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It’s one of the biggest weight-loss trends of this decade, with numerous books and programs dedicated to it, but how does intermittent fasting actually work – and does it work? Here, Tiffiny Hall, founder of online health and fitness program TIFFXO.COM, explains what we can expect.
WHAT IS INTERMITTENT FASTING?
There are a few different forms of fasting diets, the most popular being the 5:2 diet, a form of intermittent fasting (IF). Rather than considering it a diet, it’s viewed as a new pattern of eating. IF doesn’t change what you eat, it changes when you eat. Fasting is when you abstain from eating. That’s why our morning meal is called breakfast – you are literally breaking the fast after sleeping.
The 5:2 diet is one of the best-known versions of IF, where you eat a normal, recommended amount for five days a week, and have two non-consecutive fasting days where you limit your calorie intake to 500 calories (for women, 600 for men) for the day.
IF can also take other forms, such as limiting the times of day you’re allowed to eat. In another common fasting regimen – the 16:8 diet – you eat all your meals within an eight-hour window. For example, the first meal might be at 12 noon and the last at 8pm, then nothing after that, except for herbal tea and water. Other, less intense options mean you can eat at your normal amount for a week and alternate with lower-calorie weeks, and then back to your normal consumption again.
WHAT RESULTS CAN YOU EXPECT?
Advocates claim that by changing your ‘feeding window’ and drastically reducing your calorie intake, you’re on the fast track to weight loss, shocking your metabolism into acting more efficiently, giving some well-earned rest to your digestive system, promoting lean muscle growth and helping maintain your metabolism better than just a restricted-calorie diet. These kinds of diets can help make you more aware of your body’s ‘full’ signals, and may teach us ways to reach for something other than that chocolate bar in times of emotional crisis.
Studies have also shown that IF and the 5:2 diet cause less muscle loss than a calorierestricted diet.
In a nutshell, benefits can include: • Helps with weight loss and body fat. • Retains muscle mass while getting lean. • Makes your day simpler. • Improves insulin sensitivity. • Helps to lower inflammation. • Aids new nerve cells. • Some consider it’s an easier lifestyle than full-time ‘dieting’.
MAKE SURE IT’S SUITABLE FOR YOU BEFORE YOU START
Be warned that a fasting diet can play havoc with your healthy mindset on non-fasting days. When on a fasting diet, you can often feel hungry and that your brain isn’t working at its full capacity as your body adjusts. IF or a 5:2 diet are much better suited for shorter-term weightloss goals. These kinds of diets are generally not conducive to social situations and enjoyment of eating, and are not designed as a sustainable lifestyle.