(Newswire.net — September 26, 2022) — Obesity is a global health issue that has been a concern for decades. Almost forty percent of adults are overweight, and the numbers keep climbing as more people consume high-sugar diets and live sedentary lifestyles. Although exercise is important, diet is the controlling factor for weight management. Many diets have become popular, but most are not sustainable and lead to more weight gain. But one trend that seems to work well is alternating periods of eating and fasting.
Intermittent fasting is a popular way to lose weight and stay healthy. It involves restricting your food intake for a pre-determined amount of time. Some people choose to eat for eight hours and fast for sixteen hours. Others may choose to fast for twelve hours and then eat for twelve hours. A more extreme way is fasting for twenty-four hours every two or three days.
If you want to lose weight and improve your overall health, you can choose an intermittent fasting cycle that works best for you. Many studies show that this method is highly effective at reducing weight and regaining control of your eating patterns. But aside from weight loss, intermittent fasting can improve your quality of life in other ways too. Here are three benefits, aside from weight loss, that intermittent fasting can provide.
Improve Sleep Quality
It’s good to get the right amount of sleep, but sleep quality matters more. One common factor that affects your sleep quality is eating before bed. Not only does late eating contribute to poor sleep quality, but it can also cause acid reflux. A fasting period will allow your digestive system the time it needs to replenish and help you get uninterrupted quality sleep.
Everyone has an internal timing system known as circadian rhythms. This timing system determines if people are night owls or early birds. You can choose a fasting pattern based on your circadian rhythm to ensure you are cutting off eating several hours before bedtime to get the best results. If you’re an early bird, you probably go to bed early, which means you will need to start your eating window early in the morning and end it early in the evening.
If you’re a night owl who stays up later and then sleeps in, you’ll need to skip breakfast to start your eating window in the afternoon and end it later in the evening. Better sleep quality also helps you wake up with more energy and a better mood, which makes you more likely to stick with intermittent fasting long-term without regaining the weight.
Improve Mental Health
Your mental health is very important for your overall health. It affects every area of your life and how you perform in your day-to-day activities. As you start to lose weight and sleep better, your confidence will improve too. Sticking to an eating schedule will help you develop self-control and decrease anxiety associated with diet. Fasting also helps to reduce cortisol levels in the blood. Cortisol is the stress hormone released by the adrenal glands, and high cortisol levels can decrease mental acuity.
Studies also suggest that periods of fasting can decrease anxiety, depression, and stress. You may experience some fatigue when you start intermittent fasting, but it should go away after a few weeks of following a pattern. Another factor that can help improve your mental health is the increase in self-esteem as you lose weight and become healthier.
You will start to appreciate your body more and feel more comfortable in your clothes. You can also use plastic surgery to enhance your transformation once you’ve reached your target weight. When you’re happy with the way you look, you’ll be more likely to achieve your long-term health goals.
Decrease Inflammation
Almost half of the American population suffers from one or more chronic diseases. A lot of these diseases are caused by inflammation in the body. Intermittent fasting can help reduce inflammation and improve cardiovascular health.
Once you get used to your eating pattern and start losing or maintaining your weight, you should also notice a decrease in your waistline as fasting helps reduce monocytes in the blood that cause inflammation and promote water retention. The fasting period allows your body time to heal and repair so you can benefit from cell rejuvenation.
Final Thoughts
Intermittent fasting has proven to be an effective method of controlling obesity. Your diet is the primary factor affecting weight gain, and you should focus on sustainable eating habits. Intermittent fasting involves alternating periods of fasting and eating. There are several different fasting patterns you can choose.
You should decide based on your personal life and individual health goals. Although intermittent fasting is a good way to lose weight, it has other benefits too. It also improves sleep quality, supports mental health, and decreases inflammation. Losing weight is great but it’s even better to avoid or heal chronic disease by eating the right foods at the right time.