the risks linked with fasting, like feeling faint, unfocused, and hungry. It may also make fasting sustainable since you likely won’t feel as hungry.
- Stay Hydrated
Mild dehydration can end up in fatigue, thirst, dry mouth, and headaches — so it’s essential to drink enough fluid on a fast.
Most health governing bodies recommend the 8×8 rule — eight 8-ounce glasses (just under 2 liters) of fluid every day — to keep yourself hydrated. Still, the actual amount of fluid you need — but likely in this range — is quite individual.
Since you get around 20–30% of the fluid your body needs from food, it’s pretty easy to get dehydrated while on a fast. Many people aim to take 8.5–13 cups (2–3 liters) of water during a fast over the day. Although your thirst should tell you when you need to drink more, so listen to your body.
- Go for a Walk or Mediate
Avoiding eating on fast days can be challenging, especially if you are feeling hungry and bored. One way to evade unintentionally breaking your fast is to keep yourself busy. Activities that may take you away from hunger — but don’t use up too much energy — including walking and meditating. Yet, any activity that’s calming and not too arduous would keep your mind engaged. You can read a book, take a bath, or listen to a podcast.
Bottomline
Fasting is the exercise of abstaining from food and beverages for some periods. Depending on how it’s done, it may improve your health. People may select to fast for dietary, religious, or political purposes. One popular pattern is intermittent fasting, in which you practice between periods of fasting and eating. To stay healthy during fasting, it’s best to keep brief periods short, evade intensive exercise, and keep yourself hydrated. Another best way to try is to get involved in any weight loss business opportunity. Eating enough protein and having a balanced diet when you’re not fasting can also maintain overall health and ensure successful fasts.
