Today, there are many different diets, each claiming to be exceptional. In reality, many of them are based on a simple fundamental principle – caloric restriction. And there is scientific backing for this.
There is “even more science” in the diet we want to introduce you to in this article. Intermittent fasting combined with a low-carbohydrate diet is one of the most effective diets for weight loss and health benefits. Keep reading to find out why.
Main thoughts:
Facts about Intermittent Fasting. Fasting and Sweet Cravings
Intermittent low-carbohydrate fasting is one of the most effective diets for weight loss and a powerful tool in the fight against chronic diseases such as diabetes and cardiovascular issues.
Its health benefits, which will be discussed below, are the result of numerous internal changes in the functioning of the body, one of which is the switch from using carbohydrates to fats as the primary source of energy.
Intermittent fasting is the most effective diet for weight loss and reducing the risk of common chronic diseases (diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, cancer)
This diet is extremely popular today, widely publicized and discussed in scientific circles and in the media. And not without reason.
Look at what The Wall Street Journal 1 says:
“Some studies suggest that this new approach, which seems radical and difficult to implement at first glance, is actually easier to follow compared to daily calorie restriction. Experiments show that fasting has huge health benefits, even improving brain function.”
This quote refers to one of the varieties of intermittent fasting, the 5:2 diet 2. The essence of it is to eat for 5 days a week and fast for 2 days. Moreover, fasting on those 2 days does not mean complete abstinence from food, but rather limiting caloric intake to 1/4 of the usual amount (approximately 600 calories for men, 500 for women) and consuming enough water and tea.
There are many variations of fasting, and as you have already understood, we are not talking about the usual complete abstinence from food for an entire day (… a collective sigh of relief backstage ;)).
For the average person today, there is a very high intake of carbohydrates and sugars, which is the main cause of obesity (see The Harm of Sugar to the Human Body. Scientific Research). According to statistics, 85% of the population in America has impaired insulin sensitivity – a consequence of a very high amount of sugar in the diet.
Therefore, some scientists recommend practicing intermittent fasting every day, not just twice a week or a few times a year. This diet can retrain the body and wean it off the love for sweets.
This article will focus on daily intermittent fasting as a lifestyle.
In general, if you are in good health (no diabetes, normal blood pressure, normal cholesterol levels), you can continue living as you are. However, doctors like to joke, “There are no healthy people… only unexamined ones.”
Following certain principles is the key to success in various areas of life, from morality to… health. One of the principles related to nutrition will be discussed next. If you learn it and adhere to it consistently, it will significantly increase your chances of long-term weight normalization, as well as overall health.
The main cause of obesity today is the consumption of too many carbohydrates and sugars. Intermittent fasting can “wean” you off the craving for sweets
Recommended: High-Intensity Interval Training: the best exercises to lose weight
The Essence of Intermittent Fasting
To understand how one can both fast and eat every day, it is necessary to delve slightly into the basic principles of metabolism.
In our body, there are two main energy storage sites where excess calories consumed throughout the day are sent: fat and glycogen.
No matter what we do, any physical activity requires energy expenditure; even a state of rest, when we are motionless, is an apparent rest because as long as the body is alive, processes are constantly occurring inside that require energy supply – internal metabolism: each cell requires a constant influx of energy to live.
So, the mechanism for meeting energy demands from various organs and systems is as follows: first, glucose (your pastries and natural sugars) present in the blood after a meal is used, after it is depleted, glycogen is utilized, and then fat.
On average, to burn all the carbohydrates consumed during the day and stored as glycogen, it takes about 8-12 hours. What does this mean? It means that practically none of us ever depletes glycogen stores during the day to start burning fat for energy, as we are constantly eating and snacking from the moment we wake up until we go to sleep. That’s why we don’t lose weight.
With this rhythm, the body seems to get used to burning sugar first, rather than fat. Therefore, after a portion of sweets, the feeling of hunger returns very quickly.
Important: If you limit your eating window to 8 hours a day, and keep the body in a state of fasting for the remaining 16 hours, this will be enough to deplete glycogen and start burning fat. This is the essence of intermittent fasting.
For those who love to eat, this is not easy, but agree, it is much easier than fasting for 24 hours.
Recommended: Ketogenic diet for weight loss, body drying, and… against cancer
For example, you can choose a window from 11 AM to 7 PM for eating: the usual breakfast is shifted a couple of hours, and in the evening, the well-known rule of “not later than 7 PM” applies.
