Chemistry-Week 4-Fasting
I enjoyed reading the article about fasting and its benefits with diabetes. I have done intermittent fasting by eating within a 10-12 hour window. Recently, I did a day of fasting with my neighbors who are Muslim and just finished a month long fasting for Ramadan. They did not eat from sunrise to sunset which was from 5AM to 8PM.
Even though there were only 19 participants in the study on fasting and diabetes, they were able to get positive results that showed weight loss and other health benefits. Many doctors and health care providers recommend that people "get more exercise, reduce your calories, try a plant-based
diet,” which can be overwhelming and if implemented only lasts for a short time. People are more likely to stick with a lifestyle change if it is simple, manageable, and relatively easy. Having to make too many lifestyle changes at once can be really hard. Instead, simply changing the window of time during any given day that a person eats can be a simple change with great benefits. For one, it allows the body's organs to rest and recharge instead of bombarding them with work at any time of the day. Second, it doesn't require a person to change their diet (even if changes would be good). A person is still able to eat their typical diet as usual. The study also found that even if people didn't exercise, they still lost weight.
I admit, I have not been consistent with daily fasting. I often eat too late and then I am not hungry in the morning so I skip breakfast. I went through a period of this last term while in school. My acupuncturist helped me with herbs to dry dampness in the Middle Jiao. Due to my eating too late and eating too many calories in the evening my body was not transforming my food as well. We were able to get things under control so that I actually felt hungry again in the morning. Since I tend to be an evening snacker, I had to control my desires and quit snacking after 8PM. That was still later than I wanted, but it was a move in the right direction.
Even though there were only 19 participants in the study on fasting and diabetes, they were able to get positive results that showed weight loss and other health benefits. Many doctors and health care providers recommend that people "get more exercise, reduce your calories, try a plant-based
diet,” which can be overwhelming and if implemented only lasts for a short time. People are more likely to stick with a lifestyle change if it is simple, manageable, and relatively easy. Having to make too many lifestyle changes at once can be really hard. Instead, simply changing the window of time during any given day that a person eats can be a simple change with great benefits. For one, it allows the body's organs to rest and recharge instead of bombarding them with work at any time of the day. Second, it doesn't require a person to change their diet (even if changes would be good). A person is still able to eat their typical diet as usual. The study also found that even if people didn't exercise, they still lost weight.
I admit, I have not been consistent with daily fasting. I often eat too late and then I am not hungry in the morning so I skip breakfast. I went through a period of this last term while in school. My acupuncturist helped me with herbs to dry dampness in the Middle Jiao. Due to my eating too late and eating too many calories in the evening my body was not transforming my food as well. We were able to get things under control so that I actually felt hungry again in the morning. Since I tend to be an evening snacker, I had to control my desires and quit snacking after 8PM. That was still later than I wanted, but it was a move in the right direction.
Comments
-Jazzy