Your body relies on glucose as fuel when eating regularly; but after prolonged fasting periods without food intake, your metabolism switches from burning sugar for energy production to using fat instead–an amazing process known as metabolic switching.
According to a USC study, cycles of fasting-mimicking diets reduce inflammation and rejuvenate metabolism. But how can this eating plan fit into your life?
1. It Helps You Lose Weight
Intermittent fasting may not only be used to lose weight, but it is an effective means of doing so. Studies have demonstrated its success at helping individuals shed excess pounds by restricting calories on specific days of the week – something which may prove particularly helpful if traditional dieting and weight loss pills don’t seem to do.
One popular intermittent fasting plan is the 5:2 diet, which involves eating normally five days out of seven and restricting intake to two 500-calorie meals on other non-fasting days. While this type of intermittent fasting diet can aid weight loss, it’s wise to consult your physician first as some plans require long periods without food which could prove risky.
Scientists have demonstrated how intermittent fasting can provide vital protection from heart disease by lowering triglycerides and cholesterol, two risk factors of cardiovascular issues. Furthermore, studies have also indicated it as being beneficial to people suffering from asthma by decreasing inflammation which often contributes to their symptoms.
Intermittent fasting not only aids heart disease prevention but it may also assist in slowing chronic disease due to age by protecting DNA and slowing cell damage. A recent study from researchers at USC Leonard Davis School of Gerontology demonstrated this by finding that eating nutritiously in cycles similar to fasting helps lower metabolic disease risk factors and slow biological aging among healthy adults.
If you want to explore intermittent fasting for its potential anti-age benefits, connect with BioAge Health dietitian. A registered dietitian can review your health history and administer an exam to ascertain whether this eating pattern fits with your lifestyle.
2. It Helps You Burn Fat
Intermittent fasting can be an excellent way to help you shed unwanted weight. Our bodies store energy as sugar in our bloodstream; when you go hours without eating, insulin levels drop and your body starts using that stored glucose as fuel instead, which leads to weight loss. Furthermore, intermittent fasting may help control both appetite and cravings – two more benefits of intermittent fasting!
Studies demonstrate the anti-aging benefits of cutting calories, including reduced risk for heart disease and diabetes. Unfortunately, maintaining such a diet for extended periods often leaves us hungry and exhausted.
Before beginning an intermittent fasting diet, it’s wise to consult your physician first. They will review your health history and perform an exam to ensure there are no conditions, like diabetes, that might interfere with intermittent fasting.
Intermittent fasting can also be an excellent way for individuals who need to manage their blood sugar or blood pressure, since it reduces carb intake. Be sure to speak to a registered dietitian regarding how much protein your diet requires in order to achieve optimal health.
BioAge Health provides physician-supervised intermittent fasting services in Eagan and the Twin Cities area of Minnesota. Our team can teach you to follow the ProLon Fasting Mimicking Diet, which uses time restriction to produce anti-ageing effects similar to caloric restriction. Contact us or book an appointment online today.
3. It Helps You Sleep Better
As obesity rates in Western societies rise, many are turning to intermittent fasting as an effective weight-loss strategy – as an added bonus it has also been found to aid sleep quality!
Eating on a set schedule helps reinforce circadian rhythms, which regulate many biological functions including appetite and the sleep-wake cycle. Although sunlight serves as the primary cue, food also plays a significant role in this regard and should be eaten around set mealtimes for optimal sleeping habits. Furthermore, what type of foods you eat close to bedtime has an impactful influence; heavy meals close to sleep time may result in acid reflux or heartburn that prevent restful slumber.
Researchers believe intermittent fasting can improve sleep by restricting caloric intake, giving the digestive system time to rest, and increasing human growth hormone production which burns fat, restores muscle, and promotes cellular repair – helping you wake up feeling revitalized and refreshed!
People living with chronic health conditions like asthma and diabetes may find intermittent fasting enhances their sleep if they consume low-glycemic, high-quality foods that support fasting for an extended period. Fasting for extended periods helps reduce inflammation in the lungs that trigger asthma symptoms while low glycemic diets help lower blood sugar and control glucose levels, thus improving their sleeping quality and helping with diabetic management.
BioAge Health provides physician-supervised intermittent fasting in Eagan and Twin Cities area through ProLon Fasting Mimicking Diet to maximize its anti-ageing benefits. Contact us to set up your appointment and learn more about this approach to anti-ageing!
4. It Helps You Stay Active
Intermittent fasting can help ensure that you have enough energy to stay active. By switching away from using sugar as its main fuel and instead burning stored fat for energy, intermittent fasting allows your body to shift away from circulating blood sugar and towards burning stored fat for energy, giving you more energy than if eating regularly did.
Intermittent fasting can also help keep you active by decreasing inflammation. Chronic low-grade inflammation has been linked to weight gain and can cause fat cells to release compounds that contribute to further inflammation; with intermittent fasting you can break this cycle by prompting your body to produce more anti-inflammatory compounds, like adiponectin.
Intermittent fasting has become increasingly popular as a weight-loss solution, yet healthcare professionals caution that before beginning any restrictive diet like intermittent fasting it should first be discussed with them and possibly with their physician(s). Intermittent fasting may not be suitable for people at risk of losing muscle mass or with certain health conditions like hypothyroidism, diabetes or heart disease.
While clinical studies show promising results of intermittent fasting, it’s important to keep in mind that fasting alone is no panacea. Eating healthily during non-fasting periods and exercising regularly are still vitally important components of good health. A recent study showed how following a plant-based FMD reduced markers of biological aging as well as insulin resistance, liver fat accumulation and improved cardiovascular and metabolic health in humans.
5. It Helps You Feel Younger
Intermittent fasting is more than a diet; it’s an ancient lifestyle practice that can improve skin health and help the body to naturally fight off signs of aging. By reducing inflammation, balancing hormones, and encouraging cell repair processes – intermittent fasting can be one of the most powerful tools you use to achieve radiantly healthy and radiantly glowing skin!
Intermittent fasting provides life-extending benefits without being an impossibility to maintain long term, unlike calorie restriction. Studies indicate that intermittent fasting reduces cellular damage and protects against disease while keeping DNA healthy – all factors which contribute to early aging.
Before embarking on any eating regimen, it’s essential to seek medical approval. Most forms of intermittent fasting focus on choosing regular periods to eat and fast. You may opt to eat normally most days while restricting yourself or fasting entirely on alternate days; or follow more structured approaches such as the 5:2 method. During fasting periods, make sure that enough water or low-calorie beverages are consumed.
While your food choices during non-fasting periods are unlimited, it’s wise to select nutritious and high-quality items. Incorporating moderate exercise may also help; just be mindful that energy levels will likely be low on these days so avoid engaging in heavy or strenuous workouts.
USC Leonard Davis School of Gerontology researchers recently discovered that three cycles of fasting-mimicking diet (FMD) significantly decreased insulin resistance, liver fat accumulation and other indicators of aging in humans. For this purpose they recommend the ProLon FMD which offers 5-day meal plans high in healthy fats while being limited in terms of calories and carbs.