As a result, we will have 16 hours “without food,” which is equivalent to two time intervals necessary to deplete glycogen stores and initiate the process of using fats (= weight loss).
Does this mean that from 11 AM to 7 PM you can eat anything and in any quantity? Of course not.
It is important to understand that intermittent fasting is not a diet in the strict sense, but a dietary regimen that utilizes the features of our body’s functioning for weight loss.
What we eat within this regime determines our health and weight loss effectiveness.
It is primarily about carbohydrates. Their restriction is a central principle of all the most effective diets for weight loss. This is a working principle confirmed by scientific research.
That is why we consider intermittent fasting in combination with a low-carbohydrate diet as the most effective approach to weight loss.
The essence of intermittent fasting is to limit the eating window to 8 hours a day to allow the body to use up all glycogen and switch to using fat.
We recommend: What to do to lose weight or How to lose weight WITHOUT SPORTS
Why intermittent low-carbohydrate fasting is so effective: the mechanism of action
1 Improved insulin sensitivity
Intermittent fasting positively affects the body’s sensitivity to insulin.
Sugar is a quick source of energy. When there is too much of it in the diet, it negatively impacts insulin sensitivity, the main function of which is to neutralize sugar in the blood.
Impaired insulin sensitivity is the main cause of some chronic killer diseases today: cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, cancer.
Important: Scientific studies indicate that when the body learns to primarily use fat instead of sugar (glucose) for energy, which occurs during intermittent low-carbohydrate fasting, the risk of the aforementioned chronic diseases significantly decreases.
Moreover, such a dietary regime can even prevent the development of cancer and be used for its treatment, as cancer cells cannot use fat for energy: they feed on sugar!
Intermittent fasting improves the body’s insulin sensitivity, which is impaired by excess sugar in the diet and is one of the important factors in the development of diabetes, cancer, and cardiovascular diseases.
2 Reduction of oxidative processes
During fasting, the number of dangerous free radicals in the cell decreases, which damage proteins, lipids, and nucleic acids inside the cell and are known factors in aging and the development of chronic diseases.
3 Increasing the ability to resist emotional stress, aging, and diseases
Fasting increases the ability of cells to withstand stress (similarly to physical exercise). This is explained by genetic-level changes that enhance the ability to resist stress, diseases, and aging.
Recommended: How to lose belly fat and how effective are only abdominal exercises?
4 Increasing growth hormone levels
In addition to the fact that intermittent fasting reduces the desire to eat sweets and fast food, training the body to efficiently burn fat, modern science confirms many other health benefits.
For example, in one study 5 presented in 2011 at a scientific conference at the American College of Cardiology, it was shown that fasting stimulates a colossal increase in growth hormone: by 1300% in women and by 2000% in men!
Growth hormone is sometimes called the fitness hormone, as it plays an important role in muscle mass growth and weight loss. To enhance these effects, bodybuilders often administer it via injections.
This fact indicates that even athletes can benefit from intermittent fasting (provided they maintain proper and complete nutrition).
Let us remind you that significant increases in natural growth hormone levels are also supported by high-intensity interval training, which is considered one of the best exercises for weight loss, much more effective than traditional running, swimming, or cycling.
5 Normalization of insulin and leptin sensitivity
Leptin is the hormone responsible for the feeling of satiety. Excessive carbohydrate intake (especially sugar and fructose) can disrupt sensitivity to its action. The result is uncontrollable hunger -> overeating -> obesity.
This is why we often see overweight people constantly and excessively chewing.
6 Normalization of ghrelin hormone levels
The hormone ghrelin acts oppositely to leptin: when its level rises, the feeling of hunger appears.
It is evident that the disruption of this appetite control mechanism (ghrelin levels are high in a satiated state) will also lead to overeating and an increase in fat mass.
7 Reduction of inflammatory processes and the degree of damage from free radicals
8 Reduction of triglyceride levels in the blood (cholesterol)
9 Improvement of memory function and learning ability
10 Intermittent fasting is also beneficial for maintaining a healthy gut microbiome, which is known to determine overall body health: immunity depends on its condition by 80%.
Intermittent fasting causes a colossal increase in the natural level of growth hormone: by 1300% in women and by 2000% in men!
Recommended: The best natural fat burners and weight loss products
Intermittent low-carb fasting – the most effective diet for weight loss
Intermittent/periodic fasting is one of the most effective diets for weight loss.
