What if I can't eat a meal every day? In fact, it won't be much, but it will help to prolong life! The New England Journal of Medicine published an article on February 26th 10, saying that intermittent fasting has many benefits for human body, including helping to lose weight, preventing heart disease and treating diabetes. People who fast will live longer.

However, the researcher also claimed that more research is needed at this stage, and fasting is not suitable for everyone (gastrointestinal discomfort, pregnant or breastfeeding girls, patients with diabetes, hypotension, endocrine disorders, anorexia and bulimia, and intermittent fasting is not recommended). It is suggested that people who want to try fasting should start from 18 hours a day and gradually increase to two days a week according to their physical condition.

Talking about human eating habits: from one meal without one meal to two-meal system and three-meal system

So the concept of nutrition that we have been taught since childhood: three meals a day, a small number of meals, is it contrary to the latest research? Actually, it's not like this. To put it simply, the ancient aborigines hunted outside all day and did not have the habit of having three meals in the morning, noon and evening. However, this does not mean that they will starve to death soon. They adopted the concept that "hunger is food, and when they are full, they will abandon the surplus". On the contrary, they have strong muscles, so that they have enough spirit and physical strength to hunt, farm and fish every day.

Throughout ancient and modern China and foreign countries, regardless of the history of the East and the West, the "two-meal system" of human beings has been passed down for thousands of years. In China, it was not until the Ming Dynasty that wealthy families in the south of the Yangtze River began to have the habit of having three meals. Of course, the lifestyle and dietary needs of modern people are completely different from those in the past. Modern people use intermittent fasting, one is to lose weight (nothing is more impossible than losing weight), and the other is to let the body have a longer time to repair. For example, people who train with a lot of exercise want to gain muscle and lose fat quickly, while people with three highs want to change their eating patterns and live longer.

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Advantages and disadvantages of intermittent fasting

Peeta Gege, a fitness student who graduated from the Department of Nutrition at the University of Auckland, pointed out that intermittent fasting is to make people get used to not eating food for a long time, so as to increase the time for the body to burn fat. Its advantages are anti-inflammatory, cell repair, anti-oxidation, and most importantly, it can increase growth hormone and adrenaline, reduce insulin, and make the body use fat as the main energy source more effectively.

The disadvantage is that it is difficult to implement. At the beginning of fasting, the stomach sometimes gets hungry, but it is necessary to find out whether it is really hungry or just greedy; At first, I may feel weak because I am not used to it; Also, when you meet friends and relatives for dinner, it's delicious at present, and it's hard to restrain yourself from eating one or two or three bites!

6/ 18 fasting method: suitable for you who want to get started easily.

The New England Journal of Medicine suggested that we should try to fast for 65,438+08 hours, and the 6/65,438+08 fasting method would be a good choice, that is to say, we should eat two meals a day at intervals of six hours. For example, eating the first meal at noon 12 and eating the second meal at 6 pm basically means eating breakfast late and dinner early. This practice is easier to achieve, and eating prototype food in large areas is actually very full.

What can I eat during fasting?

Basically, anything that doesn't contain calories can be used, such as drinking water, black coffee without sugar milk, sugar-free tea, soybean milk and milk. As for zero-calorie drinks or foods containing sugar substitutes, it should be noted that some people will have an insulin reaction after eating them.

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How long does intermittent fasting take? What if I feel unwell?

Not necessarily, but the longer it lasts, the more effective it is. Intermittent fasting every day will be more effective than only two days a week. According to Pita Gege, intermittent fasting usually does not cause physical discomfort. If you feel sick, 80% is because your blood sodium is too low. You can put a little salt in your mouth and it will usually get better immediately, but if you still feel uncomfortable, go and eat.

Of course, what you eat and how much you eat are also very important. You can't just eat snacks or fried food without nutrition. If you haven't tried it, or have other medical problems, be sure to consult a professional dietitian, doctor or expert in advance to see which entry method and menu are best for you!