THE BENEFITS OF INTERMITTENT FASTING
WHY IS INTERMITTENT FASTING SO POPULAR?
Intermittent fasting consists of prolonged phases of not eating (i.e., fasting) followed by relatively brief periods of eating. In other words, you eat all your meals in a fixed time period.
Now we all know that you cannot lose weight unless you’re on a calorie-deficit (1) but how you choose to cut your calorie-intake varies from one diet to the next.
1. HUNGER PANGS GO AWAY AND DON’T COME BACK!!
.....HUNGER PANGS???....
.....WHY IS THAT?....
I guarantee you that unless you’re a robot, you will feel hungry when you begin fasting….
…..You’ll climb the walls for a biscuit (or 2), and your stomach will begin growling like crazy!!….
Over time, however, you’ll become less hungry.
After fasting for a few days, the hunger pangs pretty much disappear!!
There’s a lot of evidence to suggest that intermittent fasting or prolonged fasting yields fewer hunger pangs than eating frequently (for instance, 6 meals a day on a calorie-deficit).
Over time, your body produces a hormone called cholecystokinin (CCK). CCK is associated with satiety, so the
more you make, the less hungry you feel.
On top of that, the longer you fast, the less ghrelin you produce.
Ghrelin is often referred to as ‘The Hunger Hormone.’
In other words, ghrelin is a hormone that tells the brain that you ‘re hungry!! 
2. ACCENTUATED FAT LOSS!!
.....Is IF Just Another Diet???....
Well, as I’ve said a thousand times already, you can only burn calories when you’re on a calorie-deficit.
However, when you fast, you produce more testosterone, more growth hormone, more glucagon, more adiponectin, and become more insulin-sensitive!
…OH YEAH, YOU ALSO PRODUCE KETONES…
which, in addition to the aforementioned factors, help to boost fat-loss whilst maximising muscle-preservation.
3. IMPROVED BRAIN FUNCTION!!
You produce an alternative fuel for the body called ‘Ketones’ every time you fast (even during short-term fasts such as when you’re sleeping!).
Usually, your body uses glucose for fuel, but it starts to utilise these ketones for energy instead of sugar (or glucose) when food’s not around.
The longer you fast, the more ketones you produce. Now these ketones provide the brain with a ton of energy which help you think and perform better.
Fasting also increases the production of a chemical called ‘Brain-Derived-Neurotrpohic-Factor’ (or BDNF). BDNF helps grow more memory cells. Hence, you remember things better when you fast!
You also produce more dopamine when you fast which improves your mood and focus
4. IMPROVED INSULIN-SENSITIVITY
5. GIVING YOUR BODY A BREAK!
You become more insulin-sensitive when you fast.
This means that the food you eat is more likely to be used by your muscles for fuel as opposed to being stored as fat.
When you’re constantly eating throughout the day, you’re placing a lot of cumulative stress on the liver, gut, kidneys, and other vital organs over time.
When you fast, you’re giving your organs a mini-vacation.
Once you start eating again, therefore, these organs become re-vitalised and work more effectively as a result.
This topic is covered in more detail in ‘The Essential Guide to Sports Nutrition and Bodybuilding.’
To find out more, please CLICK HERE.
