Intermittent Fasting is nothing new. Whether you’re just planning to start your intermittent fasting journey, or you want to give it a second chance, this guide will help. Read on and find out the 5 most popular types of intermittent fasting.
16/8 Method
This popular weight-loss method is where you spend 16 hours without food but unsweetened beverages like water, coffee, and tea. For the remaining 8-hour window, you can literally eat whatever you want.
WK43 16 8 Intermittent fasting schedule en
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5:2 Diet
This diet trend allows you to eat normally for 5 days, then on 2 scheduled fasting days that week, you eat about 25% of your recommended calorie needs. For example, a person who regularly eats about 2,000 calories per day would eat 500 calories on fasting days. People usually space their fasting days out, like planning them for Tuesdays and Fridays.
Alternate-day Fasting
Alternate-day fasting is considered one of the most extreme forms of intermittent fasting, so it’s not recommended for beginners. On this diet, you cycle between feeding and fasting days. On feeding days, you eat whatever you want but the next day you eat almost nothing on fasting days.
The Warrior Diet
Originally created in the early 2000s, sometimes referred as a 20:4 fasting, the warrior diet involves fasting for 20 hours with a 4-hour fuelling window. This principle is based on the idea that ancient warriors would eat very little during the day and feast at night.
Spontaneous Meal Skipping
There are no solid rules for this diet. You simply allow yourself to skip meals from time to time throughout the week whenever you don’t feel hungry, too busy to eat or too lazy to cook.
Benefits of intermittent fasting
(1) Lose weight and visceral fat
Intermittent fasting helps drive weight loss and reduce visceral fat by lowering insulin levels and increasing the breakdown of body fat.
(2) Lower the risk of type 2 diabetes
Intermittent fasting can lower blood glucose and insulin levels in people at risk of type 2 diabetes.
(3) Improve heart health
Intermittent fasting can lead to a reduction in blood pressure, heart rate, cholesterol, and triglycerides to improve heart health.
(4) Improve brain health
Some studies found that intermittent fasting can suppress inflammation in the brain and reduce the risk of neurological disorders, including Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, and stroke.
Potential side effects of intermittent fasting
(1) Hunger
You may feel hungry when you reduce the intake of calories or without taking in calories for a long period of time.
(2) Fatigue
Intermittent fasting may lead to low blood sugar and may cause you to feel tired and weak.
(3) Insomnia
Intermittent fasting may cause insomnia due to being unable to fall asleep or stay asleep.
(4) Headache
Low blood sugar and caffeine withdrawal may contribute to headaches during intermittent fasting.
(5) Nausea
The reduction in food intake may negatively affect your digestion and may cause nausea.
