A YouTube clip from Joe Rogan’s podcast got me thinking a lot. In this clip, along with Firas Zahabi, who has specialized in a lot of workout and training topics, the topic of productivity is discussed. “I am a big believer of never being sore”.
Let’s analyze what he said a little bit more. What does it mean to be sore? Surely, we can think of being sore as something related to a hard workout. Being sore, then, is just being tired, being worn out. Say we worked on a task the whole day. By the end of the day, we are going to be sore, tired, and unmotivated to keep going.
The way our energy levels work present to us the need for there to be rest. Without rest, our bodies will not function properly. Our productivity, then, is measured by how much work we can do when we are not resting. Our rest can either make or break the amount of work we can handle.
Resting will increase your productivity, even though it might seem that rest takes away time from that productivity. Zahibi’s concept of not being sore is similar to that of choosing to jog rather than run. When we run we end up being tired faster, causing an unsteady progress. We run hard, but we have to rest just as hard. However, when we jog, we can keep going for more time. Some tasks are way longer and harder than others so we must learn to know when to sprint and when to jog. Bigger tasks, bigger goals, require a lot of time and effort. This time and effort must be maximised, especially for long runs. In a marathon, we don’t just use up all our energy at once. We have to keep it slow and steady for the endurance. The same applies for various things in life. If you want to get anywhere with your goals, the smart thing to do is to go slowly and work your way up.
So, compiling all this information and analyzing what some of the big influential people have to say, here is some of the ways to maximise productivity forever and become a beast at tackling goals:
Do not burn out
The Elon Musk mentality of burning yourself out and working as hard as possible all the time is not optimal. Sure, some of us can actually handle a lot of work, but it takes a lot of time and discipline to get to that point. To achieve the amount of work Elon Musk can get done, one must start with baby steps. In order to actually get to long term goals, one cannot simply start racing as soon as he can, or the result might be burn out.
One step at a time
I really like what Zahibi explained in this Youtube clip. He says that in the long run, doing small tasks each day can achieve more than tackling something all at once and needing to rest. The analogy is that if he does a small amount of push ups, he can be consistent and keep doing that throughout the whole week. On the other hand, if someone does a big amount of push ups and ends up sore, he must need to rest, and in that time he will lose relative productivity. The same applies to life in general, but also because it is the baby steps and manageable chunks of work that will actually stick long term and generate good habits.
Plan ahead always
In relation to our goals, it is very smart to have a plan, some sort of strategy to tackle problems or obstacles. Without a plan, it is very hard to keep being consistent or to track any progress at all. A plan takes away some of that stress, because if you know your goal and you know how you are getting there, there is less to worry about.
Consider the Pomodoro Technique
The Pomodoro technique is very simple, and it might be the difference between getting a lot of work done and not being very productive at all. It works because the way our brain works. When we are working hard, we are in a focused mode and our brain is trying to remember and take information from as many sources as possible. In other words, we become aware of other experiences and use our memories as potential leadway into problem solving. However, it is pretty hard sometimes to make connections when there are too many sources of information. In our relaxed state, we can often find connections we have not made before. The pomodoro technique not only exploits this, but it makes it easy to handle big tasks, by allowing little breaks in between twenty minute sessions of working.
So, as long as you take it slow and know where you are heading, getting there is not as hard and it is by far the smartest way to get work done.
The liver is one of the most important, vital organs in our body. Having a good healthy liver fueled by good habits and good food is the key to having a healthy overall life.
The liver is responsible for metabolic processes, detoxification, and production of digestive material. The liver does a lot of the bodies processing of nutrients, so it must receive them in order to work properly. The best way to satisfy the liver’s needs is to have a diverse, balanced diet, where all the nutrients and mineral requirements are being met. Consuming sources of vitamin C, especially, helps the liver carry out essential digestive material production. Our livers are also a storehouse for nutrients. A good diet with a balanced content of these will ensure than when in need of nutrients, your body has a reliable storing facility that will provide.
The key thing to ensure a healthy liver is to lower or eliminate processed sugar and alcohol consumption. Both of these products will be processed by the liver and converted to fat. When the body is not in need of glucose or energy, it will turn sugars that aren’t needed into fats. With processed sugars, not only will these lower a body’s insulin sensitivity, but those sugars are most likely turned into fat. With alcohol, the liver will process it as a toxin, and turn those molecules in something harmless for the body, like fat. In turn, the more alcohol and processed sugars, the more fat is produced by the liver. A fatty liver is when at least 5% of the liver is taken up by fat, and that by itself encourages other health problems.
This is why I have been backing the claim, that maybe high fructose corn syrup is actually killing us. Sometimes these processed sugars and alcohols are very easy to come by and can have addictive qualities. Moderation is key, but it is very hard to keep moderated with sugar in today’s society. We have to be more aware of what we are eating and take the right choices.
Our liver is quite the organ, being the heaviest and the one that can regenerate. However, this does not mean we should just go around and drink all the alcohol out there and eat as much sugar as we can. Permanent liver damage is irreversible and if you want to live long and healthy, it is a good idea to keep your liver in check.
