I have often argued with my mother about her eating habits. On most days she eats breakfast at 11 AM, lunch at 3 PM and snacks on fruits for dinner. She regularly skips meals when she is not hungry and fasts regularly for religious reasons. I was convinced that her erratic eating patterns are responsible for all her existing health conditions. Or was I?
In recent times, eating small and frequent meals has become somewhat of a nutrition dogma. The premise of this approach is that small and frequent meals can speed up the metabolism and lead to weight loss. However new research suggests that taking a break from eating, once in a way, also known as intermittent fasting can lead to better health and aid weight loss. A 2007 study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition concluded that alternate day fasting may reduce the risk of chronic diseases, improve insulin sensitivity and cognitive Uansett sa ble Jackpot 6000 starten pa en tid hvor norske casinoer satte fokus pa det som ble kalt “norske spilleautomater pa nett”. function.
Several religious and spiritual traditions advocate fasting to fine tune the senses and reset the mind and the body. Taking a break from traditional eating patterns help us get a handle on mindless eating. Moreover fasting once in a way is almost an intuitive thing to do; it just has a term designated to it now.
Intermittent fasting has no hard and fast rules and the variations are limitless. Some people fast regularly while some don’t plan their fasts at all. And some decide to fasting is the best option after taking one look at their cafeteria or airline menu. Just avoiding snacks and going with the breakfast-lunch-dinner pattern is a good starting point for anyone.
Sundays work perfectly for me. My day is filled with activities that I enjoy immensely and I don’t seem to miss noshing on food. Not having to worry about which yogurt has the least sugar content, which vegetables are organic and local, and which bread is gluten free and yummy is liberating! The scale finally budged when I tried intermittent fasting last summer. I have managed to keep the weight off with my eat less on Sundays regimen. As usual mom was right, it is pointless to agonize about a missed meal. Sometimes, it is not just ok, but it is important to know what hunger feels like. It helps you detach and reassess your eating patterns.
