Nutritionist shared a post about intermittent fasting and how it could harm the body.
Intermittent fasting (IF) has been one of the most popular diet plans for decades. It involves fasting for a number of hours and eating only during a certain window in the day.
There are many forms of doing IF, such as restricting the number of hours to eat and fast. While many IF experts suggest that this eating pattern involves altering a person’s lifestyle rather than just what to eat healthily.
But it doesn’t work for all. Celebrity nutritionist Rujuta Diwekar shared an Instagram post about IF and how it could harm the body.
“Diets don’t work because they are not sustainable, are restrictive in nature, don’t take into account the food systems of your region or daily practicalities of life, etc. Focus on developing good habits for good health and sustainable weight loss. Keep it simple and common sensical with food,” the expert wrote in the caption.
In the post, she added, “Weight loss during fasting comes from losses in muscle, bone density, etc.”
She quoted the latest research about IF presented at the International Sport and Exercise Nutrition Conference (ISENC), held in December 2022, in Manchester, UK.
“No conclusive studies show fasting has any benefit for insulin sensitivity. In fact, it could reduce insulin sensitivity by increasing IMTG (intramuscular triacylglycerol),” Rujuta Diwekar wrote.
Does it harm? Her reasons include
- Fasting slows down gastric emptying.
- People often experience acidity, headache, constipation, loss of periods, etc.
- Increased dependence on caffeine/cigarettes.
- The body reduces activity and energy expenditure in anticipation of the next day’s fasting.
Fasting myths about intermittent fasting
- Autophagy is the body’s mechanism to get difficult when resources are low. It does this during bad times. Doesn’t love it.
- Ketones are a limited fuel and only work for light exercise but not high performance.
Cultural appropriation of intermittent fasting
“Fasting has always existed in cultures, the diet and weight loss industry has appropriated it as a fad diet. Like most diets, scientific terms are used to push the agenda,” suggested Rujuta Diwekar.
Her tips for losing weight sustainably without fasting are all about eating local and seasonal food with some exercise.
- Eat local, seasonal food.
- Cook more at home, and follow time-tested preparations.
- Exercise regularly
- Follow a sleep routine.
- Cultivate good relationships.
Although fasting has been a controversial subject in the world of nutrition, it seems subjective in terms of body structure and genetics.
Talking about fasting and its effects on the body, Dr David Sinclair – a Harvard Medical School professor – spoke at India Today Conclave about the benefits of skipping at least one meal a day.
“What I’ve learned over time is to skip meals. My goal is to not eat a large meal until dinner. And then I eat a very healthy vegan meal with very little alcohol,” said Dr Sinclair.
He added that fasting helps the body fight against the damage caused by the ageing process.
“There is a set of genes called the sirtuins that get turned on when there is not enough energy in your body. So, if there’s not enough sugar or a lot of protein, they defend the body against the damage caused by the ageing process,” Dr Sinclair said.