In order to maintain a healthy liver, one must have a healthy lifestyle. Exercise and a good diet is the best care that the liver can receive. In today’s society, we seem to dismiss our health, especially when it comes to nutrition. Another factor that has to be taken care of is our emotional health, because more often than not the problem is buried deep within us and not in our diet. Although these claims might not be backed up by science, our emotions may be affecting our liver’s health too. If we live stressed and angry we are more likely to eat refined carbs and high fat content foods. We are more likely to fall for quick stress relievers and forms of pleasure. Therefore, the proposal I provide is to take time for yourself, outside in nature. Being outside and in fresh air will decrease stress levels, and a good walk or run or even swim might be the answer to a healthy, long, quality life and a healthy liver.
A lot of people nowadays are scared of fat. Society has grasped the idea that too much fat is bad for the body. It is, indeed, but we should be worrying more about high fructose corn syrup.
Before it was invented and put on everything on the market, our bodies found fructose from natural sources. Honey, vegetables, and fruits. Then, the early 1970s came and we started putting high fructose sweeteners in soda. The food industries figured it would be much cheaper to implement this artificial high fructose sweetener than to include high quality natural sweeteners. Next thing we know, high fructose corn syrup has invaded everything on the menu. Bread, yogurt, frozen foods, juice, soda, condiments, and canned food are packed all the way with unnatural amounts of sugar. Just read the labels.
Glucose all around is not bad. It is actually essential for the body and its metabolic processes. Fructose, on the other hand, is found in nature in lower amounts. Even highly sweet tasting aliments, like raw, unaltered honey, contain about forty percent fructose and the rest glucose. Nowadays, we have much more fructose in our goods because it is more convenient for business. This high fructose corn syrup allows companies to mass produce and sell their products at maximum profit while keeping their costs as low as possible. The hard truth is that artificial sweeteners are probably responsible for obesity crisis that has struck populations ruled by big food companies. Yet we stand here misinformed, going after fat and blaming high fat foods instead.
High fructose corn syrup is not only cheaper to produce, but also it does the following:
Highly addicting qualities, since the brain does not process the right hunger signals when consuming artificial sweeteners
Converted to fat by the liver in a rapid manner due to its toxic qualities when ingested in high amounts
Hidden in a lot of unexpected goods
Linked to heart disease, obesity, and diabetes
Sure, fructose won’t kill you, thanks to the liver. One of the most vital organs in the body, the liver is responsible for filtering and converting toxins into non harmful things. Maybe fructose is not harmful, but our bodies are not accustomed to unnaturally high amounts of it. The chances of developing diabetes on a high fructose diet is terribly high. In addition, it is so incredibly easy to keep consuming because our minds are used to it. We crave sugary foods all the time. Combine this with the fact that high fructose does not even alert the right hunger responses, and we seem to be in a constant cycle of pleasure and eating.
Sure, fructose won’t kill you, thanks to the liver. One of the most vital organs in the body, the liver is responsible for filtering and converting toxins into non harmful things. Maybe fructose is not harmful, but our bodies are not accustomed to unnaturally high amounts of it. The chances of developing diabetes on a high fructose diet is terribly high. In addition, it is so incredibly easy to keep consuming because our minds are used to it. We crave sugary foods all the time. Combine this with the fact that high fructose does not even alert the right hunger responses, and we seem to be in a constant cycle of pleasure and eating.
Before, when the human was hunter and gatherer, and even in times of farming and agriculture, the sugar we ate came from fruits and honey. If you wanted a dessert, which were, as usual, packed with sugar, it did not come cheap. Dessert was for the bourgeoisie class and for special occasions. Cakes, sweet breads, ice cream, or whatever. Then, mass producing changed the idea of food forever.
We could have as much as we wanted whenever we wanted because every supermarket and restaurant ever is at reach. This comes with ups and downs. Lower class men are allowed the things that the only came across a few times in a lifetime. On the other hand some of us have those things every single day. Now, households are filled with candy, cake, bread, ice cream, soda, and so on. Our kids are getting accustomed to eating like this, and they would refuse vegetables and quality nutritious food. Imagine all these factors plus the fact that we are getting used to high amounts of sugar from a young age. Hence, we have the food epidemic.
In order to understand more about high fructose corn syrup, we have to understand that big corporations control a huge portion of our nutrition. They can control what and how we feel about food. Have you ever gone to the supermarket, and seen the vegetable section highly advertised, with bright colors, and wacky memorable names? Never. It’s always the candies and the sodas and everything else that contain the pretty branding and labels. This just makes the unhealthy foods easy to grab, plus the fact they taste good, and more often than not they are easy and fast to prepare.
When you control the food industry, you decide what goes into people’s digestive tracts. Now, do you think these companies are feeding you with the right, best designed foods out there to make your body healthy, or they are feeding you with the cheapest, mass produced, lowest nutritional products?
