Sat, Feb-25-12, 01:59
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Plan: Muscle Centric
Stats: 238/153/160
BF:
Progress: 109%
Location: UK
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Why fasting is the new way to lose weight (and live longer)
Quote:
From The Times
London, UK
25 February, 2012
Why fasting is the new way to lose weight (and live longer)
Dr John Briffa
New research suggests that skipping meals, if done correctly, can be good for your health and an aid to weight loss
“Eat three meals every day” has been part of dietary and weight-loss dogma for decades. But if the reports from a conference in Vancouver last week about a new way of eating are anything to go by, the received wisdom is set to change.
Research by American government scientists at the National Institute on Aging suggest that fasting could be the route to a healthier life. Extreme calorific restriction — tested on animals — has the potential to protect against age-related diseases, including dementia, according to the studies. Aside from this news there has recently been growing interest in what is known as “intermittent fasting”, the practice of food restriction that may involve extended periods, sometimes whole days, without eating. While intermittent fasting appears to contradict an essential credo of healthy eating advice, there is evidence that it can enhance body composition and health, and may even extend life too.
In one study published last year, overweight and obese women undertook daily (1,500 calories a day), or intermittent caloric restriction (650 calories on two days each week) over a six-month period. Each group lost an average of about 6kg and also saw improvements in disease markers such as blood pressure and inflammation. Insulin levels fell and insulin functioning rose in both groups too, but it did so more in the intermittent fasters.
Another potential benefit of intermittent fasting is that, compared with daily food restriction, it appears to help to preserve muscle mass during weight loss. Other work has found that alternate-day fasting (normal eating alternating with a calorie intake of a few hundred calories a day) reduced markers of inflammation and “oxidative stress” — processes that are believed to contribute to chronic disease and ageing, including ageing of the brain.
How to fast safely Alternate-day fasting is but one form of intermittent fasting. Other forms include contracting the window available for eating each day to 4-8 hours. For many, these approaches are impractical and simply too arduous. The good news is that less extreme and more realistic versions of intermittent fasting can reap significant dividends.
One approach could be to extend the period of low insulin typically seen at night. An early dinner or delayed breakfast will do this. As the body becomes more accustomed to lower insulin levels, its ability to mobilise fat will be enhanced. This fat provides fuel for the body and is a potential source of sustenance during extended periods without food. Once the body is more adept at burning fat as its primary fuel, it is less reliant on food for energy and to keep hunger at bay. I’ve seen many individuals who after several weeks of low-carb eating and some experimentation with intermittent fasting are amazed at the length of time they can go without getting unduly hungry or experiencing a loss of energy, or drop in mental functioning.
The next step after extending the time between dinner and breakfast might be to drop some breakfasts or dinners altogether. My advice would be to drop the one you feel is going to be easiest to do without. If you’re generally hungry in the morning and find your appetite tails off at the end of the day, then dinner is perhaps the best to forgo. If you usually have little appetite in the morning, then missing breakfast is likely to work better for you.
There is no reason to be rigid with intermittent fasting either. If you tend to skip breakfast with ease but find yourself uncharacteristically hungry one morning, then you may benefit from eating something that day.
People who work up to alternate-day fasting would do well to focus their diet on nutrient-dense foods that are effective at sating the appetite. Protein and fat tend to pack most punch here. On non-fasting days, I would advise some full-fat natural yoghurt with berries and nuts or eggs for breakfast, followed by meat, fish (preferably oily) or an omelette and vegetables or salad for the main meals. Nuts make a good snack food.
It is usual for individuals on a fasting day to eat a few hundred calories’ worth of food. This may constitute a single meal (usually lunch) of meat, fish, omelette and vegetables, perhaps followed by a yoghurt, berry and nut mix for dessert (if desired). Some people prefer to spread their food throughout the day and this is fine too. Enough water should be drunk each day to ensure that urine colour remains pale yellow throughout the day.
Intermittent fasting does not need to be extreme and it is important to remember that it is not an endurance exercise — the aim is not to see how hungry one can get before caving in.
This tactic usually backfires, because it will often drive people to eat unhealthy foods. I advise gradual change, effectively training the body over time in a way that is practical, flexible and does not induce undue hunger. Intermittent fasting need not be a permanent feature in your diet either. Many will use it effectively for two or more weeks to shed some unwanted fat or break through a weight-loss plateau.
Warning: it’s not for everyone Avoid intermittent fasting if you have a history of eating disorders and diabetes. It is not for you if you are stressed or have chronic fatigue. Stress can weaken the adrenal glands and intermittent fasting can weaken these glands further. If you are trying to optimise your sporting performance, you should approach intermittent fasting with care. Those in any doubt about the appropriateness of intermittent fasting should seek medical advice before making any changes.
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http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/healt...icle3329707.ece |
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