Health Benefits of Intermittent Fasting

As a woman, losing weight can be super difficult. Fortunately, I come from a family with good genetics in that area so I never thought I’d ever put on some pounds, but having a desk job has slowly taken its toll (I’m sure many of you can commiserate).

Sometimes I find it super hard to make time to fit everything into my day that I should:

• At least 8 hours of sleep
• Daily prayer time
• Eating healthy
• Full-time job
• Working out
• Quality time with my boyfriend
• Time with friends
  …and so many other responsibilities

I just don’t get how some ladies are able to cram all of this into a day, so inevitably something takes a back seat and I have to be honest when I say that it’s been my prayer time and my health. And I want to make a change.

Intermittent Fasting: What It Is

My boyfriend recently began intermittent fasting and up until now I knew nothing about it. I researched it and the health benefits are astounding.

Intermittent fasting is exactly what it sounds like: going a certain amount of hours without eating. This results in your body entering a “fasted state” where it begins to burn fat more rapidly.  The following are just some of the fantastic benefits of intermittent fasting:

• Sustainable weight loss
• Increase in lean muscle
• Improved energy
• Increased cell stress response (which could lead to increased resistance to disease)

The below infographic helps explain this health strategy:

Women and Intermittent Fasting

For those who want to begin to intermittently fast, there are some points to consider, especially for women.

• Excessive fasting or fasting for more than 24 hours could result in a hormonal imbalance, so be sure to fast for only 12-16 hours at a time, which is ideal for women
• Do not fast consecutive days for your first two to three weeks of fasting. Instead, fast for 16 hours every other day; Monday, Wednesday and Friday, for example
• Drink plenty of fluids such as herbal tea or broth
• Only do light exercise such as yoga, walking or gentle stretching

Below is a simple schedule to try out if you want to make the move and fast intermittently.

Earnestly,

Emma