A lot of unexpected products contain high fructose corn syrup, so staying away from it is even harder. A lot of these goods also have something in common, and that is the low fiber. A low fiber diet is also part of the reason for the food-related health epidemic and the various diseases associated with bad nutrition. Low fiber starves some of your gut bacteria, which can swim to upper levels of the gut or they can eat your gut barrier. Either way, your digestive track suffers the consequences.
So, how do you stop this from happening? Eat balanced, that’s it. Eat from various sources that are nutritional and consume probiotics filled with good bacteria. Try to stay away from all that high fructose sources that add up to a lot of sugar intake. You can have soda, but once in a while. The problem arrives when daily intakes add up and take a part of your diet. Consider traditional restaurants instead of fast food, eat regional foods, and try to replace the junk food with high quality fiber, protein, and good fat. You cannot change everything in a day, it is not feasable. Changes have to come slowly and manageable so they are more likely to stick, rather than radical changes you end up hating.
Skip here to find out how meditation can lead you to lose weight.
This statement can come across as too bold or wild, but in fact the act of meditating religiously (as in regularly) can help you lose weight. Meditation, at least for me, is one of the hardest habits to get into, especially in our world where everyone is super busy and the attention span has been decreasing over time. Taking the time to think about nothing, even when it sounds too easy almost, is difficult. When we train our brains for the first time, at least.
Meditation is a habit that we must take slowly. I remembered the first time I tried to do it myself I only lasted five minutes before I just could not handle not thinking. I seeked guidance online, like we usually do, and I found out that beginners do not last long the first meditation session.
As a matter of fact, most beginners do it wrong. I am not a meditation expert, but what I do understand about the topic is that there is more than one way to do it. One of them is by focusing on breath, and the other is to think about nothing at all, which is pretty hard. Even focusing on breath alone is difficult. Anyways, the topic here is not really about the right way to meditate. We are going to exploit the benefits of starting meditation and how it can actually help you lose weight and get that figure you always wanted.
Meditation is an activity for the mind, but it does more for your body than you think. In our world, we live stress all the time and we fill our lives with so many activities. Well, meditation is not an escape for reality. I would say it is a break for the mind. Breaks and resting times are what balance the universe. This is why sleep is so important. Resting the brain is super important, and it can lead to a better life and a good sense of well being.
Benefits
Relieves stress and anxiety that cause emotional eating
Emotional eating is a big thing and when we do it, we don’t really realize. I have done it sometimes, and I am sure some of us out there have as well. It does not even have to be linked to stress. When we are going through hard times, or emotional episodes we naturally seek comfort or ways to cope. Sure, an ice cream may not fix a bad day, but it sure helps. Emotionally we are very complex but at the same time very simple. From childhood, we remember and our brains are accustomed to what our parents used to make us happier in hard times. A lot of it has to do with candy, chocolate, burgers and what not.
The role that emotions have on human health is huge. Pain and hard situations often end in drug abuse and health problems, both physically and mentally. The brain seeks comfort where there is none and the world is full of things that provide only temporary happiness. Therefore, it is important to practice things like meditation, which are healthy ways to cope with pain and stress in our daily lives.
Even worse, a lot of foods out there are made to please the mouth as much as possible, making you crave and buy more. Meditation and mental training can help us build discipline, self control, willpower, or whatever you want to call it. It does this by conditioning ourselves to relax and see life for what it is.
Mindfulness
Meditation makes you more aware of your actions. In turn, you are aware of your decisions, including what you are eating. Not only this, but if you practice meditation you are more likely to stick to a good healthy lifestyle for longer. Most of us just diet and work very hard just to look good, and it is fine. However, meditation and a healthy lifestyle go hand in hand, so you will be more inclined to be healthier throughout your life.
Helps in concentration and areas like fasting
Hopefully, now you know why meditation is one of the healthiest and one of the key life changing habits. However, the last important thing to mention is that meditation is very helpful when you pair it with fasting. Intermittent fasting benefits a ton from meditative activities because when your body has gone a long time without food, it can be hard and tough to maintain calm and balanced mood for some of us. In addition when you assign your mind tasks when in a fast, you are even more focused because your body has entered a state in which it hates wasting energy. If you can control your focus and add meditation to your routine, you will be very good in terms of brain activity and clear mindedness. It may even help you in areas like sports and academic performance.
Given the points made in this blog so far I hope you take this habit seriously and practice it as soon as you can. Not only will you experience a good healthier lifestyle but you will also surround yourself with positive energy and experience the other mind benefits meditation has on your mental health.
When I first started hearing about apple cider vinegar, I could not believe it. It was too good to be true in my head, so I somewhat dismissed what could be considered one of the healthiest substances that nature can offer to the body. My skeptical attitude kicked in and I decided to research as much as I could regarding apple cider vinegar. I found quite a lot of interesting facts.
Let me bring to you the awesome benefits of apple cider vinegar and how it can completely change the game forever. If you want to read about the benefits right away you can skip here
Well, apple cider vinegar is fermented apple juice, kind of. It is actually not very hard to make at home if you have some jars, patience, and a dark room.
