NEWSIntermittent Fasting: Why Is It The Talk Of The Town?
Feb. 8 2023, Published 5:16 p.m. ET
Follow Intermittent Fasting Eventually, if not Immediately!
The art of a balanced diet is something not everyone can adopt. Fitness instructors and enthusiasts spend thousands of hours in the gym to build bodies they dream of or see on Instagram and in fitness magazines. But some people think it all starts with skipping lunch. Fitness and a good body are not about popularity and impressions and starving yourself into shape. It’s about being healthy and living a prosperous life.
The COVID-19 pandemic was chaos unlike any the medical community has seen. With governments and healthcare institutions at a standstill against the might of the virus, it was only a matter of time before things went from bad to worse. Three years later, the world is still battling new variants of COVID-19, while casualties remain unaddressed. Unfortunately, that’s only the tip of the iceberg because with the world and WHO focusing on the pandemic, other diseases have found their in.
It’s not just the WHO’s ignorance of other diseases; it is also our own negligence. The rise of other diseases is also because people stopped taking care of themselves.
The economic difficulties and financial strains placed on the people enabled them to adopt eating habits that were previously untouched. This created a domino effect, weakening immune systems and making them prone to both COVID and non-COVID illnesses. Further, the lack of activities due to the government confining people to their homes resulted in further weakened immunity. Research indicates that the prevalence of obesity was no more than 30% before the pandemic, which increased to 34.9% during it.
The Wrath of a Weak Immune System
“What if I told you that intermittent fasting was really intermittent eating?” – author unknown
The problem doesn’t end here. It’s noted that people with obesity have a greater risk of severe illness from COVID-19. In fact, it was reported that obesity might triple the risk of hospitalization due to the infection. Yet, the real question remains: what should we do?
We try to find an answer in Intermittent Fasting: Why Is It the Talk of the Town?
In his book, Fasting – The New You(th) Behind the Science and Research of FASTING to Become Happier and Healthier, Micheal Phillips shares the impact of intermittent fasting and how it can create a difference in a person’s life. Before going forward with the discussion, let’s learn about intermittent fasting.
Let’s look at it this way, one can eat anything one wants but have to be disciplined about it. For instance, if a person goes to the TGIF for a nice steak, they should fast 24 hours before the meal.
Micheal’s book shares that intermittent fasting challenges individuals to train their brains to listen to their bodies. Further, it teaches people to slow down and not eat everything at the buffet. The book helps people understand the concept of mindful eating habits. A common notion is that intermittent fasting allows a person to lose weight, but that is only one aspect of this diet plan. The fasting is more about controlling one’s eating habits than weight loss. But yes, down the line, it can help with weight loss.
There are other reasons to adopt intermittent fasting:
- Accommodating unusual schedules, especially for unconventional working hours
- Supporting fitness for sports or other purposes
- Revamping an unhealthy relationship with food
The discussion mentioned how obesity had weakened people’s immune systems. With such unhealthy habits becoming a norm in today’s world, intermittent fasting appears to be our salvation. It will allow people to choose healthier nutritional options and live disease-free.
The Wrath of a Weak Immune System
The book helps understand how intermittent fasting works so the readers are saved from misinformation about the practice. However, Micheal’s book isn’t just a guide to intermittent fasting. The author has dedicated his works to helping individuals adopt sustainable practices and avoid disease.
In retrospect, the author wants to eradicate the stigma surrounding dieting and fasting. It’s not about starving oneself; it’s about adopting a lifestyle that will help individuals lead healthier lives. So, start educating yourself today with Micheal’s book.
