Intermittent fasting explained:
The food we eat is broken down by enzymes in our gut as molecules in our bloodstream. Carbohydrates, particularly sugars and refined grains are quickly broken down into sugar then energy for our cells; the excess is stored as fat. But sugar can only enter our cells with insulin, a hormone made in the pancreas. Insulin brings sugar into the fat cells and keeps it there. Between meals without snacking, insulin levels will decline and our fat cells can then release their stored sugar, to be used as energy. We lose weight if we let our insulin levels decrease, meaning we allow the insulin levels to fall far enough and for long enough that we burn off our fat. Other benefits besides weight loss include: * Improved mental clarity and concentration * Weight and body fat loss * Lowered blood insulin and sugar levels * Reversal of type 2 diabetes * Increased energy * Improved fat burning * Increased growth hormone * Lowered blood cholesterol * Prevention of Alzheimer’s disease (potential) * Longer life (potential) * Activation of cellular cleansing (potential) by stimulating autophagy (a discovery that was awarded the 2016 Nobel Prize in medicine) * Reduction of inflammation Combined with low carb high fat, intermittent fasting can be highly effective. Other advantages include: 1. Simplicity: the simplicity encourages compliance. Really only a matter of timing. 2. Cost: manipulating the time of meals is free! 3. Convenience: so easy! 4. Allows for cheat days: can splurge on meals and offset with the intermittent fasting. 5. Empowering: it is effective. If you are not losing weight you can simply fast more and for longer. 6. Flexible: you decide the hours and the days. 7. Can combine with other diets because it is not a food restrictive diet.
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