Is Fasting Right for You? Understand the Pros and Cons

In recent years, fasting has become one of the most popular trends in the world of weight loss and overall health and wellness. The concept is simple. Fasting refers to a period of time when you don’t eat.

Most people still drink during their fasts, but they try to limit themselves to low-calorie options or water, which has no caloric value. Whether you’re looking for a way to drop a few pounds, or you just like to stay on top of the latest trends in health and wellness, you may be wondering if fasting is a viable option for you.

Today, learn more about some of the benefits and drawbacks of fasting. Anytime that you’re considering taking a new approach to your diet, it’s important to spend some time learning as much as you can about what you’re doing.

With that in mind, let’s look at some of the benefits of fasting and some of the potential drawbacks. This will help you make an informed decision so you can take the healthiest approach possible.

Benefits of Fasting

It’s safe to assume that fasting wouldn’t be so popular if it didn’t bring some benefits to the table.

With that in mind, let’s look at some of the pros of fasting. You may find that it can help you achieve some of the goals that you’ve been striving for.

Weight Loss

Intermittent fasting has become incredibly popular in recent years, thanks in large part to its proven track record of fat-burning and weight loss. One of the most proven methods of losing weight is to burn more calories than you consume.

Calories come from food and ultimately serve as an energy source for the body. If you take in 2,500 calories in a day and burn 3,000, you’re on a path to losing weight.

With this in mind, many people turn to fasting when they’re trying to lose some weight because they know that they can burn more calories than they consume.

Even if you don’t fast for a full 24 hours, studies show that intermittent fasting, which can include not eating for 12 to 16 hours and then eating normally for eight to 12 hours, can help with weight loss.

Fasting also aids in weight loss because it helps regulate the hormones that control hunger and satiety. When you make fasting a regular part of your dietary strategy, you can sort of reset these hormones and change the pattern in which your body craves food.

Improved Insulin Sensitivity

Healthy bodies naturally produce insulin, which aids in the breakdown of foods. This is why people who struggle with diabetes have to take insulin, as their bodies don’t produce enough insulin, which leads to drastic swings in their blood glucose levels.

When you give your body a break from constant eating, insulin levels drop, which makes it easier for the body to break down glucose (sugar) effectively. This lowers your body’s blood sugar levels and decreases your chances of developing type 2 diabetes.

Blood sugar spikes come when your body breaks down food too quickly, leaving you feeling shaky, weak, and sweaty. It can also result in brain fog and cognitive impairment. Fasting allows your body to adjust and creates a new normal for the way that it breaks down foods.

Improved Mental Clarity and Focus

Many people report improved mental clarity and a better ability to focus during periods of fasting. This comes as a surprise to those who find that being hungry makes it harder to function normally.

However, scientists have found that during fasting, the body produces more ketones. These ketones serve as an alternative source of energy to the brain when glucose levels drop.

While your first experience with fasting may not result in improved mental clarity and focus, it’s normal for this benefit to develop over time. As your brain adjusts to a more stabilized amount of glucose and the ketones that your body produces, you’ll experience better cognitive function over time.

Cellular Repair and Longevity

Finally, fasting initiates a process called autophagy, which describes the body’s ability to break down and recycle damaged cells. The breakdown and recycling of damaged cells have been shown to slow down the aging process and can actually stave off the onset of some age-related illnesses like Alzheimer’s.

During autophagy, the body removes damaged proteins and cleans out cellular debris, which promotes overall cellular health.

When damaged cells are recycled or removed, the body can take better care of the healthy cells, which allows them to better serve your organs, leading to better overall health and wellness.

Drawbacks of Fasting

As is the case with any sort of dietary changes, there are some potential cons of fasting that you’ll need to consider.

While these drawbacks don’t affect everyone, it’s worth considering whether you want to face these drawbacks or if you think another diet is better suited for you.

Nutrient Deficiencies

Fasting is about much more than simply giving up food for a period of time. If you choose this route, you’ll need to be mindful about the foods that you consume when you return to eating. Otherwise, you’ll run the risk of facing nutrient deficiencies.

For instance, if you decide that you’re going to start skipping breakfast and lunch each day, you may not get as much calcium, protein, and vitamin D as you need when you only eat dinner.

This means that you’ll need to either take supplements to make up for the lost nutrients, or you’ll need to be more strategic about what you prepare for dinner in the name of getting the nutrients your body needs.

Overeating

One of the biggest mistakes that people make when fasting is that they eat too much when their eating window opens.

Let’s assume that you’re going to start intermittent fasting and that you’ll be fasting for 16 hours and then eating for eight hours each day. Many people fall into the trap of eating everything that they can get their hands on during those eight hours, which largely eliminates the benefits of fasting for the previous 16 hours.

In addition to canceling out the potential weight loss benefits of fasting, overeating during your eating window also puts a lot of undue strain on your digestive system.

If you choose to fast, you’ll need to be mindful about what you’re eating when your eating window opens. Try to focus on nutrient-dense meals instead of loading up on all the snacks that you’ve thought about during your fast.

Irritability and Fatigue

Finally, it’s worth acknowledging that some people get “hangry,” a slang term that refers to the irritability that some people report experiencing when they’re hungry.

When you start fasting for the first time, it’s normal to feel some fatigue and general moodiness. This is because of the hormones that your body produces that regulate hunger and your eating patterns.

It’s normal for the decrease in energy, which will probably not last for long, to result in problems performing some seemingly routine tasks. Some people experience a lot of frustration and irritability when they can’t do the things that they need to do each day.

Is Fasting Right for You?

Ultimately, the decision that you make when it comes to fasting is up to you. Before diving into a fast, it’s a good idea to talk to a physician to make sure that none of your existing health conditions or medications will make it unsafe for you to fast.

Once you’ve been given the green light by your physician, consider starting your fast slowly and building yourself up over time. Fasting certainly provides some benefits, but it’s important to understand the potential drawbacks.

One of the most appealing aspects of fasting is that it’s so customizable, meaning that you’ll almost certainly find a way to fast that works for you. Good luck!