A couple of years ago, I noticed that my metabolism was slowing down and those extra pounds that I have always been able to avoid up until now, started accumulating around my stomach and my lower half. Now this isn’t anything new since most people’s metabolism slows down considerably and their hormone levels drop as well as they get older. But I wasn’t just going to accept it from here on out.

 

I had heard quite a few favorable reviews of intermittent fasting and how it can help with weight loss, so I decided to give it a go. It didn’t take long until I was back at the weight I was happy with.

 

Intermittent fasting, to explain it simply, is the practice of constantly cycling between patterns of fasting and eating. It is not a diet as it does not detail the foods you should and should not be eating. But rather it will have you eating less as a popular intermittent fasting schedule would be eight hours of being able to eat followed by 16 hours of fasting where only calorie-free beverages are basically allowed.

 

Fasting is a concept that has been around for centuries as even the Greek physician Hippocrates would recommend it to treat certain illnesses. However, as more and more research is completed nowadays, intermittent fasting is the new rage as it is recognized as being able to offer numerous health benefits to all individuals besides the weight loss objective.

 

Lower Insulin Levels and Blood Pressure

 

 

 

 

 

 

An interesting study from the University of Alabama compared two groups of obese men as they both experimented with five weeks of intermittent fasting. One group would only eat their meals within an eight hour period followed by 16 hours of not eating. The other group would eat their meals during a 12 hour period followed by 12 hours of fasting.

 

After the five weeks, the group that followed the intermittent fasting program of eight hours on followed by 16 hours of not eating had dramatically lowered their insulin levels and blood pressure. Plus, the group mentioned that they did not feel like they were starving during those 16 hours of fasting every day. Great news if you are battling insulin difficulties and high blood pressure.

 

Fat Loss

 

 

 

 

 

 

It is one thing to lose weight during intermittent fasting as you deprive yourself from food for a good length of time every day, but it is quite another thing to lose fat. After all, fat loss really is the goal as we certainly do not want to lose muscle since it is so hard to come by in the first place.

 

A 2017 study showed that the individuals lost a good percentage of fat as their body composition changed during their time of intermittent fasting. While the scale may not show weight loss all the time, reducing the number of inches on parts of your body is just as important.

 

Building the Immune System

 

 

 

 

 

 

With COVID still at the forefront of today’s society, everyone should be looking for ways to improve their immune system. Intermittent fasting is currently one of the ways that many people are overlooking at the moment.

 

Intermittent fasting lowers the inflammation in the body. Too much inflammation weakens the immune system and leaves people susceptible to viruses. When fasting, the body turns to glycogen for energy and then on to the stored fat. This is when the ketones are released and can combat viruses such as the flu.

 

In addition, the number of white blood cells in the body are increased during intermittent fasting as older white blood cells are broken down and new ones are produced. The newer white blood cells will essentially reset your immune system and make it strong once again.

 

Possibly Live Longer

 

 

 

 

 

 

We all would like to live longer if our quality of life remains respectable. It should come as no surprise that leaner people live longer than obese people as heart disease is the number one killer in today’s society. But intermittent fasting is quickly becoming popular with those in the anti-aging crowd.

 

A study involving mice that fasted every other day had interesting results when compared with those mice that did not fast. The fasting mice lived 83 percent longer than the others. Again, this is with mice, but once more research has been completed on intermittent fasting, it will be intriguing to see if the prolongation of life holds true.