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With all the rage on intermittent fasting and its benefits, its no secret many people are very infatuated with it. Many claim the benefits of intermittent fasting to be helpful with bloating, overeating and controlling your portions throughout the day. However, is intermittent fasting all it’s cracked up to be?
Today we will talk about some scientific studies on IF that have been shown to be both negative and positive.
Before we get into it, I just want to say that I do and don’t intermittent fast. I like it on the days where I am going to work because I feel like it really does give my body a reset and makes me feel refreshed and not so bloated! I also notice that I control my eating a lot better and don’t get hungry as often as I normally do. With that said, I do fast but I am NOT strict with it and I actually just try my best not to snack throughout the day and try to fast in the night for at least 12 hours. For example, if my last meal was at 8 pm, then I will eat again in the morning (if I am hungry) at about 830 sometimes later. It just gives my digestion a break and helps me feel better and stay focused!
So without further ado, let’s see what the professionals have to say about IF and if it’s dangerous, what you should avoid, and some of the benefits of IF.
The Truth About Intermittent Fasting
How does it work and what is it?
According to Healthline, they explain the scientific reason for why and how it works so well for weight loss and controlling hunger:
“Short-term fasting leads to several changes in the body that make fat burning easier. This includes reduced insulin, increased growth hormone, enhanced epinephrine signaling and a small boost in metabolism” Kris Gunnars, Healthline
Intermittent fasting is a way of eating where you take a break between the times you eat and don’t eat. So there are many different methods for doing it but the most popular way of doing it is the 16:8 which means you will fast for 16 hours and eat healthy foods in the 8-hour time slot you have. Once the 8 hours is up, you stop eating until the fast is over!
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Is intermittent fasting safe, healthy, or dangerous?
So you hear about all these amazing facts and benefits of IF but what about the bad? Not many people talk about this because they are the ones that do it and maybe they don’t want to see the bad.
According to an interview with Men’s Health, Sai Das, an associate professor at Tufts University’s Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy, explains that, “there is no evidence to show that is harmful,” but, “we cannot say across the board that it’s safe for everyone.”
Another article on Medical News today has Ana Claudia Munhoz Bonassa and her colleagues work on the testing of Intermittent fasting and its effects on those who have diabetes. She explains that
“although this diet may lead to early, rapid weight loss, in the long-term there could be potentially serious damaging effects to their health, such as the development of type 2 diabetes.” She also mentions that “ intermittent fasting diets may actually damage the pancreas and affect insulin function in normal healthy individuals, which could lead to diabetes and serious health issues.”
So with that said, it’s important to talk to your doctor before attempting this way of eating because it might not be so great for you and your body!
However, you don’t have to fast to lose weight or be healthy, Monique Tello of Harvard Medical school has some important tips for better health and wellbeing:
– Avoid sugars and refined grains. Instead, eat fruits, vegetables, beans, lentils, whole grains, lean proteins, and healthy fats (a sensible, plant-based, Mediterranean-style diet).
– Let your body burn fat between meals. Don’t snack. Be active throughout your day. Build muscle tone.
– Consider a simple form of intermittent fasting. Limit the hours of the day when you eat, and for best effect, make it earlier in the day (between 7 am to 3 pm, or even 10 am to 6 pm, but definitely not in the evening before bed).
– Avoid snacking or eating at nighttime, all the time.
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The Benefits of Intermittent Fasting
Even though this may seem like I am dragging on IF, there are some health benefits to short term fasting. Some of the benefits that are scientifically proven are the following:
Some of the benefits I personally notice are the following and one of the reasons why I like to do it sometimes:
1. Fewer sugar cravings
2. Its easier to eat healthier
3. It can be cheaper to eat 2 meals a day
4. Gets rid of bloating and helps me sleep better
5. Noticeable weight loss and more energy (could be because of extra sleep and a decrease in water weight)
Intermittent sounds great! You decrease your insulin levels and lose weight that sounds great where do I sign up?
NOT SO FAST. Lol, see what I did there?!
There are a few other facts to fasting that need to be surfaced about fasting before thinking about trying this method. First, fasting has been around since Adam and Eve, it is for religious purposes of clearing your mind to hear Gods voice and feeling clean.
I am going to say this on a religious standpoint but fasting should not be for aesthetic or health reasons only because the point of fasting is to pray and think clearly to God, to show Him that you are doing it for Him so you can listen to Him. People would do it in times of need like Daniel or Esther. Typically when we fast as Christians, we are doing it when we have a tough decision to make and need to think about it, we need His guidence. Not only that, fasting for man is considered unacceptable according to the bible and you are more easily tempted in a fasted state according to 1 Corinthians 7:5. It is crucial we use Him as a crutch when fasting for the right reasons because the flesh is weak, and we can only fast properly with God. 
Here are only a few bible verses on Fasting:
1 Corinthians 4:7
2 Samuel 1:12
Acts 13:2
Daniel 10:3
Esther 4:16
Intermittent fasting can be restrictive
A lot of people tend to overthink fasting way too much because they overdo it. It’s important to give your body breaks in between meals and eat with a purpose rather than eating all day long.
According to Maggie Ryan, a writer over at PopSugar Fitness, explains that intermittent fasting did help her with her overeating and bloating BUT it became harmful for her mental health and the way she felt about eating in general,
“I was just hungrier, and forcing myself to start and stop eating at certain times felt more and more like restriction and deprivation. The closer it got to 8 p.m., the more panicky I would get, trying to cram down food as fast as I could.”
Maggie also said that it helped her get on track but it wasn’t good for her lifestyle, she also states a very helpful tip you should consider when starting anything new with a healthy lifestyle,
“When a workout or an eating plan gets to that point where you have to force yourself to do it, where you no longer feel good about doing it, I think that’s a wake-up call. That’s your body saying that this isn’t right for you anymore.”
You can read Maggie’s article here!
So when starting to try intermittent fasting, consider with a grain of salt and ask your doctor before doing a long term fast. Also consider if you are doing it selfishly or for others or maybe even God.
The Take-Aways:
1. Proceed with caution and make sure you do your research first. Which if you are reading this post means you are curious about it. I want to make one thing clear, it is NOT bad to fast! Just do it correctly to make sure it’s right for you!
2. Have a plan in place
3. Don’t do it for a long time or continuous
4. If you are feeling negative about it, stop doing it
5. Do it for the right reasons
6. Try giving your digestion a break by doing a 12 hour fast from 6 pm to 6 am! Stop eating after dinner!
7. Follow the health tips from Monique and you will lose weight naturally without even having to fast for 16-18 hours a day.
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There you have it. The truth about intermittent fasting! Obviously, every body is different and is important to listen to the signs of your body and to do what is best for you. As I have stated before, only do what you feel comfortable with and just because something is great for one person doesn’t mean it will work for another!
So, what are your thoughts and experiences on intermittent fasting? Have you tried it or consider it? Do you hate it, love it, in between? Do you ever take breaks with your eating? What is YOUR REASON for fasting in the first place?
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xoxo,
Dacia
