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Intermittent fasting: what it is, benefits and how to do it

Intermittent fasting: what is it, benefits and how to do it?

Intermittent fasting is a lifestyle in which you fast for prolonged periods, which can vary between 16 and 24 hours, and during which you can only drink water and non-caloric drinks, such as teas or coffee without sugar or sweetener.

Intermittent fasting helps strengthen the immune system, improves mood and mental agility, prevents premature aging, and increases body fat burning, promoting weight loss.

This lifestyle is only advised for healthy people and, therefore, it is recommended that it is always done with the guidance of a doctor or nutritionist, to assess the best type of intermittent fasting, according to each person's goal and tolerance. .

Intermittent fasting benefits

The main benefits of intermittent fasting are:

Regulate cholesterol and triglyceride levels: this is because the food eaten before and after fasting must be low in sugar and fat, in addition to being rich in fiber, which favors the elimination of excess fat, improving cholesterol and triglyceride levels in the blood;

Increase metabolism: contrary to the belief that fasting can slow down metabolism, this only happens in cases of fasting over 48 hours. However, in controlled intermittent fasting, low calorie intake lowers blood glucose and insulin levels. This forces the organism to use the body's fat cells, which provide a lot of energy and increase metabolism;

Prevent high blood pressure: Intermittent fasting decreases bad fat levels (LDL) and increases good fat levels (HDL), facilitating blood circulation and preventing high blood pressure;

Prevent diabetes: Intermittent fasting associated with low dietary sugar consumption helps balance blood glucose and insulin levels, preventing diabetes;

Helping to lose weight: not eating for at least 16 hours decreases the levels of the hormone insulin in the blood, in addition to stimulating the body to use sugar reserves and fat cells, which directly contributes to weight loss. Understand better how intermittent fasting can help you lose weight;

Prevent flab: Intermittent fasting promotes increased levels of the hormone GH (growth hormone) in the blood. With this, in addition to this hormone facilitating the burning of body fat, it also helps to increase muscle mass, preventing sagging;

Detoxify the body: go without food for at least 16 hours, drink plenty of water and avoid fatty and sugar-rich foods, decrease the levels of sugar and fat in the body, which helps to balance the intestinal flora and detoxify the body, avoiding problems health conditions such as asthma, arthritis, cancer and hepatic steatosis;

Decrease the risk of heart disease: because it is a tool that prioritizes a diet rich in fiber, vitamins and antioxidants, intermittent fasting prevents the formation of fatty plaques in the blood, helping to reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases, such as heart attack, stroke and atherosclerosis;

Prevent premature aging: decrease sugar and fat consumption, and prioritize foods rich in fiber, minerals and vitamins, as happens in the interval of intermittent fasting, helps to reduce inflammation, promote hydration and stimulate collagen production, decreasing wrinkles and premature aging.

During intermittent fasting it is also possible to feel more alert, have improvements in memory, present more disposition, better mood and general feeling of well being.