Interval diet: pros and cons

There is everything you want – and at the same time lose weight! Think it’s a pipe dream? No, this is all very real. Thanks to a new diet that includes intermittent fasting.

What is an Interval Diet?

The whole point of the diet is in two numbers: 16 and 8. If you guessed to add them, then you guessed that 24 is the number of hours in a day. This time is divided into 2 parts: you can eat for 8 hours, and for the next 16 hours you can only drink water.

At the same time, the time frame is not rigidly set: for example, you had breakfast at 8 am. We count from 8.00 8 hours – it turns out 16.00. Until that time, you can eat without calorie restriction and as many times as you like. But after 4 pm – not a crumb! Water only for the next 16 hours.

The author of the interval diet is nutritionist David Zinchenko. In an experiment in which a group of volunteers participated, he concluded that if our body receives food for a limited time interval, then it burns more calories than usual. Moreover, the optimal period of time is exactly 8 hours.

By the way, the results of the experiment not only confirmed the effectiveness of the diet, but also recorded a “side effect”: along with the weight, blood pressure also decreases – by an average of 7 mm. rt. Art. So 16/8 intermittent fasting is not only a great opportunity for women to lose weight and fit into their favorite jeans, but also health benefits.

How to improve the result

Intermittent fasting can be made even more effective for weight loss by adding exercise (at least 8 minutes of morning exercises) to your daily routine.

Another secret of the interval diet is the introduction of 2 food groups into the diet.

The first group includes foods containing proteins and healthy fats. They not only satisfy hunger well, but also help get rid of excess fat reserves.

1st group:
– lean meat (including poultry) and eggs;
– avocados, nuts (best almonds and walnuts) and seeds (best pumpkin seeds);
– low-fat dairy products without sugar;
– legumes (beans, chickpeas, peas, etc.).

The second group includes foods rich in vitamins and minerals, fiber and antioxidants. Thanks to them, immunity is strengthened and metabolism is normalized.

Group 2:
– red and blue berries (raspberries, blackberries, blueberries, blueberries, etc.)
– fruits rich in fiber and antioxidants (apples, grapefruits, oranges, etc.);
– green vegetables (spinach, all types of cabbage – broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, etc.);
– orange and red vegetables containing carotenoids and lycopene (tomatoes, lettuce, etc.).

But from sweet, starchy foods, sweet, carbonated drinks and alcohol it is better, of course, to refuse completely. Or at least limit your intake of fast carbs, saturated and trans fats. If it doesn’t work out, there is an alternative: add foods from groups 1 and 2 to each dish based on carbohydrate-rich foods (for example, if a sandwich, then with a turkey fillet and a leaf of lettuce or a circle of tomato).

And, of course, you need to drink water. Why? In addition to the fact that water is simply necessary for our body, this is a kind of trick: water fills the stomach and deceives hunger, causing a feeling of fullness.