Intermittent fasting is an eating approach that alternates between the days and hours when people eat and fast. Though it was not widely accepted, intermittent fasting-controlled eating patterns are coming to be in vogue. There have been studies that have established that it is particularly useful in inducing weight loss.
However many people are not aware of what promising results intermittent fasting can yield, especially in older adults. If you pictured this particular diet type as for young men and women, you are wrong. In this article, we will point out the good things intermittent fasting does to older adults. In addition, we will offer some tips to keep in mind when practicing intermittent fasting.
1. Weight loss
Older people have reached a stage when their bodies do not process food for nutrients quite like they used to. Because of that, there is a much higher likelihood of old people developing obesity condition.
Increased weight is particularly bad for elderly people since diabetes and other ailments are likely. The good news is that intermittent fasting is a useful practice for weight control.
Due to limited access to food, you automatically eat fewer calories. Rather than food sources, the body uses reserve fat as energy. As a result, intermittent fasting is a good practice for the elderly in terms of losing weight.
2. Prevents Diabetes
Several studies have demonstrated that intermittent fasting helps to avoid diabetes. People who practice intermittent fasting eat for a short time and fast for a long time. This reduces insulin resistance which is one of the causes of type 2 diabetes that’s especially common in older people.
When one practices intermittent fasting, low calorie intake translates into low amounts of insulin levels hence blood sugar regulation, which helps to manage diabetes. Nonetheless, while intermittent fasting may assist in avoiding diabetes, it is not a panacea. Consequently, it is not and should not be used in the place of conventional diabetic management.
3. Improves Gut Health
Gastrointestinal problems are some of the common challenges that develop in many adults as they age. It’s mostly because as one becomes older, the metabolism slows down hence one’s food digestion is affected. However, at times, this may lead to conditions like constipation and diarrhea.
Nonetheless, intermittent fasting aids in the recovery of gut health. This makes one’s gastrointestinal system efficient in that there are few chances of complications arising as one is able to eat healthy meals after fasting for some time while still managing to fully boost the metabolism of the gastrointestinal system.
4. Reduces the Risk of Heart Diseases
Another health benefit of intermittent fasting is that it minimizes the chances of acquiring a heart disease. It is common knowledge that heart disease risk gets higher with age. That is due to the drastic shift in a person’s metabolism plus the heart begins to stiffer walls as one gets older. More so, long-term obesity as a condition or persistent high blood pressure also activates some heart conditions making heart problems a normal thing for elderly people. Rather, fortunately, in a number of ways, intermittent fasting approaches the problem of heart disease prevention also, it’s quite common. It does so by enhancing the common risk factors that are mostly associated with heart diseases which include blood sugar, blood pressure, and high levels of bad cholesterol.
5. Improves Mental Health
Although it might seem as though intermittent fasting will only result in physical changes, it is important to note that nas ghast is only one of the effects. It equally contributes to the betterment of the mental well-being of people while fighting anxiousness and depressive states. Intermittent fasting-enhanced puberty essentially may help allow for an increase in the growth rate of new nerve cells in the brain, which is critical for the proper functioning of the organ. Fasting also helps in stimulating the production of a brain called BDNF which is among others the production of a hormone. This hormone helps reduce the instances of depression as well as many other conditions.
6. Expert Intermittent Fasting Tips
With the use of intermittent fasting on the rise, it is important to understand the correct way to fast. Intermittent fasting is safe to practice even among the older population. You can take intermittent fasting to the next level if you’ve always followed guidelines to the core. Have you considered downloading a fasting app to help manage your fasting more effectively? A best fasting app will contain useful information on maintaining the fasting protocol.
7. Don’t Skip Water Intake
Another deadly practice that people engage in is the consumption of no liquids while fasting intermittently. It’s common to think that liquids including water should be avoided during fasting periods to achieve the intended goals. We discourage this practice, however. The body requires certain basic substances, most importantly water, in order to be healthy, even during fasting.
Thus, it is crucial to maintain water levels in the body and to ensure adequate water intake throughout the fasting durations. Also, non-caloric drinks including herbal tea are also allowed since they don’t contribute to calorie intake. Such drinks are helpful in giving the body other vital nutrients and also avoid hunger pangs.
8. Relax
Many people engage in workouts during their fasting hours. One way to effectively burn off calories is via exercise. It is no longer the case because you are fasting. During a fast, the human body lacks sufficient fuel to perform intense workouts as one is not consuming any food. As a result, if you perform such intense workouts, you will probably feel weak or even experience nausea.
You should, therefore, attempt to relax and reduce any exercise within this period that requires expending excessive energy. However, if you have to work out at this time, do light workouts. In our opinion, yoga exercises are the best.
9. Distract Yourself
Intermittent fasting can be effortless, however fasting for longer periods may seem as quite a challenge when food is forbidden especially when someone has had a strict feeding pattern before. Unknowingly, many people eat only to kill time or boredom. This is the reason why you need to divert your attention away from food.
Before you start your fasting, prepare a list of tasks that you will undertake during that period. That way, you can be sure that it will all become a part of your mission – get it done. Take note of strain-free activities.
10. Eat Healthily
The worst aspect, however, is that once their fasting period is over, most people will go for the worst leaps toward unhealthy meals. Many’s urge to eat energy-dense foods when hungry, however biologically adaptive, is not ideal. Even in the scenario where one’s aim is solely targeting weight loss, eating junker foods can negate the effects of intermittent fasting.
This is why you have to understand that fasting should be paired with healthy eating. You may also opt for more filling foods that have lower calorie content such as water-rich fruits.
Also read: Trending Workout Accessories to Have
Conclusion
It has been emphasized that there are benefits to intermittent fasting, especially for older adults. They include weight loss and even prevention of certain conditions such as diabetes, cases in which intermittent fasting can help your body. However, you have to fast the right way first if you want to fully benefit from it. Lastly, always remember to check that an app you are considering has been rated well by other users on the subject of fasting.
