With obesity on the
rise, intermittent fasting is rapidly turning into a global rage. Junk foods are
trending and so is the 500-calorie diet in order to stick to the ‘reed thin
shape’. Are you worried about fitting into that dress for next month’s
party? Are you surfing the net to find the best dieting tips? If
intermittent fasting is ensnaring your mind too, then it’s better to know all
about it and reach to a decision.
What is Intermittent
Fasting?
The logic behind
intermittent fasting is to watch over one’s diet for a few days rather than
cutting down daily. Intermittent fasting provides a variety of dieting options.
The very popular amongst them being the 5:2 diet, where one takes a normal diet
for five days and fasts for the next two consecutive days. During this period,
an individual takes a 500-600 calorie diet. Another mechanism is where a
500-600 calorie diet is taken every other day. The regular intermittent diet
involves fasting for 16 hours at a stretch and providing oneself an 8 hour
window to consume all the calories for the day.
Expert Opinion
Toronto-based dietician,
Leslie Beck opines that one should choose one’s dieting method according to
one’s lifestyle but she also agrees that the 5:2 diet stands the most popular
owing to the fact that people find it more convenient as it involves cutting
down calorie intake for only few days a week. The flexibility of the diet, though appealing, needs to undergo some trial and error before being opted to be
practised in the long run. Jessica Tong, a Vancouver-based dietician recommends
a multivitamin or fibre supplement intake during the 500-calorie schedule to
maintain the body’s nutrition balance.
The question of safety
A research conducted in
2011 by Dr. Michelle Harvie cited that intermittent fasting is an effective way
to shed excess weight. At the same time, it should be noted that it is not
ideal for people who are trying to lose weight for the first time. If losing
weight is the ultimate choice, then one can opt for healthier options like choosing
to take a low-calorie balanced diet throughout.
There are many side effects
associated with intermittent fasting such as headache, dizziness, stomach ache,
vomiting, irritability, fatigue or even difficulty in sleeping.
Children,
diabetics or people suffering from hypoglycaemia and pregnant or breast-feeding
women should completely abstain from intermittent fasting. The psychological
side effects associated with it often act as a barrier in its proper execution.
One needs to be really strong-willed to restrain the urge to stay away from
temptation and hunger. Research shows that regular fasting can put one into
starvation mode, thus reducing the body’s efficiency in burning calories. If the body starves for too long, it will break down muscle
tissue to use as energy, leading to loss of muscle mass.
Since overtly
restricting the diet has negative repercussions, it may be concluded that the
traditional approach of dieting under the supervision of a dietician is
recommended for a safe and healthy living.
By
Khalid Md. Saifullah
Note:
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