Pros and cons of the 16/8 diet: who is this diet suitable for?

The topic of a healthy lifestyle has always been relevant, but in recent years it has been gaining momentum.

People go to gyms, buy organic food, count calories, only look at packages that say “gluten free,” and so on.

With so many prohibitions and nuances for yourself, you can forget what it's like to enjoy food, eat a piece of cake and not punish yourself for it later. Doctors and nutritionists have found a solution to this problem. Its name is intermittent fasting.

“Fasting” sounds scary, but in fact, all people practice intermittent fasting without even knowing it, but a little incorrectly.

The 16/8 system or intermittent fasting means that the human body rests from food for 16 hours, and the remaining 8 hours in the day allow you to eat as much as you want and whatever you want. Of course, within reasonable limits that are familiar to a particular person.

What are the benefits of the 16/8 diet and is it suitable for everyone?

The benefits of this type of intermittent fasting are so great that nutritionists recommend it to almost everyone. Here are the main advantages of the 16/8 system:

• loss of extra pounds;
• normalization of blood sugar levels;
• sound and healthy sleep;
• easy awakening in the morning;
• getting rid of insulin resistance;
• general lightness in the body.

A person usually begins to notice and feel all these benefits after the first week of eating according to the 16/8 system. For some, it is enough to lose all the extra weight, while others, thanks to such a diet, subsequently get rid of serious diseases, for example, cardiovascular diseases, insulin sensitivity, type 2 diabetes. But bonuses in the form of a slim body, good sleep and mood are guaranteed to everyone.

The system has virtually no contraindications. But if you have chronic or extremely serious illnesses, you need to consult a doctor. This includes oncological diseases, diabetes, and those who have had a stroke or heart attack. It is also not recommended for pregnant and breastfeeding women to start eating this way. But if a girl has been practicing this system for several years, it is not at all necessary to give it up during pregnancy and breastfeeding.

The fact is that during pregnancy the body is already experiencing stress, and neither the mother’s nor the child’s body should be subjected to even more stress and drastic changes.

In general, you can safely start changing your well-being for the better right now, if the above conditions do not interfere with this.

How to Properly Switch to Intermittent Fasting

It is important to remember that any drastic changes in lifestyle are stress for the human body, whether they are positive or negative. Therefore, when switching to this type of nutrition, you need to do it gradually.

For example, the average person usually has breakfast from 7 to 09 in the morning, then lunch, around 12-14 hours, and dinner, usually late, after all the work, around 19-20 hours in the evening. It turns out that the body is in a state of digestion of food from 12 to 14 hours, and only 10 hours rest. This does not take into account evening tea parties, holiday feasts, etc. In fact, the body rests for about 8 hours. And for a healthy body, you need to do exactly the opposite.

To begin with, you can make dinner 1 hour earlier, without changing breakfast time. After a week, you can do it another 1 hour, and on the third week, move breakfast 1-2 hours later. Thus, in about a month or two, the body will already get used to the changes, and you can safely have breakfast at 09 and dinner before 17 p.m. At the same time, leave lunch at any comfortable time in this interval.

The effect is noticeable after just 1 week of eating according to the 16/8 system. The weight is slowly but surely going away, the whole body feels light, and getting up in the morning has become much easier.

After a couple of months, there will be more serious results, for each person, based on their needs.

The hardest part of this transition, just like when giving up or acquiring habits, is the psychological discomfort.

The human brain is very lazy, and it doesn’t really need changes, so resistance and the search for excuses will certainly be there for everyone.

But for the sake of your health and a beautiful, slim body, you must endure this transitional time and enjoy your new life.

Earlier we talked about at what age children can be given coffee .