What Fasting Can Do For You

At Prime Fitness in Totowa, New Jersey, know that exercise is just one lifestyle change that can make you healthier. There are others, such as a healthy diet, plenty of sleep and adequate hydration. Recently, fasting has received a lot of attention as another way to improve your fitness level. There are several ways to fast, and they all provide a health benefit. Each type of fasting is different. There are full day fasts where you only drink water and some other liquids, intermittent fasting thats about timing your meals in a narrow window that’s between 5 and 8 hours or long term fasting that can be dry fasting, juice fasting or simply cutting calories dramatically for a short time.

Intermittent fasting—IE—has been found to have some health benefits.

IE lowers the insulin levels in blood, may increase the amount of fat the body burns and allows the body to start repair on the cellular level. Studies on IE have been done for over 50 years, but most have been animal studies. Some studies show that the genes that control longevity underwent a beneficial change. Other studies showed it increased the body’s HGH—human growth hormone. More HGH means a potential to burn more fat and increase muscle.

Fasts of all types help rid your body of toxins and gives your digestive system a rest.

Fasts can also help improve blood sugar control, according to some studies, but that’s primarily for people using IE. One study showed that IE, whether timed or on alternate-day fasts, helped reduce insulin resistance. That can help your body use sugar more effectively and aid in blood sugar control. Studies also showed that fasting affected women differently than it did men.

Fasting can help prevent inflammation.

Inflammation has a purpose. If you get a cut, it helps prevent infection by fighting off the bacteria. However, chronic inflammation, may lead to more serious conditions. Some studies indicate inflammation may be part of the cause of diseases like Alzheimer’s, rheumatoid arthritis, heart disease and cancer. Some studies have shown that fasting may help lower the levels of chronic inflammation. Studies showed that just one month of IE reduced inflammatory markers significantly. Animal studies showed the same effect and even identified that it was helpful in the treatment of MS—multiple sclerosis, an inflammatory disease.

• Animal studies on fasting show it may increase nerve cell synthesis, improve brain function and even provide protection from neurodegenerative diseases and conditions, such as Parkinson’s.
• Fasting can aid in weight loss, particularly IE. By limiting the time to eat, subjects in a study ate less than their control group counterparts who could eat any time they chose.
• Fasting may increase levels of norepinephrine, a neurotransmitter. Norepinephrine could increase weight loss by boosting metabolism.
• More recent studies on Alzheimer’s showed that shorter term fasts may have a significant effect and improve their condition. In 80 % of the cases, there was significant improvement.

For more information, contact us today at Prime Fitness Studio