Health and fitness expert Jack Estes DeBrabander explains the benefits of intermittent fasting versus trendy low-carb diets.
Intermittent fasting is an increasingly popular trend in the health and wellness industry that many health and fitness experts, like Jack Estes DeBrabander, are getting behind. Those supporting the trend argue that intermittent fasting is not a diet. It is simply a different style of eating.
“Intermittent fasting is a designated eating plan, which is what many people need to meet their weight loss or fitness goals,” Jack Estes DeBrabander said. “Participants simply consume all of their calories for the day during an 8-hour period. The other 16 hours are a fasting period, during which only water or black coffee should be consumed.”
Jack Estes DeBrabander and other fitness experts suggest this new, timed style of eating can lead to fat loss, general weight loss and a lower risk of other obesity-related diseases, like type 2 diabetes, some cancers, heart conditions and more. It is argued that this type of eating schedule is superior to low-carb or other fad diets, because it isn’t a diet at all.
“Intermittent fasting is extremely effective, because it’s so easy to follow. This method of weight loss, or simply maintaining a healthy weight, doesn’t involve solely consuming one type of food or completely eliminating any of the foods you love.” Jack Estes DeBrabander said. “Low-carb diets often completely eliminate the breads and pastas people love, causing them to resent this pattern of eating and eventually quit the diet entirely. That’s exactly what we, as fitness experts, don’t want.”
Intermittent fasting doesn’t restrict the types of foods that can be eaten. However, Jack Estes DeBrabander emphasizes that eating healthy foods will make this method of reaching your weight loss goals more effective. Whole grains, fruits and vegetables rich and fiber make participants feel fuller longer, curbing the hunger that can often be felt during the fasting period.
“People often think they’re hungry when they’re actually just thirsty. Drinking water throughout the day, during the fasting and the eating periods, can help lower the participant’s calorie intake while keeping them hydrated,” Jack Estes DeBrabander said.
Experts recommend participants choose an 8-hour calorie consumption window that works for them. Suggested time periods include between 9 a.m and 5 p.m., 10 a.m. and 6 p.m., and 12 p.m. and 8 p.m. Jack Estes DeBrabander believes the scheduling of the eating period is one of the most important aspects of the fast. “The easier the fasting is to follow, the more likely the participant is to continue practicing this style of eating, and ultimately, the more likely they are to reach their weight loss goals,” the fitness guru added.
A study performed in 2018 suggested eating during an 8-hour window can help lower blood pressure in adults struggling with obesity. A similar study published in 2014 showed intermittent fasting could be an effective alternative to a traditional calorie restricting diet for overweight or obese people at risk of type 2 diabetes.
“I want people to reach their weight loss goals in a way that works for them. Intermittent fasting, as opposed to counting carbs, is simply an easier and less restricting way of doing that,” Jack Estes DeBrabander says, “The idea is for people to look and feel their best without sacrificing the things they love most in life.”