The main process that goes behind the magic of apple cider vinegar is fermentation. Fermentation occurs thanks to the absence of oxygen, the presence of fungi (yeast) and glucose or whatever sugar they can feed on. In apple cider vinegar, the sugar present will turn into alcohol by the yeast and then that same alcohol will turn into vinegar by the bacteria in, again, another fermentation process.
What you are essentially left with is acetic acid, which is a wonderful substance that allows so many benefits to take place in your body. If alcohol is already very nasty to the taste, now imagine vinegar. Drinking it straight up is just not the best decision, so you are better off mixing it with tea or water or juice. When you drink apple cider vinegar (make sure to regulate your consumption), your body will thank you so much.
By the pH alone, that single factor, you are having a detoxing effect, killing awful bacteria you do not want there and regulating your internal pH. If you are looking for these bacteria to keep detoxing your body, you might want unpasteurized apple cider vinegar, which still contain these microorganisms. They do, however, decrease the quality of vinegar, but you are getting more detoxing results for the gut.
Benefits
Low cost
Apple cider vinegar is a natural remedy and a very affordable substance that you can get a hold on basically in any moderately sized market. It is available almost everywhere and it is very inexpensive. The kind of value you get for the money is incredible. Even the more expensive, organic and unfiltered options are considered affordable and a very good investment if you are into a healthy lifestyle.
Fat Burning
ACV is shown to help lose weight out of two main causes. First, acetic acid is an appetite suppressant. Almost every person out there who try apple cider vinegar for their diet says the same thing, they just did not feel as hungry and were able to stay lean and healthy.
Secondly, acetic acid can overall speed up the fat burning process by improving metabolism. Notice, however, that I say can. This is because a lot of these studies support that apple cider vinegar speeds up fat burning, but these are tests done on mice. Acetic acid boosts metabolism and fat burning genes but in another completely different species, so I would not go too fast as to claim it can do the same on humans.
However, people have tried apple cider vinegar in the past, including myself, and it has shown tremendous results. I would heavily suggest to try apple cider vinegar as part of your diet in an experimental manner.
Helps with acne and face imperfections
Apple cider vinegar is very good for balancing the pH of your internal body, but it also
does the same for your skin. The pH of acetic acid serves as a very good agent for killing bacteria on the surface of your face and preventing imperfections. It serves as a toner as well. I have been using it and implementing it on my face care routine and it is a complete game changer. It is so cheap compared to so many other face products and apple cider vinegar is the key cleansing agent in my opinion besides an actual face wash. If you are going the face care route, I would suggest using unfiltered organic apple cider vinegar, which could tremendously speed up your results (I am yet to confirm this, though). You could even mix it with honey or buy one with honey already added to it like the one I have.
Helps fight type 2 Diabetes
Among the health benefits that apple cider vinegar offers, this one is a very important one. This is why I recommend using apple cider vinegar while doing intermittent fasting, it just compliments the whole experience.
You are getting an appetite suppressant that is going to make things easier for you and you are also getting insulin resistance. ACV can help reduce blood sugar levels and regulate insulin functions, which in turn fights against type 2 diabetes. If you are at risk of developing diabetes, or you care about your health and you are interested in having control over your body and your energy levels, apple cider vinegar is the right thing for you.
There are even more benefits of apple cider vinegar, but a lot of them have not even been proven by science. The tremendous effects that the substance has on the body is very undeniable and I highly suggest it gets implemented in your diet.
So, you have read all the benefits and feel ready to take on this challenge. Maybe you already are in the way and have already started on your intermittent fasting. Well, regardless of who you are, this journey will be ten times easier if you do it right. That is what I am here for. I have been researching the topic for a few months now, and I finally know the right way to go about it. I will share some of the tips and the ways to make intermittent fasting even more efficient.
Are you looking to lose weight?
Well, I have a very quick guide and some tips that will allow you to get there faster and easier.
Keep in mind that intermittent fasting is not a diet, it is just a timing plan. However, there are certain foods that you might want to avoid and some that you will need. In general, you can technically eat whatever you want during the times you are not fasting but if your goal is to lose weight and improve your health I recommend you do the following:
Do not mix high carb foods with high fat food
Eat high fiber meals right before you start the fast
Drink apple cider vinegar with water in the morning
Try to exercise the most during your fast
Drink black coffee in the morning and green tea during the fast
Do not add additives and sugar to black coffee or tea
Have some salt with water early in the day
Try to eat a small meal to break a fast, and follow it by a normal meal
Try to meditate throughout the day
If planning to drink alcohol, have a good meal beforehand
These tips might be overwhelming, and a lot of them spike some sort of interest and mystery. Well, here I will explain and breakdown how these tips will get your weight losing routine to show good results.
Mixing carbs with fats
When it comes to mixing carbohydrates with fats, this will set back your results if you are trying to lose weight. You should plan your meals so that carbohydrates and protein are consumed at the same time or protein and fat. Of course, If you eat a little of fat with carbs, there is nothing to be worried about. The problem is when you mix high carb and high fat meals. For example, if you have a lot of butter and bread at the same time, this will not allow your results to shine as much as they would. Carbohydrates spike an insulin response, making your cells receptive to everything and all calories. Eating high fat and carbs together will make your cells absorb more fat.
