Throw Some Intermittent Fasting Into Your Diet for Good Health
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on 2/17/2009
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Ask any orthodox dieter whether you should incorporate fasting into your diet and they will think you're crazy. Depending on how much fasting you do - you may actually 'be' crazy. But there are actually many experts out there who insist that moderate fasting can be beneficial for your diet and health.
Fasting, for those who don't know, is the action of choosing not to eat or drink (or both) for a given period of time. The popular belief is that while fasting may result in weight loss, it is not a healthy long term habit. Not only can fasting leave you malnurished, but it can also cause mental stress and cause you to give up your healthy eating habits completely.
Fasting may actually be good for you
When done right, fasting is now said to be good for you. Experts are saying that fasting promotes weight loss and reduces disease risk. But there's more - fasting is said to even extend life. Sounds crazy, but many are saying that eating less will cause you to live longer. So over time, you'll actually eat more I'm assuming cause you'll be around longer to enjoy more meals. Or, maybe we're put on earth programmed with a certain number of calories we can eat - then we croak (that's why they have to give last meals to executed prisoners - think about that!).
So who's saying that fasting can be good for you? Some dude named Dr. Marc Hellerstein is throwing around some claims - and because it says "Dr." if front of his name, I guess we'll listen. Hellerstein says that fasting one day a week can benefit almost anyone (excluding bodybuilders I'm guessing). He points out other studies proving that fasting reduces the body's sensitivity to insulin, which helps maintain normal sugar levels. Normalizing the sugar levels helps to increase longevity (live longer - yay!).
Fasting against Cancer
The studies also show that fasting slows the growth of abnormal cells. Hellerstein points out how this slowed growth of abnormal cells can rduce the risk of developing Cancer.
Clearing Toxins in the Body
Many experts claim that fasting or following a special diet can help to flush out toxins in the body. Often times these diets involve focusing your diet on fruit and almost always involve avoiding red meat. Another alternative to following a cleansing diet is to try and herbal cleansing supplement.
My concerns about Fasting
- If fasting slows growth of abnormal cells, does it also slow growth or normal ones?
- Fasting won't help if you make up for all of those missed calories the next day.
- Like many believe, fasting may lead to being moody and giving up a healthy diet altogether
What do you think - Intermittent Fasting: Healthy or Unhealthy?
 Ryan Mayberry
http://fitconnect.com/ryan
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fasting
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