Things To Know Before You Choose Alternate Day Fasting

Fasting is a good way to allow some downtime for your body, however, like everything that involves the body, it requires to be done in moderation too. One of the methods of intermittent fasting that has garnered a lot of attention is, alternate day fasting (ADF). In this method, you eat only on alternate days in a week. On the fasting day, you can drink unsweetened beverages but are not supposed to eat. Modified versions of this fast include eating about 500 calories on fasting days.

Health Benefits Of Alternate Day Fasting

Researchers have proven the various advantages your mind and body can enjoy while you are on an alternate-day fast.

1. Studies have reported that obese and overweight individuals on an alternate day fast experienced significant weight loss and a boost in cardiac health¹
2. It was even found that alternate day fasting led to a greater loss in fat mass and improvement in the preservation of muscle mass²
3. Often people tend to eat more after following a restricted diet, which is known as compensatory hunger. But on ADF, people don’t experience the urge to eat more even on fasting days due to a reduction in hunger hormones³
4. It reduces insulin resistance in diabetic and pre-diabetic individuals thereby helping to regulate blood sugar levels.⁴
5. Fasting on alternate days can help lower LDL (bad) cholesterol and triglyceride levels while improving HDL (good) cholesterol thereby lowering the risk of heart disease⁵
6. Calorie restriction through fasting stimulates the body to dispose of old cells so that newer cells regenerate. Studies have proven that it can delay aging-related changes in the body too.⁶

Tips To Follow During Alternate-Day-Fasting

On the days that you fast, you can choose to eat anything within 500 calories. It’s extremely beneficial if you have organic fruits and vegetables with lots of water or soups and unsweetened beverages.

Some people prefer to split their 500 calories over the entire day or have one large meal while fasting. Even on days when you eat, don’t indulge in binge-eating and instead go for lots of lean proteins, whole grains, and fresh produce.

Is Alternate-Day-Fasting Actually Safe?

Alternate-Day-Fasting is indeed safer for both non-obese and obese individuals as it is better tolerated by the body.⁷But it’s crucial to remember that staying physically active during the process also plays a huge role in achieving the desired results. ADF shouldn’t be followed by children, teens, pregnant or lactating women and people with eating disorders. Even diabetics undergoing medication shouldn’t start the diet without consulting their physician.

Weight-loss is a tedious journey that requires a lot of determination and effort. Since ADF enhances the anti-inflammatory, digestive and metabolic processes in the body it’s definitely a healthy diet to adopt.