The Fasting Diet is a short-term diet that has recently gained popularity. It consists of four phases: the introduction phase, the fasting phase, the maintenance phase, and the testing phase. In this short-term extreme dieting regime, you lose a certain amount of calories every day for a specified length of time. Fasting as a diet can either be a short-term voluntary fast or a long-term controlled fast.
Intermittent fasting is an umbrella phrase for a variety of different meal timing schedules which cycle between normal eating habits over a period and voluntary starvation over a specified period. Many methods of inpatient fasting involve alternating day fasting schedules, periodic fasting, or daily time-limited eating. The benefits of the Fasting Diet include a general decrease in calorie intake, a decrease in hunger and appetite, weight loss, improved digestion, increased energy, and vitality, decreased cravings, improved skin and bowel function, healthier mental and physical health, reduced body fat, and healthier and more alert cognitive function. For older adults, the benefits of the fast can include reducing joint pain and stiffness, possibly preventing osteoporosis, strengthening the immune system, increasing mental awareness and mood, reducing the risk of cancer, preventing heart disease, stabilizing blood sugar levels, improving skin tone and texture, healing wrinkles and age-related dryness, and improving sleep.
The principles of this type of diet are based on the premise that overeating or consuming high-calorie meals causes a rapid drop in blood sugar levels which causes our bodies to "switch on" the starvation mechanism. At this point, the body is deprived of its regular source of food and energy, so energy is naturally depleted very rapidly. The initial benefits experienced by participants in the fasting diets include weight loss, a reduction in hunger, and a boost in energy and stamina. These initial benefits also allow participants to make better food choices and become more aware of what they are eating. Eventually, participants experience a true sense of freedom from overeating as they reduce their calorie intake below their normal range and experience the effects of the diet on their metabolism, weight loss, and hunger.
The study of aging and calorie restriction has been a long-awaited area of research. The results have been promising with many studies showing increases in lifespan, vitality, immunity, brain function, improved skin, and anti-aging. The benefits of calorie restriction for older adults are similar to those for younger adults in that a reduction in calorie intake allows the body to use up its reserves more quickly. However, the study showed that this was primarily due to a reduction in fat instead of a boost in energy or nutrient intake. It is unclear whether this is due to the reduction in fat per se, or a change in the efficiency with which the body uses fuel (fatty acids)
The Fasting Diet is based on a core principle of bodily self-healing. The participants were asked to follow a special eating pattern for a set amount of time. For example, some participants were required to restrict their caloric intake by an amount equal to the amount they consumed for one day, while others were allowed to eat as much as they liked for a whole week. The intermittent fasting diets were associated with a significant decrease in both weight loss and the gain of body weight in a seven-year study of older adults. This research shows us that a core component of the Fasting Diet is a good way to improve your health and age gracefully. Of course, a healthy eating plan and regular exercise are still necessary for everyone to enjoy the benefits of this unique eating pattern.
Many seniors who are looking to improve their health by reducing their caloric intake but do not want to attend a special diet can choose to engage in a high protein and high-calorie diet. The biggest impact of this type of diet is seen in decreasing the risk of developing osteoporosis, a common disease among older adults. Osteoporosis is primarily caused by a reduced level of calcium and phosphate in the bloodstream. By increasing the participants' calcium and phosphate intake through supplements or eating more red meat, the researchers found nine percent fewer incidents of osteoporosis in the group who participated in the high protein and high-calorie diet compared to the control group.
