Anyone who has tried to lose weight and feel better quickly has heard experts and celebrities droll on and on about fasting. It might feel like everyone is doing it, and with great success. The truth is, most aren’t doing it right. Yes, there is a wrong and right way for women to fast. Intermittent
Let’s face it, women’s bodies have different needs, so, therefore, women must approach fasting differently. While it might sound like a great idea to give up food altogether for a few days to fit into a wedding dress or to wear your favorite pair of jeans again, it’s simply not safe, and won’t do your body any favors in the long run. Fasting – of any kind – can cause hormonal imbalances in women. Those imbalances can lead to a host of problems including fertility issues. Now, some doctors may ask that you lose weight if you’re trying to conceive, and that’s perfectly fine, but you must approach it from a healthy perspective and collaborate with your health care provider about the best way to lose weight.
Intermittent fasting has been known to help many people for various reasons. What it consists of is a brief period of time – usually 12 to 16 hours – when you don’t digest anything other than water with a few exceptions. Honestly, for most people, this is an impossible task. Blood sugars plummet, lethargy or headaches ensue, and irritability levels increase exponentially. It’s a fact. We need food, which provides fuel for us to exist. Over the last few years, we as a society have embraced eating five or six small meals a day, and there’s a reason for that. It sustains energy levels, staves off hunger pangs, and keeps our blood sugar in check.
So then, how should a woman approach intermittent fasting?
This approach will prevent you from throwing your hormone levels out of whack. It’s a gentler, easier, more sustainable method of fasting. Instead of striving to stop all food consumption for days or even weeks at a time, crescendo fasting does just what the word suggests. You have highs (days when you’re not fasting) with lows (days when you are fasting) with breaks in between to allow your body to recover and to keep your hormones in check. For instance, you might want to fast every other day and resume your regular diet and exercise regime on the days in between. The benefits of following a crescendo fasting program are:
- Body fat loss
- Improving inflammatory markers
- Increased energy levels
On fasting days, you would need to do light exercises like yoga or Pilates. Save your intense workouts for non-fasting days, and don’t forget to drink plenty of water. Give the crescendo fasting a try and watch the results. It truly is safer, more sustainable, and easier on your body and your brain.
By Maydeline Moreno
www.amethystquantum.com