Why we should all fast once a week

With winter fast approaching, many of us are trying to stick to a healthy eating plan to avoid gaining the excess kilos during the colder months.

According to dietitian Susie Burrell embracing regular fasting could be the answer to maintaining your weight.   

‘While fasting is not a new invention – many religious and cultural groups have been fasting for thousands of years, the potential benefits it offers for weight loss is still being understood,’ she said on her blog.

‘One thing we do know is that various types of fasting offer a myriad of health benefits and as such embracing some form of regular fasting is most likely a good thing for all of us, even if we do not resort to the most restrictive regimes.’  

 

Australian dietitian Susie Burrell (pictured) said regular fasting has a range of benefits and may help you lose weight

Here are some of the main benefits of fasting:

1. It resets our hormones 

Hormones can cause havoc on our weight, particularly if there’s a serious imbalance in the body.

‘While weight loss is linked to some types of fasting, it is actually our inflammatory markers – cholesterol, blood glucose, insulin, blood pressure that all improve when we fast,’ said Susie.

‘Long term controlled levels of all of these markers is linked to a reduce risk of developing a number of chronic disease including Type 2 diabetes, heart disease and some types of cancer.’  

2. It reminds us what it is like to be hungry

As we move into winter, there’s no denying that many of us indulge in comfort foods and overeat. 

‘Human beings rarely eat when they are hungry, rather they eat because they are tired, bored or because other people around them are eating,’ explained Susie.

She said having a low calorie diet for 16-24 hours will help remind the body of what it is like to feel hungry.

Fasting once a week may help you drop unwanted kilos and maintain a healthier weight (stock image)

Fasting once a week may help you drop unwanted kilos and maintain a healthier weight (stock image)

3. It helps us eat less 

Portion sizes have increased dramatically in the past five to 10 years and many of us are becoming overweight or obese because of it. 

‘It is safe to say that most of us eat far too much each and every day,’ said Susie.

‘A regular fast is an easy way to remind us how much we are actually eating and how little we actually need to eat to maintain our weight.’ 

Susie said  having a low calorie diet for 16-24 hours will help remind the body of what it is like to feel hungry (stock image)

Susie said  having a low calorie diet for 16-24 hours will help remind the body of what it is like to feel hungry (stock image)

4. It buffers our high calorie days 

Sticking to a healthy eating plan all week is difficult when you might not be able to control how your food is being prepared. 

In particular, social events can easily lead to overindulging in too many calories.

‘There will always be days when we eat far too much – celebratory meals, parties, elaborate restaurant meals,’ said Susie.

Sticking to a healthy eating plan all week is difficult when you might not be able to control how your food is being prepared (stock image)

Sticking to a healthy eating plan all week is difficult when you might not be able to control how your food is being prepared (stock image)

‘Having a day or two that helps to buffer these high calorie days via plenty of salads and soups is an easy way to balance your overall calorie intake without dieting.’ 

5. You may lose weight 

Many view winter as a time where weight gain is almost inevitable, but you can lose a few kilograms without dieting.  

‘One of the best outcomes of regular fasting – whether it is eating only in an eight-hour window or having a low calorie day or two each week is that you may even lose 1-2kg a month without dieting,’ said Susie.



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