Intermittent fasting: Why is everyone going gaga over it?

Digital Desk: Intermittent fasting can be defined as a way of diet that cycles between a division of time within 24 hours of a day between eating and fasting. Intermittent fasting does not prescribe what to eat, which sets it apart from other methods of dieting. The main objective is to reduce the number of calories consumed on a daily basis. This objective is achieved by focusing on the time of eating.

There are a lot of variations in eating and fasting in this diet. For example, the 16:8 ratio of fasting hours to eating hours The 5:2 diet, which involves five days of normal eating and two days of eating less than 500 or 600 calories, and the Eat-Stop-Eat method, which involves fasting for 24 hours one to two times per week. Any of these methods can result in a fairly rapid loss of weight or fairly rapid results in terms of weight loss.

Things to remember while doing intermittent fasting: 

1. It’s advisable to avoid sugars and refined grains and munch on fruits, vegetables, beans, lentils, whole grains, lean proteins, and healthy fats.

2. Fat should be burned between meals. Snacking should be avoided.

3. One must remember to be active throughout the day.

4. A simple form of intermittent fasting should be considered.

5. Fasting earlier in the day remains relatively easier, like from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. or 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

6. Snacking at bedtime is strictly a no-no.