IN 2020 AND, AS EVERY SINGLE YEAR, THERE ARE COUNTLESS NEW DIETS AND HACKS TO GET PEOPLE REACHING THEIR HEALTH AND BEAUT Y RESOLUTIONS – MANY OF WHICH WERE PROBABLY ABANDONED BY MID-JANUARY, SADLY – BUT THERE IS ONE IDEA THAT HAS CAPTIVATED THE WORLD AND OUR VERY OWN HEALTH GURU ANAHI BROWN, WHO WANTS TO TALK TO YOU ALL ABOUT INTERMITTENT FASTING…

Regardless of the possible side effects or posterior issues of any quick weight loss or fad fitness trend, deep down we’re all just looking for a fast way for results. Aren’t we? One of those loud and in-your-face contenders, which has been getting more coverage since 2019, is Intermittent Fasting (IF), an approach where calorie consumption is limited to windows of time, either daily or weekly, which could result in lower calories consumption and, through it, weight loss.

But, is IF safe and, moreover, effective in the long run? Nutritional consultant and IF mentor, Anahi Ortiz-Prieto, tackles this Nutritional and Health craze from a sciencebased and research-backed perspective, to empower you to view (and even play with) this approach feeling clear about do’s, don’ts and everything else in between. Truth be told, there is a lot that comes to mind when we mention fasting. From religious fasts to medical ones, most of us have had an experience around fasting for as little as 8 hours (in the end, we fast in our sleep) and as long as few days. Thus, many of us will have our own preconceive ideas about what fasting means.

In lay terms, we can say that Fasting is the intentional abstinence from consuming some or all food, drinks, or both, for any period of time. It isn’t a new concept nor a revolutionary one. In fact, it has been part of human culture and tradition since evolution, embedding itself into our genetic makeup and anatomy even, as well as becoming a big element in several ancestral belief systems.

In fact, we could say that, from a biological perspective, especially when considering the lifestyles of our ancestors until the last five to eight decades, fasting is more natural and normal for our bodies than the concept of eating three to five meals each day.

When it comes to fasts, there are many different kinds, each with distinctive purposes, approaches and benefits. Having said that, when talking about Intermittent Fasting, we discuss a process that involves cycling between periods of eating and periods of fasting, usually ranging from a few hours to a few days at a time.

With IF the person decides when they will eat, how many calories and the quality of them, in order to differentiate between fasted state and fed state, which signals the body’s endocrine system to shift the production of hormones and other chemicals.

THE COMMON BENEFITS OF INTERMITTENT FASTING:

Beyond the widen use of fasts and other restricting ideas to lose weight in short amounts of time, Studies have revealed that IF offers powerful effects on the body, particularly around muscle recovery, mental clarity and general brain health, not to mention support with optimal longevity.

Here are some of the benefits that Intermittent Fasting offers to a normal person who isn’t dealing with any preconditions or disorders:

• Supports a naturally healthy weight through maintaining a calorie deficit consistently;
• Increases lean muscle mass;
• Increases growth hormone secretion;
• Improves insulin sensitivity;
• Reduces inflammation at a cellular level;
• Promotes detoxification by minimizing the efforts of the liver to process food constantly;
• Improves the immune system
• Supports skin rejuvenation by controlling hormonal health and supporting a better gut;
• Enhances heart health by improving blood pressure and reducing the bad cholesterol levels;
• Aids in cancer prevention and increases the effectiveness of chemotherapy
• Increases brain health and clarity by augmenting the production of neurotrophic growth factor
• Promotes cellular repair processes;
• Supports anti-aging physical hormonal process and extends longevity; and Boosts brain function, even helping prevent neurodegenerative disorders.

However, there are two amazing mindset benefits that come from a very intuitive and holistic approach that tend not be ignored (even when they are among the biggest paybacks there are:

• IF helps you relearn what hunger feels like for you, which can result in a more intuitive and wholesome approach to food and nourishment; and
• It supports you in building mental, physical and emotional resiliency and discipline, allowing you to discover any dysfunctional thoughts or habits around food, eating and mindfulness.

WHO IS INTERMITTENT FASTING FOR?

Now, you might be reading this and wondering where this amazing tool was when you needed it the most (regardless of the reason why you needed it!) or even if you might be a good candidate for it now. In general, IF is great for individuals with good health overall. However, these people should be refrain from fasting for long periods of time:

• Anyone pregnant or on the first week’s post-partum;
• Anyone struggling with low blood sugar issues; and
• Anyone who is in recovery from an eating disorder.

TYPES OF FASTS AVAILABLE:

As we discussed before, fasting, being such an ancestral tradition, could look different for different people. Here are some of the most common Intermittent Fasting options out there:

• 5:2 Diet – On this approach, individuals maintain their normal calorie consumption for 5 days and then commit for two nonconsecutive days to a low calorie diet (of up to 600Cals);
• 16:8, 20:4 and 18:6 Intermittent Fasting Styles – All of these start from a similar premise: There are long windows of time where the individual maintains and fasted status, and then refueling happens in one or two meals only and for a timed period of time only; and
• Eat-Stop-Eat – This approach maintains normalcy on most of the meals, most days and then add totally 24hrs fasted days through the week As you can see, the options to try and play with Intermittent Fasting are countless and, with enough guidance and awareness, the benefits are endless.

My best advice? Start experimenting with it with as little as 12hrs daily and, if working, work yourself into longer fasted periods on your time. After all, beyond losing some weight, there’s virtually little that could go wrong for you and the gains are abundant! ✤

GO: VISIT WWW.ANAHIBROWN.COM FOR MORE INFORMATION.