CosBeauty Magazine – August 2019

http://www.cosbeauty.com.au 87

DAILY INTERMITTENT
FASTING

Daily intermittent fasting limits
eating to a certain number of hours
each day. The 16:8 Diet is an
increasingly popular method, which
involves fasting for 16 hours per
day, leaving an eight-hour window
for eating.
There are various forms of
this plan, with the most popular
advocating that the ‘fasting’ phase
should last through the night and
during the morning hours. Ideally the
‘fast’ should then be broken around
midday, with the last food for the
evening being consumed around
7pm or 8pm.
Alternately for those with a
personal preference for later daily
routines, the food window may be
between 2pm and 10pm.

FAQs

Medical News Today assessed the

most common FAQs for beginners

to fasting routines.

Can I still exercise?

In an interview with US magazine The

Atlantic, Professor Krista Varady (creator

of the Every-Other-Day Diet) noted

that for people beginning her regimen,

after the Ƃrst 10 days ‘their activity

levels were similar to people following a

traditional diet or an unrestricted eating

plan’. It may also be most beneƂcial

for exercise sessions to end one hour

before mealtime.

Won’t I eat too much on feast days?

According to Professor Varady, people

do eat more than their estimated

calorie needs on ‘feast’ days. However

they do not eat enough to make up

the deƂcit from fast days. And other UK

researchers (at University Hospital in

Manchester) have reported that people

unintentionally eat less on non-fasting

days as well.

Will I be hungry on fasting days?

Professor Varady reports that the Ƃrst

10 days on the Every-Other-Day Diet

are the most challenging. Calorie-free

beverages, such as unsweetened tea,

may help offset hunger.

Do I still fast once I’m ready

to maintain my weight?

Some plans, such as the Every-Other-

Day Diet, also include a weight

maintenance phase, which involves

increasing the number of calories

consumed on fasting days from 500

to 1,000. Other plans recommend

decreasing the number of fasting days

each week.

PERIODIC FASTING

Medical News Today has reported

on a study suggesting periodic fasting

• defined as ‘one day of water-only
  fasting a week’ – may reduce the risk
  of diabetes among people at high risk
  for the condition.
  Another study, conducted by Dr
  Valter Longo at the University of
  Southern California found longer
  periods of fasting (two to four days)
  may even ‘reboot’ the immune
  system, clearing out old immune
  cells and regenerating new ones – a
  process they say could protect against
  cell damage caused by factors such as
  ageing and chemotherapy.