Fasting
By Scott Fenwick
B.S. /Hons
Fasting is part of a regular regimen of health maintenance for many people but, could fasting also help prevent diabetes, heart disease and obesity in the general population?
Preliminary research suggests there are genuine benefits for thwarting all three of the aforementioned health conditions. Based on the findings researchers now plan to explore the role of fasting for preventing and reversing diabetes type 2.
No more calorie counting
Findings published in the British Journal of Diabetes and Vascular Disease suggest alternating days of fasting might have the same results for treating obesity and thwarting heart disease and diabetes as bariatric surgery, but without the cost and risks.
The principle is to eat normally on some days and restrict calories on other days. Fasting for better health can be done every other day or two days a week and may have the same benefits as continuous calorie restriction. Researchers for the study say intermittent fasting to lose weight is much easier than counting calories. Finding ways to fight obesity means lower risk of metabolic syndrome.
Reducing calorie intake on designated days can reduce inflammation, lower blood pressure, improved amounts of fat and sugars circulating in the blood stream; reduce oxidative stress and improve metabolism, based on studies.
Recent Studies Show
Studies in lab animals show fasting does lead to weight loss. In mice, limiting calories prevents diabetes, shown in studies that date back to the 1940s. But researchers have not been exactly sure how fasting might benefit overall health in humans. More recent studies show fasting might reverse type 2 diabetes, but it does not work for everyone.
Proponents of fasting say it leads to a longer life. Researchers for the current investigation that was led by James Brown from Aston University thinks there is indeed evidence that intermittent fasting might improve existing heart disease, prevent onset of new cardiovascular events and keep blood pressure and heart rate lower. Fatty deposits in the pancreas associated with insulin resistance have also been shown to improve when we fast. Now the researchers are going to find out if the strategy does work. Human clinical trials are forthcoming to find out what impact fasting has on type 2 diabetes specifically.
"Whether intermittent fasting can be used as a tool to prevent diabetes in those individuals at high risk or to prevent progression in those recently diagnosed with type 2 diabetes remains a tantalizing notion and we are currently in preparation for clinical trials to assess the effectiveness of this form of lifestyle intervention in various patient groups," Brown said in a press release.
Fasting can be as simple as skipping a meal one to two days a week. The notion that intermittent fasting could be good for health and lead to a longer lifespan has been around for thousands of years, but solid research is lacking. Calorie restriction as a way of life is also suggested to help thwart disease, but is too difficult and inconvenient for most people.
Based on the analysis, fasting - restricting calories every other day or just two days a week might be a strategy that can stop escalating rates of heart disease, obesity and type 2 diabetes. The benefits may be the same as bariatric surgery, but much less invasive and safer.
Contest
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Q: What are the benefits of varying your workout routine?
Scott Fenwick says:
Individuals should consider varying their exercise routines for two fundamental reasons: (1) to prevent boredom associated with doing the same things over and over (2) to avoid or delay reaching a plateau in workout performance and, subsequently, training results. Research has shown that adding variety to an exercise program can improve adherence. Exercise scientists at the University of Florida observed that individuals who modified their workouts every two weeks over an eight-week period appeared to enjoy their workouts more and were more inclined to stick with their exercise programs when compared to individuals who followed the same workout regimens week after week. Varying your exercise routine can also help you stay physically challenged. Many of the body's physiological systems (e.g., the muscular system) adapt to an exercise program within approximately six to eight weeks. If you do not modify your exercise routine, you reach a plateau because your body has adapted to the repetitive training stimulus.
There are several ways you can spice up your current workout routine, including boosting the intensity of your workouts. For instance, if you jog or run, try incorporating some intervals of sprinting (e.g., sprint to a given landmark, then jog to the next one) or adding more hill work to your run. You can also cross train and perform different activities to provide your body with a new challenge. A nice alternative for resistance-training exercises involves changing the sequence in which you perform the training exercises. Fatiguing the muscles in a new order or pattern, you are requiring them to adapt to a new training stimulus. Another option for adding variety to strength-training workouts is to replace some or all of the exercises in your workout routine (e.g., substitute a dumbbell pectoral fly exercise on a stability ball for your typical barbell bench press exercise). Keep in mind that doing the exact same workout, day after day is not necessarily a bad thing. Some people enjoy a predictable, consistent routine. They do not mind the possibility of experiencing a training plateau and are content to maintain their health and fitness levels with a comfortable exercise habit. However, many individuals need to push themselves to new levels and try different activities to stay enthusiastic and excited about their workouts. Varying their exercise routines, individuals can not only stay physically challenged, but mentally stimulated as well.