Only water, coffee, tea and as little solid food as possible.
Surely fasting must be a safe method of losing weight?
Well, here are 15 important reasons why you should not fast.
To fast or not to fast? That’s the question. Like this:
A body that receives far too little nutrition and energy automatically begins to work to defend itself – and this means that it begins to conserve its energy levels. The body simply goes into “starvation mode”. An argument for not fasting in that way – that is, by going on an extremely low calorie level for an extremely long time (as opposed to intermittent fasting) – would therefore be that by completely banning food and drink, you risk rather starting to store fat and break down muscle.
Additional reasons for not fasting are to…
- You may be deficient in various vital nutrients.
- This can lead to, for example, iron deficiency, which in turn can cause both fatigue and anemia.
- You may experience lower blood pressure, which can create dizziness and even cause you to pass out.
- Blood circulation can be impaired, which can make your hands and feet feel cold and a little bluish.
- Metabolism risks falling.
- You may have problems with your stomach and intestines.
- Menstruation can be disrupted.
- Your skin and hair can be negatively affected.
No reason not to fast?
However, there are also those who believe that on the contrary it would be healthy to fast, as long as it is temporary and for shorter periods. They believe that the body would rather draw energy from fat reserves during fasting, which would guarantee increased fat burning. These proponents therefore believe that there is no reason not to fast, as long as it takes place for a limited time. Research even points to regular periods of fasting being healthy.
Intermittent fasting not unhealthy
Today, one such healthier method of losing weight is “intermittent fasting”. This means giving up food and drink for a couple of hours every day or a couple of days a week for a short period, in order to reduce the total energy intake. As long as it happens in that way and under controlled forms, it is actually neither dangerous nor unhealthy to fast.
Do not recommend fasting
At NordIQ, we always advocate a healthy, balanced and good diet – even if you want to lose weight. Fasting completely is therefore not something we recommend. Rather the opposite. It is both healthier, healthier and more sustainable to just reduce the total amount of energy a little and at the same time make sure to move a little more in order to increase energy consumption. Then you lose weight in a more fun and long-term way. Eating should be good, enjoyable, undramatic and completely unrelated to anxiety.