Eating high fiber before fasting
Eating high fiber meals before your eating window ends means that your body’s insulin response will happen gradually and you will feel more full for more time. Say, if you eat a high fiber meal before going to bed, you will wake up the next morning with hardly any hunger. As a matter of fact, a lot of us can already skip breakfast without any issues.
Apple cider vinegar
Apple cider vinegar is one of those magical substances. It has a lot of benefits on health, but the one we will be focusing on is its ability to allow for less hunger and more control on what you eat. The main component that we are looking for in apple cider vinegar is acetic acid. This wonderful short chain fatty acid does so much for your body that it is incredible. Also, it will not break your fast. Acetic acid acts as an appetite suppressant, since it targets areas of the brain responsible for wanting to eat. It also lowers your blood sugar, lowers insulin, promotes fat burning genes and improves metabolism. It tastes horrible, so you might want to mix it with a little bit of water.
Exercise during a fast
If your goal is to lose weight, there is a huge benefit if you exercise and be your most active when you fast. Yes, it might be very hard for you to do because there is no food in your system and your blood sugar is low. However, if you implement other tips in this guide, like consuming salt early, drinking black coffee and apple cider vinegar, exercise will be much easier. When your body is undergoing the most stress (good stress) during the fast, your fat burning hormones are through the roof. You end up burning even more fat when you are exercising. If your goal is solely to lose weight, I highly recommend fasted cardio. If you might want to keep muscle mass but also lose some weight, doing some weightlifting is very good for you.
Salt in the morning
When you are fasting, not only are your blood sugar levels on the lowest, but your body lacks minerals. This will cause tiredness throughout the fast. One of the best ways to fight this is to have some salt early in the morning so that you retain water and remain energized and mineralized.
Black coffee
Black coffee is very good for a fast and will increase your results. It turns out black coffee can speed up the fat burning process and promote autophagy, which is when your cells recycle materials and build more cells. Also, black coffee will give you caffeine and an energy boost that in combination with your increased focus and cell restoration process can make you a more productive individual. A lot of us depend on coffee to start our day. If you are worried about depending on coffee, try having it every other day. Coffee has a more gradual response on the brain than other drugs and it is harder to get addicted to, but dependance is very common. Maybe you should just take it those days that you are doing fasted cardio and are burning the most fat and avoid coffee on your rest days.
Meditation
The good thing about intermittent fasting is its ability to promote other good habits and increasing the positive energy around a person by making them more focused and energized. Sure, you might think hunger is not good for a person’s mood, and you are right. However, the amount of times that hunger is experienced during a fast are very small when you are doing it right and taking these tips. When you meditate, you are doing a lot of things to your brain and your body, allowing you to calm down, embrace pain, increase your focus, and increase your positive aura. It will be much easier for you to maintain self control and feel better about yourself regardless of hunger and stress.
Alcohol consumption
Alcohol is completely fine and you should not worry about it ruining your progress, as long as you are not abusing it and as long as you are consuming at the right timing. A lot of us drink alcohol late at night, and it might not be optimal for a fast. However that is completely fine, because intermittent fasting allows for “cheat days” once in a while. Some people even recommend that intermittent fasting is done every other day. If you fasted the whole week, you can go about your weekends normally and shouldn’t worry too much. If you are taking your diet seriously, and are committed to follow the regimen, then do not drink alcohol. It all depends on your goals, your friends, your plans, and how much you are willing to sacrifice.
Bonus Tips
These final tips are very crucial and should be followed under any circumstances, whether you are trying to lose weight or not. First of all, if you are doing intermittent fasting, you have to make sure your sleep schedule is on point and that you are getting the recommended amount, which is 8 to 10 hours. If your sleep schedule is not good, intermittent fasting will just add a bitter sensation to your day and can set back your progress. Sleep is essential, and cannot be skipped under any circumstances, unless you are closing a million dollar deal and absolutely need to finish some work. However, if you stay up late on social media, or playing video games or watching movies, make sure you can recover your sleep. If you are on weekdays and need to stay up early, do not waste your precious resting times. The brain needs rest to properly function. The last tip is to not listen to what other people have to say negatively about your plan. It is very common for people around you to judge you and go against everything that intermittent fasting has to offer. You should not listen to them and take action by yourself.
Do the plan yourself and if it works, great. If it doesn’t and it is not for you, what are you losing? Success is not for everyone because not everyone is willing to put themselves out there in what is believed to be uncomfortable. Not everyone is willing to go this far when it comes to their diet and wellbeing, but I am sure you are and highly encourage you to keep this journey, take these tips, and achieve your goals.
Have you ever wondered what it would be like to have superpowers? Well, what if I told you there is something you can do that will get you pretty close. You may have heard by now, since it is so popular and millions of people around the globe are trying it. Here are the benefits you will encounter if you participate in this diet plan.
