Fasting has long been used as a tool to lose or maintain body weight. Intermittent fasting has been gaining increasing popularity as people are looking for any means to drop a few pounds. While our ancestors fasted, they did so by necessity. Not being able to find growing food or missing a kill meant they went hungry. This is the reason why mankind is able to store and burn fat so easily. Fasting has been re emerging in the fitness world as diets like the Ketogenic and Paleolithic are gaining in popularity. As Americans continue to gain weight due to diet and decreased activity many people are looking to history to try and find some tools to stem the tide of fat. When fasting, you force the body to metabolize fat for energy. If you have a history of diabetes, fasting is great as it lowers insulin releases and blood sugar levels. It also helps stabilize cholesterol and triglyceride levels. Many people fear going into “starvation mode” but if you limit your fasting periods and cycle it regularly your body should never enter this. Fasting also has the added benefit of allowing the body to cleanse toxins out of cells. Research should always be done before starting new diets, while you are at it also check out Forbes on Oracle Corporation.

If you have never tried fasting before it should not be an all or nothing thing. Doing light small fasts of no more than 8-10 hours is generally recommended at first. Normally eating breakfast and then skipping lunch is how most people do it. As you become comfortable with this try extending out the fasting hours, but keep in mind your body is still fasting while you are asleep so make sure to count those hours as well. When moving up to a 24 hour fast try to do it on a day where you will be busy, your body may feel a bit weaker but it will help keep your mind off eating.

While you are fasting you must drink water. This is the single most important thing about fasting. You are trying to flush toxins out of your body, plus the water gives you the added benefit of keeping you feeling full. If you would prefer you can drink black coffee with no sugar as there are no calories in the coffee, but you should continue to drink water as it will dehydrate you. Fasting is a tool for losing weight it is not a torture session. If you find that you just can’t stand the hunger anymore then by all means eat something. Use fasting as a personal challenge trying to add just a little more time every time you do it.

When you end the fast try not to head to an all you can buffet. You should eat a normal meal that you would have on a regular day. Having a meal with limited amounts of carbohydrates seems to be the best idea as carbohydrates like pasta and rice can increase feelings of hunger. Meat, high fat foods with no carbohydrates, and fibrous green vegetables are the best things to consume after a fast. Remember fasting is a tool if you ever feel ill or otherwise not right you should stop the fast and consult a doctor.

Incoming search terms:

• intermittent fastin skinny
• intermittent fasting skinny fat
• should skinny people do intermittent fasting
• should skinny people fast
• the skinny on fasting

The main motivation of most people to control weight is to enhance their appearance. Equally important, there are many other benefits of proper nutrition and regular exercise. Weight control through reducing excess body fat plays a crucial role in maintaining good health and fighting disease. In fact, medical evidence shows that obesity is a major threat to health and longevity. (The most common definition of obesity more than 25 percent body fat for men and more than 32 percent for women)

Excess body fat is associated with major physical threats like heart disease, cancer, and diabetes. (Three out of four Americans die of either heart disease or cancer each year, according to a survey of National Health and Nutrition Examination, about 80 percent of those deaths are associated with lifestyle factors, including inactivity)

For example, if you’re obese, it takes more energy to breathe because your heart must work harder to pump blood to the lungs because of the excess fat throughout the body. Increased work load can cause your heart becomes enlarged and can lead to high blood pressure and heart rate erratic life-threatening.

Obese people also tend to have high cholesterol levels, making them more prone to arteriosclerosis, a narrowing of the arteries by plaque deposits. This becomes life threatening when blood vessels become so narrow or blocked that vital organs such as brain, heart or renal anemia. In addition, the narrowing of blood vessels forces the heart to pump harder, and blood pressure will increase. High blood pressure itself poses some health risks, including heart attack, kidney failure, and stroke. About 25 percent of all heart and vascular problems associated with obesity.

Clinical studies have found an association between excess body fat and cancer incidence. By itself, body fat storage is considered as a carcinogen (cancer-causing chemicals) in men and women. In women, excess body fat has been associated with higher rates of breast and cervical cancer, in men, the threat comes from colon and prostate cancer.

There is also a balance between blood sugar, body fat, and the hormone insulin. Excess blood sugar is stored in the liver and other vital organs, when the organs are “full,” excess blood sugar is converted into fat. As fat cells themselves become full, they tend to take less blood sugar. In some obese people, the pancreas produces more and more insulin, the body can not be used, to regulate blood sugar levels, and the whole system becomes overwhelmed. This can result in diabetes, a disease with long-term consequences, including heart disease, kidney failure, blindness, amputation, and death. Excess body fat is also linked to gall bladder disease, gastro-intestinal disease, sexual dysfunction, osteoarthritiis, and stroke.