Fasting and intermittent fasting for weight loss: Types and safety of intermittent fasting
17 Fasting and Intermittent Fasting Methods for Weight Loss
In recent years, fasting for weight loss has attracted considerable attention, even becoming quite popular among business people. Meanwhile, in the West...
Intermittent fasting has become very popular among white-collar workers, and related books are bestsellers worldwide.
Fasting diet
Fasting, also known as fasting, refers to a period of time during which one does not eat any food and only drinks water, or eats only very small amounts of food.
Fruits and vegetables should be consumed for at least 24 hours. There are 1-day, 3-day, 1-week, and 2-week fasting methods both domestically and internationally.
Food, etc.
Fasting for weight loss has always been controversial. Some people believe that this method can "reset the metabolic pattern," making people...
"Like being reborn," it claims to help with weight loss and fat reduction, leading to a "light and youthful body"; however, some believe this approach is very unsafe and risky.
Large. There is also controversy in the academic community regarding this; some scholars believe that doing so can enhance autophagy and thus delay aging.
Some scholars believe that doing so will cause malnutrition and harm health.
Fasting for only one day does not pose a significant health risk, because during periods of low physical activity, as long as the pancreas...
Glucagon can function by drawing on the body's existing glycogen reserves and a small amount of amino acids to enter the gluconeogenesis pathway.
Maintaining relatively stable blood sugar levels is essential for maintaining the normal function of the brain's nervous system. Muscle tissue can utilize...
Fatty acids provide energy.
However, after fasting for 2-3 days, the body's stored glycogen is depleted, and the body mainly relies on protein breakdown products.
The amino acids produced and the small amount of glycerol produced from the breakdown of fats are used to generate gluconeogenesis. Ketone bodies produced from the breakdown of fatty acids are then converted into glucose.
Once in the bloodstream, ketone bodies gradually begin to be used by the heart instead of glucose as an energy source. Afterward, the body's glucose...
As the supply dwindles, the brain gradually begins to use ketone bodies to partially replace glucose as an energy source.
Therefore, protein degradation becomes crucial for survival after fasting. Having more muscle reserves is beneficial.
Those with higher fat reserves are more tolerant of fasting. Additionally, the amount of fat stored also affects the body's ability to withstand fasting.
Influence.
For obese individuals who consume large amounts of food daily, studies have shown that fasting can lead to weight loss and a decrease in body fat percentage.
It has effects such as lowering blood pressure and blood lipids. During fasting, the body, in order to survive, must eliminate harmful substances.
Older cells break down excess fat and cholesterol, and the number of gut microbes decreases, giving the gut microbiota an opportunity to readjust.
Furthermore, after a fast, because one cannot quickly resume a lifestyle of consuming large amounts of meat and alcohol, there is a certain degree of difficulty.
To some extent, it can reduce the burden on the liver and gastrointestinal tract, allowing the bodies of business people with frequent social engagements to breathe.
This provides an opportunity to prevent their high cholesterol and high blood pressure from worsening.
Many people believe that Taoist, Buddhist, and yoga practitioners all practice fasting, therefore fasting is safe.
This idea is incorrect. Fasting puts the body into a state of stress, causing excessive ketone bodies to accumulate in the blood, while also resulting in a lack of minerals.
This substance can cause electrolyte imbalance and acid-base imbalance, posing a significant danger without proper training.
Those who provide guidance should never act rashly, especially without assessing their own physical condition, without prior preparation, and without medical advice.
Never attempt this under supervision. People with poor liver or kidney function, or those with poor blood sugar control, should especially avoid sudden fasting.
Extremely dangerous. Only in certain medical conditions, after a physical examination and comprehensive evaluation, under the guidance of a doctor and relevant specialists, can such cases be diagnosed.
You can only try it under the guidance of a family member.
Furthermore, fasting for more than 3 days can cause a severe decline in gastrointestinal function, damage and thinning of the digestive tract mucosa, and impaired digestion.
Reduced secretion of digestive fluids and decreased digestive motility. Therefore, a proper procedure must be followed when re-ingesting food.
Start with the easiest-to-digest liquid starchy foods and gradually increase the amount.
Domestic researchers have provided a week-long guidance program on reduced food intake and fasting to female university students with a BMI over 28. The program started with 3...
On the first day, reduce food intake and transition to a vegetarian and semi-liquid diet. On the fourth day, fast, and then gradually resume normal eating over the next three days.
I transitioned to a semi-liquid diet, gradually reducing to a vegetarian diet, while also engaging in 2 hours of yoga daily. This resulted in weight gain and improved physique.
The effects of decreased body fat percentage and reduced waist circumference (Lei Yu et al., 2018). Because of professional guidance, fasting for only one...
It takes days, and there are procedures for reducing and refeeding before and after fasting, so it does not pose any obvious risks.
Animal studies simulating the fasting state of coal miners trapped underground have found that when the fasting period is short, animals...
The animals' cognitive and memory abilities improved slightly. However, as the fasting period lengthened, their cognitive and memory abilities significantly decreased.
Decline (Bai Junqing et al., 2016).
Domestic animal studies have found that fasting with water and fasting with fruit juice (fasting for 72 hours every two weeks) can reduce obesity.
Significant changes were observed in the gut microbiota of obese rats, with improved microbiota structure. Simultaneously, body weight and blood cholesterol levels decreased.
There was a slight decrease. However, the results were not all positive; fasting caused a decrease in glucose tolerance in experimental animals, and relapse...
Blood sugar levels rise after eating (Rong Zuhua, 2017). In other words, fasting makes the body's ability to control blood sugar more...
It's not good.
Why does this happen? It's actually quite easy to understand. During fasting, the body breaks down muscle tissue.
Muscle tissue is the most important peripheral tissue for storing and consuming blood glucose.
Once muscle mass decreases, blood sugar control...
Their abilities will decline accordingly. Domestic and international studies have long confirmed that people who experienced a great famine during their childhood (during famine)...
The experience of famine (which, in a sense, is like fasting) carries a lower risk of developing diabetes in adulthood compared to those who have not experienced famine.
rise.
Multiple animal husbandry studies have found that refeeding after a short period of fasting does not affect the long-term weight gain of animals.
This also illustrates that while short-term fasting may result in temporary weight loss, it ultimately leads to long-term consequences if the diet remains unchanged.
This doesn't change the fact that one can eat whatever one wants, and in the long run, it won't lead to weight loss. This principle applies to people...
The same applies.
It's understandable that after safe fasting under professional guidance, if one can change previous unhealthy lifestyle habits,
Start living a healthy life from now on: choose a diet that controls post-meal blood sugar, reduce oily and rich foods, exercise regularly, and build muscle.
Meat should provide health benefits; however, if one relies on a once-a-year fast, then daily life becomes unhealthy.
However, excessive drinking and eating, coupled with a lack of exercise, may not necessarily lead to beneficial health results. This is regrettable.
Unfortunately, some people are unaware of this.