I am going to write a disclaimer which I highly suggest you read, but if you want you
First off, I wish I could say this method works in a short amount of time. However, it hugely depends on genetics and the current lifestyle of the person. But, it works, no matter who you are, as long as you are doing it correctly and fitting to your situation. For example, if you are a person who suffers to keep self control with eating, which is really common and you should not feel bad about, you should take an intermittent fasting approach very carefully. I say this because I have been there myself. In the beginning, I jumped right into the twenty hours fast everyday and when the time came, I overate and completely ruined my diet. I did not even care what I was eating, I was too hungry to even think about it. Also, keep in mind the most beneficial part of intermittent fasting happens if you have completely control of what you are cooking and eating at the end of the day. If you are in school and come home to cake, pasta, pizza, etc… Intermittent fasting is going to show its results but not as efficiently as you want it to. The best way to go about it is: slow, steady, and patiently.
In the next entry I will be writing about the ways you can implement the diet plan into your life if you have not already, so stay tuned!
Benefits:
Longevity
Intermittent fasting allows your body to enter a special state doctors call Ketogenesis, but I like to call it the Superman State. When your body goes through a period of time without eating, there is a lack of carbs, which are the main source of fuel for the body, especially the brain. Out of the four essential macromolecules in life, carbohydrates serve the purpose of storing energy in their chemical bonds. When these are broken down through cellular respiration, you get another molecule called ATP, which is used for energy.
Well, if carbohydrates like glucose and fibers are so important, why would I choose not to eat them for a long period of time? If the body relied only on carbs for fuel, we wouldn’t be as successful as a species we are today.
When our body has no sugar, it feeds on fat and protein and recycles materials that are in our cells. That is the keyword here, and even though it is very simplified, at the end of the day, that is essentially what takes place. Your cells start to break down, and they repair themselves and build new ones during a fast. This is mainly shown as the growth hormone levels spike in huge numbers when in a fast. Therefore, cells are in a constant repairing and recycling process, getting rid of inefficiency and building more cells. This helps longevity, since it allows old cells to get recycled into new ones at speeds way beyond normal states. Fasting allows you to get into this state, in which the body is constantly healing itself internally, and you guessed it! It improves overall health in turn making your body live longer.
2. Weight loss
This is the obvious one. When your body turns to fat for a source of fuel, you burn it. I do not want to say it’s because you’re eating less, but that tends to happen as well for some people. Overall, eating less is not the way to go about it because you may slow down your metabolism and suffer weight gain instead. I say this because I have been through the same thing. In hopes of getting fast results, I simply ate less and even lost a little bit of weight (I could have lost more if I was well nourished).
Your body loses weight for a couple of reasons. One, you are building insulin resistance, which means every time you eat, your body responds naturally, allowing glucose and other macros and vitamins to get absorbed properly. This means you do not need as much carbs to keep up with your insulin responses and therefore you will slowly decrease the amount of sugar you usually eat. Of course, keeping in mind you are eating natural sugars and not processed sugars that mess up your brain’s reward system, making you crave more. Secondly, you consume more fat that is stored in your body. If you manage to pair this with fasted cardio or exercise in your fasted states, you will burn even more fat and you will be off the charts when it comes to results. Of course, keep in mind you have to maintain the same caloric intake as before, replacing bad calories you were getting for good ones at a slow pace and consuming the right amount of vitamins and good fats.
3. Flexibility
Intermittent fasting is one of the few diet plans in which you can take cheat days like a champ and you will still have benefits and good results. In general, I can tell you that if you love a certain candy, you can still manage to eat it and love yourself afterwards because intermittent fasting will be working on you. Of course, if you do not abuse the candy. Intermittent fasting will still work because in the fasted state, you will still burn fat and you will still build insulin resistance regardless if you eat a little piece of chocolate or treat yourself with a slice of pizza here and there. When you maintain a balanced diet, eating vitamins, fruits, vegetables, protein, fats, and fiber, you can pretty much allow small amounts of cheating without suffering big consequences. I would even argue that if you are following your diet correctly or a week, you can go all out on one day with whatever you want and still lose weight. Another aspect of the flexibility is that you can adapt the timing to your schedule very easily. For example, if you work during the day and require energy and cannot go without eating for any reason, you can fast at night without any issues. What if you go out with your friends at night on the weekends to eat? There is absolutely no problem, you can still carry on the fasting later on. Also, intermittent fasting is not very strict. You can drink coffee and allow very small amounts of calories.
4. Muscle gain
You may be thinking that when the body has no fuel, it will take up any form of macro for energy, including your muscle fiber. This is partially true, but it would make absolutely no sense in the evolutionary standpoint. Our ancestors had to adapt to their environment and sometimes they would go days without eating, but that does not mean they lost their muscles and strength. It is just not optimal for the body to eat up your muscles when in caloric deficit. It will happen, but in very extreme scenarios.
