WEIGH IT UP

What is intermittent fasting? How the weight loss diet works and potential benefits

How to follow the eating plan and when it might be dangerous

THE term 'intermittent fasting' has been bandied about a fair amount in recent years, with a host of celebs and influencers touting the diet's health benefits.

Put simply, it's an eating plan where people switch between fasting and eating on a regular schedule.

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Intermittent fasting involves restricting when you can eat to a certain windowCredit: Getty
Jennifer Aniston admitted to trying the 16:8 methodCredit: Getty
Hugh Jackman also reportedly tried it to beef up for X-men moviesCredit: Getty

Fasting means going without food, so if you regularly skip breakfast you might unwittingly be following a type of time-restricted eating.

Research suggests that intermittent fasting could help with weight loss and managing conditions like cholesterol.

But the diet is certainly not suitable for everyone.

From different methods to how it affects your body and the health pros and cons, here's what you need to know about intermittent fasting.

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What is intermittent fasting?

Though many diets focus on the what foods you're eating, intermittent fasting is all about when you eat.

It's a type of eating pattern that involves restricting when you can eat to a certain time window.

The idea behind intermittent fasting is that it gives your body a break from digesting food, potentially leading consuming fewer calories than if you were eating more regularly, according to .

Eating less may also have positive effects on your blood sugar levels, which can be useful if you have prediabetes or type 2 diabetes, it added.

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Intermittent fasting may also trigger a process called autophagy, where your body works to remove damaged cells from your body.

Your body does this when it doesn’t have to focus on digesting food.

How to actually lose weight from an expert

Intermittent fasting has become increasingly popular among celebrities and influencers, with the likes of Hugh Jackman, Jennifer Aniston and Kourtney Kardiashian confessing to following the trendy diet.

Fans claim it can have a host of health benefits, including weight-loss and a boosted metabolism.

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Research also has shown time-restricted eating can improve blood pressureblood sugar and cholesterol in the short-term.

But other studies have raised concerns over the diet's impact on heart health.

Meanwhile, experts at warned that intermittent fasting can leave you feeling cranky or lethargic and could cause you to overeat after fasting periods.

It may also be dangerous to skip meals or limit calories if you have conditions like diabetes, and fasting may not be for you if you take medications for blood pressure or heart disease.

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That's because you may be more prone to imbalances of sodium, potassium, and other minerals if you go without food.

And it can be best to take certain drugs with food to avoid nausea or stomach irritation.

How does intermittent fasting work?

There are a few different forms of intermittent fasting, some of which are more restrictive than others.

Popular examples include:

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  • The 16/8 method: A fasting window of sixteen hours and an eating window of eight hours - you can drink water, milk, tea and coffee while fasting
  • The 5:2 method: You pick two days a week where you consume about 500 to 600 calories, while following a normal, balanced diet on the remaining five
  • The 24 hour fast: Not eating for a 24-hour period, either monthly or weekly
  • Alternate day fasting: Fasting every other day, which Bupa says can be difficult to maintain in the long-term

There are a number of ways to shorten your eating window - chances are you've already done it by accident.

It can include:

  • Having a later breakfast
  • Skipping breakfast altogether
  • Having an early dinner

What are the benefits of intermittent fasting?

According to short-term studies, intermittent fasting may help you lose weight if you're consuming fewer calories overall and sticking to healthy foods when you do eat.

Meanwhile, a study conducted by National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Diseases showed that following the eating regime may help reduce people’s “addiction” to food by rewiring the brain.

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