Intermittent fasting: regimes, Recipes, and reviews of nutritionists
You can lose weight without straining yourself with debilitating diets. Intermittent fasting can help you lose weight and increase your metabolism. We deal with experts on how to correctly determine the intermittent fasting regimen without harming your health
Intermittent fasting is one of the most popular ways to lose weight today. It is based on the discovery that the Japanese biologist Yoshinori Osumi was awarded the Nobel Prize. True, the scientist did not develop a diet at all, but a way to fight cancer based on the self-destruction of cells, a fashionable diet born from a scientific discovery.
How does a periodic fasting process work?
Fasting intermittently is a type of diet, not a diet. The day is divided into periods when a person does not eat (hunger windows) and when he eats (food Windows). The duration of such windows can be different, and each person chooses for himself how long to abstain from food.
The essence of intermittent fasting is as follows. When a person feels hungry, the level of glucose in his blood decreases, and the production of insulin, which is responsible for delivering it to the cells, slows down.
In response to a decrease in insulin concentration, the production of the hormone glucagon is activated, which orders the cells to disassemble themselves. As a result, the metabolism is accelerated, and the body is replenished at the expense of its own resources.
the use of intermittent fasting
Adherents of intermittent fasting distinguish between short and long schemes. Short - this is when the "windows" of hunger are distributed for a day, and long - for weeks.
Intermittent fasting 16/8
16/8 when you don't eat anything for 16 hours, you drink only water, and in the remaining eight hours you can eat whatever you want. It is easier to maintain such a regime since most of the hunger window falls on sleep. For example, if you go to bed at 22.00, then the first meal will be allowed in time for dinner. The "food window" can accommodate 3-4 meals.
Intermittent fasting 14/10
14/10 - the same principle, only the hunger window is shorter-14 hours. Recommended for beginners.
Intermittent fasting 18/6
18/6 is a more strict scheme in which the number of meals is reduced to two.
Intermittent fasting 20/4
20/4 is the so-called"Warrior Diet". First, you need to withstand 20 hours without food, then one heavy dinner and one or two small snacks. This system is not recommended for regular use.
Intermittent fasting 24/0
24/0 is the strictest among short schemes, as it includes meals only once a day. For example, if you had breakfast at 10 am, then the next meal should be at 10 am the next day.
Important! It is believed that cells begin to actively renew themselves if they are silent for at least 12 hours and no more than three days. If the fast lasts less than 12 hours, then the nutrients contained in the food are enough to recover. If you fast for more than three days, the metabolism slows down, and the tissues begin to decompose.
Intermittent fasting 5/2
5/2-intermittent fasting for a week. 5 days you can eat as usual, and two days to completely starve or limit the number of calories to 500-600 kcal. At the same time, you do not need to fast two days in a row. You can, for example, refuse to eat on Wednesday and Saturday or Tuesday and Sunday.
Intermittent fasting for 36 hours
36 hours - this scheme assumes that you will have to stay without food for 1.5 days. For example, if you had breakfast at 8 am on Monday, then the next meal will not be until 8 pm on Tuesday.
Intermittent fasting for 48 hours
48 hours - two days without food. Such a scheme is far from possible for everyone, and it can only be used under the supervision of specialists so as not to harm your health.
Dry fasting and intermittent water
Beginners in intermittent fasting should not refuse fluids. But advanced interventionists often practice dry fasting, that is, they refuse not only food but also any drinks. With a water option, you can drink water, tea, and coffee without sugar, milk, as well as herbal infusions.
The benefits of intermittent fasting
Intermittent fasting is indicated for:
- Prevention of Type 2 diabetes ؛
- Acceleration of metabolism.
- Weight loss؛
- Lowering the level of "bad" cholesterol.
- Strengthen the body's defenses.
The harm of intermittent fasting
- The secretion of gastric juice is disturbed, which can lead to gastritis and peptic ulcer disease.
- Prolonged stagnation of bile can lead to cholecystitis and the formation of stones.
- The concentration of uric acid in the blood increases, which means an increased risk of gout and urolithiasis.
In general, intermittent fasting is contraindicated for people with problems of the gastrointestinal tract, gall bladder, kidneys, and eating disorders. and Type I diabetes, as well as pregnant women, and nursing mothers. and adolescents under 18 years of age. Intermittent fasting is. also not suitable for people prone to psychological overeating and chronic stress. Long hunger windows can lead to bulimia.
Important!
With intermittent fasting, you need to remember that weight loss occurs due to a lack of calories. Therefore, it is important to revise the calorie content of your diet, taking into account the optimal ratio of proteins, fats, and carbohydrates, and not forget about physical activity.
A menu for a week with intermittent fasting
Consider the beginner's scheme 16/8, according to which the body will receive all the necessary nutrients. For greater efficiency, it is better to divide the meal into 3 times, choosing complex carbohydrates and cereals for breakfast. and protein and vegetable foods for lunch and dinner.