In a normal intermittent fasting scenario, your body will not consume your muscle mass because your growth hormone is doing exactly the opposite. As long as this hormone is above normal levels, you will be repairing and building cells, at the expense of other cells of course, but always for the better. If you are malnourished, your muscle growth is at stake. As long as you have your calories in check (they do not have to be as accurate as you think: if you ate 2500 calories instead of 3000 for the day nothing is going to happen as long as it’s only a few days), your muscle growth will be improving overall.
5. Self Control
When intermittent fasting is done right, and by this I mean slowly, steadily, and patiently, you will improve your abilities of self control. Fasting is a way to let your body go under stress, but good stress. It improves your resistance to eat and self control to maintain a plan. It is a very efficient self improving method. Alongside meditation, I would personally rank intermittent fasting to be a good self control routine. One day, you try to go 10 hours without eating, which is pretty easy to do if you are busy or if you do not eat at night. The first day will be so much easier, then after a week, you bump the number to 12 hours. And you keep doing that until 16 hours seems too easy for you. If you even feel brave and you have experience, you can take that number up to 20 hours.
Keep in mind, it is not as easy as it sounds for a lot of people. There is a tradeoff, but the reward is big. It may take your hormones some months to adapt to the fast and not feel hungry at the time of day that you fast. This is something I had trouble at first. I found that I got really hungry at night, right before bed. As much as I ignored it, it completely messed up my sleeping schedule. It was very hard for me, but I managed to get through it with some tricks like drinking water and apple cider vinegar.
For a lot of us who are busy, it may even be easier to do intermittent fasting because we do not have to worry about eating and cooking as often. It is easier to keep track of your calories and it is much easier to plan meals, since you’re planning fewer per day. In turn, fasting is a good way to get your body used to uncomfortable situations and once you achieve this, self control in other areas of your life will improve. This is another reason for weight loss, since the self control gained can help you ignore quick pleasures like sugar. This was most definitely the case for me, but only after the first month. Before that, I was eating sugar left and right, feeling good and rewarding myself. After a month of experimenting, I was able to turn down food I really liked. When my friends offered me chocolate, I was able to focus on my diet and take it seriously without issues, even if I knew a little bit of chocolate would not even make a dent.
6. Concentration
Concentration goes hand in hand with self control. There are studies done that show the brain works more efficiently when it relies on ketone bodies that are made up of fat. In my personal breakdown, it makes sense. When you eat glucose, the energy levels tend to spike and drop down quickly, even if its fiber and good sugar. This is because out of all the essential macromolecules, glucose is what activates the most insulin response. However, this sudden increase in blood sugar and energy level is followed by a very sudden drop, when insulin takes place and returns sugar and other macros to the cells. On the other hand, fats have a very slow breakdown. Since fat molecules are very large and have to be converted into many things before it is actually energy, the insulin response takes place very slowly, allowing a more steady energy level, allowing the brain to concentrate without feeling tired out of the sudden. The brain is just much more efficient when it is running on ketone bodies.
7. Building Habits
I come from personal experience in this. When you are participating in intermittent fasting, you feel way better, more clear minded, and you feel like you are losing weight because when you are on a fast, you simply feel lighter. All this improves self confidence and in turn inspires you to take action in other good habits. The whole purpose of intermittent fasting is to give you all these benefits and make you a better person. When you take an interest in the plan, you will naturally be looking for ways to improve in other areas, like sleep, meditation, and self care. You will be feeling better and this will generally improve your mood as well as making you more social. You will in turn improve relationships, feel supported, and when you combine all of these benefits, you will be looking for a bigger purpose in life. The end goal, once you find it through your journey, is to feel legitimate happiness and not quick pleasure. You will find that partying, gaming, pleasuring yourself, sex, and intense emotions are not the answer to living a good life.
8. Fight disease
This is a good one, considering the health crisis we are suffering especially in Mexico and the United States (I am sure there are a lot more, but when it comes to food, these are the titans of overweight) that are ruled by big corporations whose sole purpose is to sell you quick pleasure in the form of sugar. It’s easy to consume, therefore easy to sell and I want to share this with you because I want more people to realize the big lies we are being given. Lies like you HAVE to eat three times a day, and you have to eat sugar and not consume fat.
I want you to realize that in order to succeed, you have to try things on your own and experiment and take action in a journey yourself. The big corporations are very guilty because they take advantage of the way your body is built, and they sell you products that are optimized to make you desire them. They spend a huge portion of their resources building advertising campaigns and testing new products to expand themselves. They simply do not care about your health.
Intermittent fasting, with insulin resistance, the building of ketones, the spike of growth hormone, habit building, and the path to better mental health make you a healthier person. Insulin resistance helps you combat type 2 diabetes, for obvious reasons. Hundreds of thousands of dollars that people are investing in medicine, can be cured by a simple lifestyle change that takes a few months to implement fully and has a very easy entry level. This lifestyle change may be the key for many people, to have a happier, better life. It is part of a process many, including myself, call rewiring your brain. You will rely less on dopamine for pleasure and allow the big things in life like relationships, health, and mental clarity to take more of a part in your happiness.
