Fast’est way to get fit
IF aids the body to switch from burning glycogen to burning fat stored during fasting. It safely and effectively helps in weight loss and improves blood sugar. Intermittent fasting done while following the correct time periods allotted for eating and fasting is a healthy practice however one should eat healthy high-quality food and consume required amount of calories while fasting.”
Dr Akhila Ravikumar, physician from Chennai opines that the Leangains diet makes the body utilise the fat stored through ketosis. Even during the eating cycle, the emphasis is on lower carbohydrate intake so that a person can enter ketosis faster. Ketosis is the state of using fat as fuel rather than glucose. From a purely physiological point of view, since the fuel during ketosis is
JENNIFER ANISTON:
The Hollywood star told UK’s Radio Times that she practices 16:8 fasting. “I do intermittent fasting, so there’s no food in the morning,” she said. “I noticed a big difference in going without solid food for 16 hours.” The Friends star sticks to celery juice and coffee in the morning. stored as triglyceride, which also has a glucose backbone, organs such as kidneys that need glucose to function is not affected, and the glucose also helps to maintain the blood sugar levels. “If this 16:8 diet is practiced on a daily basis, yes, weight loss occurs. In the longterm, intermittent fasting clubbed with exercise routines can make for a healthy body,” Sr Akhila says.
Smitha Murthy, co-founder, Trippin Traveller & director, Life Wordsmith Content Services first heard of IF almost seven years ago. “At that time, IF wasn’t as big as it is now. I started it mainly to curb myself of unhealthy eating habits and develop will-power. We become slaves to our food and stop
She follows the 16:8 variant. In an interview, Vanessa confessed to feeling more energised and stronger during her workouts. But she also cautioned people: “It’s no joke. I’m not gonna lie and say it’s easy.”
Dr Amitabh however points out that eating healthy during intermittent fasting is imperative. “People should avoid junk food and processed carbohydrates to achieve desired results in a healthy way. Vegetarians can opt for fibre rich foods including green leafy vegetables, brown rice, cottage cheese and having banana or apple as dessert and for non-vegetarian the main stay of the food should be proteins like chicken, eggs or fish, black beans, chana etc,” he adds.
Nidhi Taparia, CEO of a Pune-based digital marketing firm shares her experience after gaining 15 kg during her pregnancy. “There was a lot of stubborn belly fat. My self esteem was taking a beating. Not to miss the energy levels which were abysmal and the mood swings. I spoke to my homeopath Dr Manjiri Rao who recommended instead of skipping meals I try a version of IF. Which is that I skip cooked breakfast and eat only fruit/nuts for breakfast. She also told me to skip gluten and to include soup and millets in my meals. She recommended that I do this diet along with yoga but I had some back spasms so I discontinued my Yoga. I need less sleep as the quality of sleep is better.
VANESSA HUDGENS
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