Day 1
Breakfast: cottage cheese with fruit and honey, whole grain bread with nut butter.
Lunch: vegetable soup with chicken, bean salad, carrots, and tomato juice.
Dinner: protein omelet, a glass of low-fat kefir.
The second day
Breakfast: rice porridge, bread with jam, coffee with cream.
Lunch: baked chicken with mushrooms and vegetable salad.
Dinner: grilled salmon and low-fat cottage cheese.
Day 3
Breakfast: oatmeal, you can add a little butter, and seasonal berries.
Lunch: mashed tomato soup, tomato salad, and sweet peppers.
Dinner: steamed chicken fillet, 2-3 boiled eggs.
Fourth day
Breakfast: cheesecake with honey and fruits, tea with milk, Marshmallows.
Lunch: buckwheat, grilled chicken meat, cucumber, tomato salad, berry compote.
Dinner: tuna with grilled peppers and tomatoes.
Day 5
Breakfast: cottage cheese casserole with sour cream, tea with honey, dark chocolate.
Lunch: steamed Turkey fillet, grilled vegetables, freshly squeezed juice.
Dinner: boiled chicken, cucumber-tomato salad, parsley.
The sixth day
Breakfast: pasta with stewed vegetables, grilled redfish.
Lunch: okroshka on kefir and a glass of orange juice.
Dinner: protein omelet, shrimp, and vegetable salad.
The seventh day
Breakfast: tuna salad, boiled potatoes, freshly ground pepper, coffee, dried apricots.
Lunch: pasta from durum wheat, cucumber, and tomato.
Dinner: oven-baked turkey, boiled eggs, and cucumbers with sour cream.
There are various variations of the menu.
Recommended Products :
- Cheese and hard cheese ،
- Chicken, goose, or duck ،
- Pork and lamb meat
- Mushrooms،
- Nuts and nuts
- An egg،
- Tuna،
- Sour cream;،
- Cheese،
- Cream،
- Kefir
- Butter،
- Dark chocolate،
- Salmon, saury, Herring ،
- Cereal bread and biscuits ،
- Marshmallows, marmalade, and marmalade ،
- Honey،
- Dates, figs and dried apricots ،
- Bananas and apricots
- Strawberries, gooseberries ،
- Apples،
- Durum wheat pasta،
- Vegetables،
- Cereals.
Results
In a week of intermittent fasting, you can lose 2-3 extra pounds, and in a month - up to 6 kilograms. American scientists conducted a study and found that for 10 weeks of intermittent fasting. people lost about 3% of their body weight. At the same time, parting with excess weight was easier for men than for women. It is also noted that intermittent fasting is most effective for people aged 40-48 years.
Reviews of nutritionists
About who will benefit from intermittent fasting, and whether it is better to abandon this method of losing weight.
In general, intermittent fasting is a very useful tool that allows you to control weight, reduce insulin levels and not constantly think about food. But not everyone can go hungry. Intermittent fasting should not be practiced by people who have problems with the gastrointestinal tract and hormonal system, especially if there is a syndrome of overworked adrenal glands and thyroid dysfunction. Therefore, before starting intermittent fasting, you need to consult a doctor.
Weight should decrease as a result of intermittent fasting,
but there are nuances here. Meals should be complete, contain a sufficient amount, and be in the correct proportion of proteins, fats, and carbohydrates. Also, do not forget about fiber. Foods can be anything you are used to because this is an unrestricted diet. With a properly selected diet, the sugar level will be stable, and the feeling of hunger will not bother you.
Also, intermittent fasting can prevent neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer's disease, dementia, etc.
Another interesting effect is the stimulation of mitochondrial growth. These are power plants that are in every cell of our body and provide energy to the whole body.
Of all the types of intermittent fasting, in my opinion, the safest are 16/8 and 14/10.
What meals can you skip while practicing intermittent fasting?
The mode is selected based on individual preferences. They usually skip breakfast or dinner.
Can you exercise while fasting
Intermittent fasting is not a contraindication to exercise. However, if you skip breakfast, it is better to transfer the workout to the afternoon.
Is it true that intermittent fasting has a positive effect on insulin levels in the blood?
Intermittent fasting actually lowers insulin levels. Insulin is a very important hormone, but when there is too much of it, it is very bad. Cells lose their sensitivity, blood sugar rises, and there is a risk of developing diabetes.
In addition, insulin stimulates lipogenesis. which is the process of forming fat reserves from foods containing carbohydrates. With intermittent fasting, all these processes proceed in reverse order. which, of course, has a beneficial effect on the body.
Why during the food Windows you can not give up eating and stay away from sweets
Frequent small meals and excess sweets slow down autophagy (that is when the cell destroys itself). But small short-term stresses-on the contrary accelerating.
What can replace intermittent fasting
- Increase the intervals between meals: instead of 2.5-3 hours - 5-6. Get rid of snacks, and increase their portions of vegetables and fruits. Drink clean water between meals. And do not forget about physical activity.