Intermittent fasting is an eating pattern alternating between periods of feasting and fasting. Instead of focussing on foods one must eat, it rather emphasises on the timing at which one must eat them
Here you adhere to a 12-hour fasting window every day. The easiest way to follow this fast is to include the period of sleep in the fasting window. You can choose to fast between 7 pm and 7 am
It involves skipping food for 16 hours and restricting eating period to only 8 hours. This can be done if you’re okay with skipping breakfast. During the eating window, you fit in two or more meals but be careful about your calorie intake
This type of fasting involves completely stopping calorie intake for 24 hours, once or twice a week. Only water, coffee, and other zero-calorie beverages are allowed during the fasting period
In this method, you can only consume 500–600 calories on two non-consecutive days of the week. In the remaining five days, you are allowed to eat normally
This method involves fasting every other day. It is quite an extreme form of intermittent fasting and may not be suitable for beginners or for those suffering from chronic diseases
The most obvious benefit is that it helps in weight loss and decreasing belly fat. And as there is no need to track your calorie intake during your eating period, it is easy to follow once you get a hang of it
Intermittent fasting may even reduce bad LDL cholesterol, blood triglycerides, inflammatory markers, blood sugar, and insulin — all risk factors for heart diseases
Hunger is the biggest drawback as you may feel weak or dizzy during the fasting period. Since fasting periods are long, one may find it difficult to stick to the regimen
It is not always advisable for people with certain conditions, and those who are on certain medications. In these cases, it is better to take a doctor's opinion
It is not always advisable for people with certain conditions, and those who are on certain medications. In these cases, it is better to take a doctor's opinion