The world has seen a number of trends in recent decades. These fads are usually started by celebrities, and many people blindly follow their idols. But the contemporary fashion of intermittent fasting is quickly taking root, as everyone is looking for an excellent way to lose as much weight as possible in the least amount of time and without putting in much effort.
But how do we know that intermittent fasting is not just another fad? Let’s take a look at some details on what fasting can do to get a better understanding.
The intermittent fasting lifestyle would involve the person consuming all the necessary calories within a brief period, and then fast for a few hours following their meal. This is less of a diet and more of an eating strategy that is relatively easier for many people compared to traditional dieting.
The popular time schedule of intermittent fasting includes a 5 to 2 diet, which allows people to eat anything they like during those short periods for five consecutive days and then cutting down their calories to approximately 25% for the next two days of the week. A different method would be to try the alternate day fasting (ADF), which is where a person would fast on alternative days.
Benefits Related To Intermittent Fasting
By looking at the history of mankind, it is possible to see that societies have been fasting for centuries. But people could argue that it was done primarily for religious purposes. However, there has been much study on the subject, and the researchers have found several benefits.
How it helps diabetics is listed below, and the details of how it relates to weight loss and other great benefits can be found here: intro to intermittent fasting.
Helps Diabetics
There has been much exploration into the effects of fasting on people having diabetes. Although to date the research has mostly been done on rats, it does have some truth to it.
For those that don’t know, insulin is a hormone that helps sugars dissolved in the blood to enter the cells. There they are used in the form of energy immediately, or are stored for later. The insulin doesn’t affect diabetics, meaning their bodies don’t use it properly or make enough to digest all the carbs they consume. That’s what results in high blood sugar levels in a person.
Intermittent fasting can help by reducing the carb intake, thereby lowering a person’s blood sugar levels. It significantly reduces a diabetic’s need to take insulin and can be useful in decreasing the risks related to high blood sugar levels.
But do keep in mind, just because diabetics are fasting doesn’t mean they should stop taking their medication. It is not an alternative to medicine. It’s also not an excellent long term solution, as the type of foods a person eats affects diabetes much more than when they eat their meals.