Intermittent Fasting: Why is Everyone Talking About It?

Intermittent fasting isn’t a new dieting technique. Yet thanks to its recent resurgence in popularity, more people are talking about it than ever before.

A very popular health and fitness trend, intermittent fasting is designed to help participants lose weight. Unlike most diets, the focus isn’t on limiting the foods you can eat. Instead, the diet focuses on alternating between periods of eating and fasting to boost weight loss.

Let’s take a closer look at what intermittent fasting is all about. Keep reading below to see if it’s the right way for you to lose weight.

About Intermittent Fasting / Cleansing

Intermittent fasting is also commonly referred to as cleansing.

As we mentioned above, intermittent fasting is based on changing between periods of fasting and eating. Because it doesn’t limit what you can eat, just when you can eat, many people consider it an “eating pattern” rather than a diet.

There are all sorts of different techniques for intermittent fasting and cleansing. The most popular involve fasting for 24 hours twice per week or 16 hours every day.

Intermittent fasting is contrary to the eating pattern most people are used to. Yet it’s very similar to the one our ancestors used throughout our early history.

Our ancestors couldn’t always find food to eat. They often went for long stretches without any food at all. The 3 meals per day eating pattern is of very recent invention.

In this way, intermittent fasting can be seen as a more natural eating pattern. It’s what our bodies originally evolved to do. This is one of the biggest reasons why we’re such big proponents of healthy intermittent fasting here at Time to Cleanse.

Benefits of Intermittent Fasting

The popularity of intermittent fasting stems from the many benefits it provides.

Chief among these is that it’s a simple method of dieting. It allows you to eat the same food that you normally do in the same portions. The only difference is that it restricts when you can eat these foods.

Because you’re not changing what you eat, many people find intermittent fasting easier to stick to than other diets. It’s the kind of diet that you can turn into a lifestyle instead of one that you stick with for a week before going back to your old way of eating.

People also love intermittent fasting because it’s a great way to lose weight without restricting what you eat. Not only that, it’s been shown to help you lose weight faster than other diets – and keep that weight off for the long-term.

Intermittent fasting works so well for weight loss because it immediately restricts how many calories you take in. The fasting periods are calorie free and occur on a regular basis. The act of fasting also changes certain hormones that directly relate to how fat is stored by the body.

In addition to simple eating and weight loss, the other benefits of intermittent fasting include:

• Heart Health – Intermittent fasting may improve heart health & reduce LDL (bad) cholesterol and blood sugar.

• Brain Health – Production of BDNF, a brain hormone, is increased by intermittent fasting. This hormone is integral to the development of new brain cells.

• Inflammation – Intermittent fasting has shown a reduction in inflammation for several chronic diseases in a number of different studies.

• Insulation Resistance – Studies have shown that intermittent fasting can protect against type 2 diabetes by lowering blood sugar levels.

All in all, intermittent fasting is a healthier way to eat and live. Give it a try for yourself to experience the many benefits firsthand.

How to Start Intermittent Fasting

Here’s a brief introduction to the three most popular ways to start intermittent fasting:

1. 16/8 Method

The 16/8 method of intermittent fasting is perhaps the best for beginners. It restricts all eating to an 8-hour period.

Eat during this 8-hour period (from 11am to 7pm, for example) and fast during the other 16 hours. Not only is this method very simple, it’s also the easiest to stick to for a long period of time.

2. Eat-Stop-Eat Method

The eat-stop-eat method of intermittent fasting, also known as the 24-hour method, has you fast for a 24-hour period twice a week. Newcomers to this eating pattern might prefer to start with one fasting period per week before moving onto two.

Most people time their fasting period to be between two meals. For instance, you start fasting at breakfast one day and then don’t eat again until breakfast the next day.

3. Isagenix Cleanse

The Isagenix Cleanse is different from other methods of intermittent fasting. As its name implies, it’s more of a cleanse than a fasting diet. Yet it shares many of the same concepts as well as the same benefits.

Two meals per day are replaced with shakes for the Isagenix Cleanse. The third meal should consist of between 400 and 600 calories of any food. Participants also take supplements at various points in the day.

Now here’s the part that makes the Isagenix Cleanse a bit more like a real intermittent fasting diet. Two days during the week you replace the shakes/meals with their special cleanse product. The cleanse product is all your drink/eat during these periods of time.

What we like most about Isagenix Cleanse is how easy it is to use. It’s a great way for beginners to intermittent fasting to easily get used to all that it entails.

The benefits are also top notch. In addition to supporting long-term weight loss, many people who complete an Isagenix Cleanse notice improved energy, brain function, and overall mood. In short, it helps you feel healthier and happier.

Final Thoughts

There’s a reason intermittent fasting is so popular – and that reason is that it works. It’s an easy diet to stick to and the results speak for themselves. Most participants are easily able to shed weight that they’ve been struggling to lose for years.

While intermittent fasting isn’t for everyone, it’s certainly well worth a shot. We’ve used it with great success – especially with the help of an Isagenix Cleanse – and strongly believe you’ll reach health and fitness success with it too!