Intermittent Fasting And The Role Of Protein Powder
Fasting has been practiced for thousands of years and is common across many different religions and cultures throughout the world. Today, intermittent fasting (IF) has become a popular health and wellness trend, used primarily as a means of weight loss.
There are a number of very positive health-related benefits linked to IF. An article on the Harvard Medical School website asserts that IF promotes weight loss and may reduce risk factors linked to heart disease, including diabetes, high blood pressure, unhealthy blood lipid levels, and inflammation.
Moreover, a study conducted by the National Institute of Health (NIH) states that, “Repeated exposure to fasting periods results in lasting adaptive responses that confer resistance to subsequent challenges,” the authors explain. The “broad-spectrum benefits” include not only disease resistance but also improved mental and physical performance.
The Importance of Protein While Engaging in IF
There is no question as to the importance of adequate protein consumption while fasting. Biochem, with its pure, clean protein formulations, offers a variety of sugar-free protein powders that are ideal for incorporating into your IF lifestyle.
According to Rachel Daniels, MS, RD and senior director of nutrition at Virtual Health Partners, "Try to include a serving of animal or plant-based protein on a salad, add a clean protein powder to a smoothie, snack on a yogurt with chia seeds and berries, and choose a lean protein, whole grain, and a veggie for dinner. This way, your body has sufficient protein stores to carry you through the fasts and it will help you maintain your muscle mass.”
What Are the Different IF Methods?
IF is an eating pattern that cycles between periods of fasting and eating. It doesn’t specify which foods should be eaten, but rather when they should be eaten. Having said this, the importance of providing your body with quality sources of micro- and macronutrients during the eating window is critical. This is where Biochem’s sugar-free protein powders play a vital role in IF. Biochem’s sugar-free proteins are the perfect complement to the daily routine of IF.
There are several different ways of implementing IF — all of which involve splitting the day or week into eating and fasting periods. Here are several popular IF eating patterns, all of which can incorporate Biochem sugar-free protein powder smoothies and shakes.
- 16:8 Fasting – Involves limiting consumption of foods and calorie-containing beverages to a set window of 8 hours per day and abstaining from food for the remaining 16 hours. Example: Eat between noon and 8 p.m., as this means you’ll only need to fast overnight and skip breakfast but can still eat a balanced lunch and dinner, along with a few snacks and a during the eating window.
- Alternate-Day Fasting—Alternating between days of no food restriction with days that consist of one meal that provides about 25% of daily calorie needs. Example: Mon-Wed-Fri consists of fasting, while alternate days have no food restrictions.
- Whole-Day Fasting—1-2 days per week of complete fasting or up to 25% of daily calorie needs, with no food restriction on the other days. Example: The 5:2 diet approach advocates no food restriction five days of the week, cycled with a 400-500 calorie diet the other two days of the week.
How Does IF Work?
IF contrasts with the normal eating pattern for most Americans, who eat throughout their waking hours. If a person is eating three meals a day, plus snacks, and they’re not exercising, then every time they eat, they’re running on those calories and not burning their fat stores. IF works by prolonging the period when your body has burned through the calories consumed during your last meal and begins burning fat. Or, put another way, after hours without food, the body exhausts its sugar stores and starts burning fat.
It should be noted that individuals with certain conditions should abstain from IF. These conditions include: Diabetes, eating disorders, use of medications that require food intake, individuals who are breastfeeding, and women who are pregnant.
Regardless of whether you are contemplating undertaking IF, or it is already a part of your lifestyle, rest assured that Biochem, with its cutting edge personalized clean proteins, will be with you every step of the way.