Intermittent Fasting is not a diet, it does not restrict what types of food you eat. Instead, it restricts the time frame where you are allowed to eat. being that its a eating pattern that requires cycling between periods of fasting and eating.
1) How to fast
There are different approaches to intermittent fasting. The most common one is 16:8. The fasting period is 16 hours and eating window is 8 hours. If you’re a breakfast person, this probably isn’t the method for you, as you’re likely to start eating sometime in the afternoon. The 5:2 method requires the consumption of food limited to 500-600 calories twice a week. On the other days, you are allowed to eat normally and in your usual time frame. 24 hours method involves not eating for the entire day at least once or twice a week.
2) Who should try Intermittent Fasting
I would recommend that anyone with a history of disordered eating not try IF. The duration and frequency of the IF protocol that you try, and the length of time that you use it (a few months vs. many years), may vary based on your current health status. Intermittent fasting is safe for most healthy people, but if you have any underlying medical conditions, it’s important that you talk to your doctor first before you start on a new eating pattern.
If you do decide to try IF, choose which method will work best for you and don’t put too much pressure on yourself when choosing. After all, you’re still starting out, so you’re allowed to make mistakes or change your mind.
3) What can you eat or drink while fasting
No food is allowed during the fasting period, but you can drink water, coffee, tea and other non-caloric beverages. Some supplements will also break your fast; most pre-workouts, branch-chained amino acid, and gel capsules medication.
4) Helps with weight loss
Intermittent fasting helps you eat fewer calories and fewer meals, while boosting your metabolism.With Intermittent Fasting 16:8 you have to decide if you are willing to skip breakfast or dinner according to your daily routine. Giving your body more time to digest food can be more effective for weight loss than just creating a calorie deficit.
5) Good for your brain
Intermittent fasting increased levels of focus and memory retention. With one of the main ways IF benefits the brain is by increasing one of my proteins that the brain makes, brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF). BDNF is very beneficial to brain cells because it grows new nerve/brain cells, allows them to talk to one another, and is a natural antidepressant.