Intermittent Fasting For Women

Hello everyone, hope all of you are keeping safe and are healthy and happy. Intermittent fasting has become a highly popular strategy in recent years to lose weight and to stay fit. However, there is some evidence that intermittent fasting may not provide the same results to some women as compared to men. This article is all about the reasons for differences in results and also ways in which we can modify intermittent fasting to get maximum benefits and suit out individual needs

What is intermittent fasting ?

• It is also known as intermittent energy restriction
• It’s an umbrella term for various meal schedules that cycle between fasting and non fasting over a given period
• Intermittent fasting assists with weight loss, reduces insulin resistance and lowers the risk of cardiometabolic diseases

Why is the effect on females different ?

• As compared to men, women have different
  • Reproductive system
  • Menstrual cycle
  • Genetic makeup
  • Female hormones are very different from males
  • The neurological makeup is very different compared to men

General benefits of Intermittent Fasting

• Lower insulin
• Supports the immune system
• Boosts metabolism
• Reduces inflammation
• Increases longivity
• Assists in weight loss and fat loss
• Improves digestion
• Increases focus
• Helps in detoxification
• Improves cholesterol
• Helps in autophagy (cellular repair)

Possible side effects on women

• Low energy
• Mood swings
• Low concentration
• Headaches
• Sleep issues
• Disturbance in period cycle
• Hair loss and loose skin
• Muscle loss
• Feeling of cold

Possible reasons for side effects on females

• Low calorie diet combined with intermittent fasting
• Low carb or other fad diets
• Poor nutrition
• Long fasting hours
• Nutritional deficiences
• High levels of stress
• Wrong workouts at wrong time
• Hormonal imbalances
• Unhealthy lifestyle
• Intermittent fasting may disrupt the release of reproductive hormones
• It may affect the level of estrogen
• Releases more leptin

All these can have an effect on metabolism, periods, bones, skin and hair

Types of intermittent fasting

• Lean gain method
  • Standard  16 : 8 method
  • Also known as time restricted method
• Cresendo fasting
  • 12 : 12 method
    • Also called simple fasting
  • 13 : 11 or 14 : 10 method
    • Also known as brunch fasting

Intermittent fasting tips for women

• Follow cresendo methos of fasting
• Drink cinnamon, rock salt water in fasting window
• Eat nutritious dense diet
• Stay hydrated
• Eat lean protein
• Eat healthy fat in moderation
• Avoid stress
• Workout close to or in feeding window
• Take 1-2 days off in a week
• Detox weekly
• Take proper rest

Who should avoid intermittent fasting

• Pregnant women
• Breastfeeding mothers
• Women with eating disorders
• If you’re under a lot of stress
• Women suffering from insomnia
• In case of nutritional deficiencies
• Women with fertility problems
• Underweight women