9. Financial benefits
Intermittent fasting allows you to be less out of control, and more aware of what you are eating and what you need to be buying and spending. Considering that you are planning meals accordingly (mind, you do not have to), you are slowly optimizing your spending on food. It is much easier to track meals and you will find that you are not going to spend as much money on useless calories or bad calories throughout the day. I say this, because I went to school and it is very easy to buy cookies and get a sugar buzz. During my fast, I was able to save money by just bypassing this daily purchase. Also, something to keep in mind that many articles and videos do not mention. There are people who spend money in growth hormone, testosterone, steroids, supplements and what not to increase their muscle mass or get more energy. This is completely fine if you know what you are doing, but with fasting you are getting amazing benefits without dropping a single penny on these products I just listed.
I heavily recommend intermittent fasting, however it is not the only diet out there. You do not have to do it, and there are many ways of losing weight and getting a lot of the benefits I mentioned above. A lot of these benefits are very dependent on you, your plan, your genetics, and your timing.
It is hard to find a good plan, because it takes experimenting. I suffered a lot in my first week, because I needed to get used to the plan and I needed articles like this one to tell me I could not go all in. Intermittent fasting is NOT for everyone. For example, on women, who may be looking to lose weight, the hormone levels in a fast are different than those on men and a badly executed plan can ruin your progress and set you back.
It is very important to consider a nutritionist, but not necessary. In my personal experience, the amount of information on the internet is so much that it can even be overwhelming. There are hundreds of books on the topic and the popularity of intermittent fasting is increasing. It has helped so many people improve their lives, but it may not be the most efficient plan for you and your schedule. I like to say that being a superhuman is not intended for everyone, and that is absolutely fine. Do not feel like you HAVE to do intermittent fasting. You can eat three times a day if that is your thing. As long as you are getting vitamins, fats, exercise, carbs, protein, maintaining a good mental health by having fun activities and hobbies that fulfill your purpose, you will be as healthy as anyone with a fasting schedule. In my experience, I also found fasting benefits that I did not expect. I grew three centimeters taller in two months on intermittent fasting. Being a short man, I feel this as a great achievement, and even if I cannot attribute it to the fast entirely since I am young and can have a growth spurt naturally, I have a huge feeling that the fasting took effect. Since I was new to the plan, maybe it was the beginner’s luck since my body was just starting to benefit.
Considering everything I have mentioned, I wish you a very good journey and luck. Even if you do not implement this right away, I am confident it will remain as a viable option for you sometime.
Hello, my name is Eber. Welcome to my blog! At the time I’m writing this I have graduated high school and on my way to experiment with what life has to offer. What exactly do I mean by this? Well, I’ve always been passionate about self improvement and ways to upgrade one’s self being by taking part in various activities that would be considered to be outside of common comfort zones. For example, intermittent fasting.
Most people would not consider taking long periods of time without food. It is just completely counter intuitive, in their minds at least. However, reality tells us, and by that I mean papers and hundreds of hours of research that has been invested on the topic, that there is much more to nutrition. In fact, our body’s functions are controlled by hormones, chemical messengers that are programmed by our very own DNA. If we manage to find a way and keep our hormones in check, we are therefore in control of our own bodies.
We could harvest this ability to achieve great things, like losing weight. We have been told through most of our lives that we have to eat three times a day and that depriving the body of food will be useless in the weight losing aspect. The main piece of evidence behind this statement is that the body’s metabolism decreases and the body loses the ability to burn fat as effectively. This is true, but there is a way to keep the amazing benefits of intermittent fasting and not go through malnutrition. This is done when the calories eaten throughout the day remain the same, so that you are not eating less. You just eat at restricted times. I’ve seen many clips on YouTube, read the papers, and even tried it myself.
Anyway, I am writing this for many reasons. I want to share my research and experiences, which are full of trial and error. I hope that not only can I help others with my blog but I can also improve on many things myself. I consider myself proficient at English, though it is not my mother language. I find myself learning things everyday and I hope to improve grammar and vocabulary. In this way, the blog serves as a journal. It is a personal project of mine, to practice the art of journaling and be able to look back at my findings and work on my weaknesses. With this blog I am taking a skeptic approach, judging and questioning everything, debunking whether the media is telling the truth. I am going to be very heavy on the research, making sure every argument is backed up and whether these methods are actually doable. I want to find out new ways of improving ourselves and be able to share it with others without any assumptions or weak research that is present in many articles and YouTube videos. For now, my focus is nutrition, but I am very open to any topic and I am willing to research just about anything. Since middle school, I have been attached to biology. It is a topic that I always understood and felt interested in. I am not studying a biology major or pursue to be a nutritionist. I am simply a young man on the internet with a passion and the means to open a conversation and provide resourceful information and willingness to improve by implementing lifestyle changes and suggesting others to do so. I want to inspire others to also improve themselves and take action in their own experiments. With this said, I really hope you enjoy the blog and be a part of this journey with me.
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The Weekend Read 