Intermittent Fasting: Tips To Implement It

Intermittent fasting is a trendy health and fitness fad for those looking to lose weight, enhance their health, and simplify their lives. Numerous studies have found that intermittent fasting has strong impacts on the body and brain, and it may even help you live longer.

However, if not done appropriately, intermittent fasting can be difficult. This guide covers various ideas for fasting success, such as what to eat and drink, how to sleep, and so on.

What Is Intermittent Fasting?

Intermittent fasting is an eating pattern in which people restrict their meal intake to specific times of the day. Many studies indicate that it may offer benefits other than weight loss, such as better brain and heart health.

Intermittent fasting might include a 16-hour fast or fasting for 24 hours depending on your preferences. Intermittent fasting is also practised for religious or spiritual purposes in many religions, including Islam, Christianity, Judaism, and Buddhism.

Intermittent Fasting Tips To Succeed

Food has its own set of rules, and it has been around since the beginning of time, but intermittent fasting is difficult for many of us. You can simply implement intermittent fasting into your life if you follow the recommendations below.

1. Pay attention to the last meal

Consider your last meal before beginning intermittent fasting. It could have been a carb-heavy dinner like spaghetti, pizza, sushi, or avocado. These foods can cause an increase in blood sugar shortly after consumption.

As a result, the best way to begin intermittent fasting is with a low-carb meal rich in healthy fats and high-quality protein. Eating such meals will help your body to initiate a powerful biochemical cascade of satiety hormones with long-term effects, allowing you to avoid hunger for an extended period.

2. Take adequate amounts of liquids

Because a low insulin level can induce mild dehydration, your body requires extra fluids during fasting. As a result, drink enough liquids to keep your body’s water balance in check. However, do not consume alcohol when fasting as it is not advised.

Furthermore, drinking water may deceive your mind into thinking you are hungry and may help with food cravings.

3. Drink a glass of salt water

Your body uses mineral reserves while fasting, and a mineral deficit can produce fasting side effects such as muscle cramps, weariness, and headaches.

To address these difficulties, drink a pinch of salt in a glass of water when you feel weary or light-headed, or drink some sparkling water. These minerals will aid in the contraction and relaxation of your body’s muscles, as well as the transmission of nerve impulses from your nervous system to various body parts.

4. Have tea and coffee when hungry

It is common to feel hungry during fasting, and tea and coffee are permitted for practically every fasting routine. Tea and coffee are high in antioxidants, which help to reduce inflammation in the body, and they are also natural appetite suppressants.

A cup of tea can reduce appetite and stomach growling greatly. However, keep in mind that these drinks are diuretics, which means they will increase water and mineral excretion through increased urine. So, every time you have tea, drink a glass of water to keep your water electrolytes in balance.

5. Take enough sleep

When fasting, getting enough sleep is critical, and a lack of sleep can put your body in a stressful state, causing your adrenal glands to generate cortisol. This hormone has a detrimental impact on mood and can raise insulin levels even when not eating.

Furthermore, lack of sleep during fasting reduces the benefits of fasting and can make you hungrier, boosting sugar cravings.

Read Also: Sleep Apnea: Symptoms, Causes and Diagnosis

6. Take proper supplements

Some supplements, such as fat-soluble vitamins (vitamins A, D, E, and K) and iron, should be avoided during fasting because they require fat for absorption.

However, magnesium, vitamin C, and zinc are some nutrients that can help with fasting. Magnesium aids with muscle cramping and sleep, whereas vitamin C has antioxidant characteristics that can enhance fasting anti-inflammatory benefits.

If you are not allergic to zinc, you can take it during fasting to enhance cell regeneration and healing.

7. Keep patience in hunger waves

You will constantly have hunger waves that come and go when fasting. However, you must be patient because hunger does not linger long or grow greater over time. Wait a few minutes and then follow the suggestions above to stop your stomach from growling.

Also Read: Emotional eating: What you should know

8. Indulge in other activities

Keeping occupied throughout the fast is the best method to avoid thinking about food and counting the hours. Additionally, engage in tasks that your brain does not link with eating food, such as cleaning your house or learning a new language.

Furthermore, once you’ve decided to fast for the benefits and how much you’ll love the outcomes, adhere to your plans. Also, keep in mind that you only need to fast for a brief period before eating again.

Conclusion

Fasting should be included in your routine to ensure that you develop a strong habit over time. However, fasting can be difficult at first, but with these intermittent fasting guidelines, you can simply get through it.