Important
: At first, it may seem difficult to implement. But as the body switches to using fats (rather than carbohydrates) primarily, the acute cravings to eat characteristic of a carbohydrate diet will disappear.
Look at the conclusions of scientists from an experiment 4 that studied the effectiveness of intermittent fasting for weight loss compared to calorie restriction in overweight women.
Overall, intermittent fasting was found to be more effective for weight loss and increasing insulin sensitivity than regular calorie restriction:
“The experiment was conducted over 3 months; all participants were divided into three groups, each of which had their diet caloric intake restricted by 25% from normal.
The first group consumed only low-carb food two days in a row each week, the second group consumed low-carb and low-calorie food also two days a week; the third group simply restricted calories.
Participants in the first two groups, following the intermittent diet, lost weight twice as much as participants in the third group, who simply restricted calories. Additionally, a higher percentage of participants in the first two groups lost weight: 65% compared to 40% in the third group.”
When transitioning to intermittent fasting, it may take from several weeks to months for the body to learn to activate fat-burning enzymes for actively using fats as energy.
How long should intermittent fasting last?
The intermittent fasting regimen can be stopped when weight normalizes. If, of course, there are no issues with blood pressure, cholesterol, and you do not have diabetes; if these conditions are present, it is better not to stop.
Overall, intermittent fasting is a great principle for life if you want to avoid the constant “lose weight-gain weight” cycle and lose weight forever without harming your health.
Intermittent fasting is the most effective diet for weight loss (even compared to simple calorie restriction); if adopted as a lifestyle principle, it can lead to permanent weight loss without harming health.
Recommended: How to lose weight in the face and cheeks to “get cheekbones”? Recommendations from scientists
Intermittent fasting is beneficial for brain health
Intermittent fasting is effective in preventing brain diseases, particularly Alzheimer’s. From the results of one study:
“Fasting for short periods of time from 16 to 24 hours induces a mild stress state in the body, in which the brain releases a certain protein (neurotrophic factor) that stimulates the growth and strengthening of neurons and other cells, enhancing their activity.
Just as exercise makes muscles stronger and promotes their growth, fasting makes the brain stronger and also promotes its growth. The chemicals released in the body during fasting can also improve mood.”
– says Dr. Mattson, a researcher at the National Institute on Aging in the USA. He studies the benefits of intermittent fasting and calorie restriction for health.
One of Dr. Mattson’s findings is that fasting stimulates the release of the aforementioned brain-activating protein by 50-400% 6, depending on the area of the brain.
This protein stimulates the creation of new nerve cells and the release of other chemicals that ensure brain health. It also protects brain cells from changes characteristic of Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases.
Interestingly, the neurotrophic factor also plays an important role in maintaining the function of muscle neurotransmitters, which facilitate the contraction of muscle cells. Without them, muscles are like an engine without fuel.
Thus, the brain-activating protein is involved in both brain and muscle function. This explains why physical exercise is beneficial for brain health and why the combination of intermittent fasting with high-intensity exercise is very beneficial for health.
Recommended: The harm of fat burners and side effects: what makes natural supplements dangerous?
Periodic low-carb fasting: how to start, guide
1 Eating regimen
To begin with, plan your diet in such a way that you consume food only within an 8-hour window. To do this, you can move breakfast to 11 AM and dinner to 6 PM or 7 PM. That’s it. Outside of this window, eating is forbidden.
2 What you can/cannot eat
Almost completely eliminate carbohydrates (pasta, bread, potatoes, sweets, pastries, and all that, you understand perfectly what we mean here ;)).
Instead, increase the amount of healthy fats (eggs, avocado, coconut oil, olive oil, nuts, butter).
Also, if you are a meat-eater, limit your protein intake (1 g per kilogram of lean body mass; i.e., if your body fat percentage is 20% and you weigh 100 kg, then your lean body mass is 100 kg * 80% = 80 kg; the daily protein norm is ~ 80 g).
This diet, combined with intermittent fasting, will train your body to burn fats for energy first, rather than carbohydrates.
On average, it takes about two weeks for the body to switch to fat-burning mode. When this happens, you will be able to go without food for up to 18 hours without feeling hungry.
The hunger that most people experience is simply a craving for sweets; it disappears when you switch to using fats for energy primarily, rather than carbohydrates.
If you are diabetic, pregnant, or a breastfeeding mother, it is better for you to avoid any fasting plans. The same applies to those in a state of chronic stress. Athletes with high energy expenditure and a high protein requirement should also be cautious with various diet plans.
