We thought that since Ramadan is just around the corner in the Middle East, the large majority of the nations are fasting, we might get in on the action as well. So instead of doing a full fast, like Muslims during the Lunar month, we are doing Intermittent fasting. It has a fancy name, but very simple in theory. We are sure you have heard of it before.
What is Intermittent Fasting?
Fasting is a term which means you control times that you cycle between periods of eating and not eating. Let us go though the 2 types of fasting that we are most likely to try:
Benefits of Intermittent Fasting
There are many health benefits to intermittent fasting, not to mention it increases your self discipline and makes you more aware of what you are putting into your body. It allows you to reduce calorie intake, reduce your insulin levels, spike your growth hormones, lowers muscle loss rates and increase your metabolism.
Health Warning:
- Please make sure you talk to your doctor if you have any medical issues like diabetes, low blood pressure or if you are pregnant.
- Make sure you keep drinking water as well. Water is the great cleanser.
Problems of Intermittent Fasting
- If you have any bad food eating habits, they might become exaggerated when you are not eating for long periods followed by eating times.
- Coffee: some people have had issues by relying heavily on coffee to push through mid morning hunger struggles.
- Inflammation: when eating your first meal after fasting, some people tend to gorge and have many foods that increase inflammation or even intolerance to certain food, such as gluten and dairy.
Why most people do Intermittent Fasting
People tend to try intermittent fasting to lose fat. The reason why it is favourable for fat loss is because you don’t go on a heavy diet on cutting your calories from the normal food you usually eat. Also, you keep your muscle mass quite stable while still on the way of getting leaner.
Before trying a diet, perhaps try intermittent fasting as most diets fail because people switch to the wrong foods or don’t follow the diet over the long term properly. Behaviors change isn’t easy, hence starting small is a good idea.
Should you use Intermittent Fasting while Travelling?
This is a question people often ask us. Personally, I find it very hard to both travel full time and fast. So many times when you travel, there is no routine and this makes it hard to intermittent fast properly. Not to mention while travelling, you don’t rest as much as you normally would, hence avoiding eating at a normal paste might affect your health. It is very important to know you body and evaluate if you are able to try intermittent fasting while travelling.
Good luck and let us know how you go. Intermittent fasting works, try it out and see for yourself. Check out our upcoming articles about what food we had during this time and about the regular fasting. If you want more information, do not hesitate to comment or send us an email at hello@adventurefaktory.com and we will get back to you right away!
- Have you considered trying intermittent fasting before?
- What other techniques do you know of people use to control calorie intake?
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