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Fasting voluntarily

, that is, restricting the intake of solid foods, is something that has been done a lifetime, for cultural reasons or involuntarily in the case of wars and famines.

"We have never had so much availability of food, and at all hours, as now. And it is logical to think that our body is adapted to these

periods of fasting

, and it is even possible that they were essential to evolve, because without that capacity we would have become extinct", says Dr.

Ramón de Cangas Morán

in his book 'Intermittent fasting' (ed. Oberon), where he analyzes this diet and three other of the most popular of the moment: ketogenic, paleodiet and chronodiet.

Whether it allows us to evolve or not, the truth is that the "profound beneficial effects" of

fasting

have already been proven in laboratories

, which not only helps to

lose weight

but is also useful "to counteract some age-related problems such as

diabetes, cardiovascular diseases and neurological disorders

", explains the doctor.

"

Intermittent fasting

is an option, a tool, for certain people in the face

of weight loss

and a dietary strategy that can be valued as an adjunct in the prevention and treatment of certain chronic, metabolic and cardiovascular pathologies," he says.

It is a type of

diet

that can be used for a few days at certain times of the year, but "it is a useful option at any time and that can be maintained over time", explains

Ramón de Cangas

.

"If in the hours of ingestion we consume real and really enough food to reach the

nutritional recommendations

, it is not a problem".

However, to start safely in this method - which would allow us to lose 2 to 4 kilos per month and that after that time would make the

reduction in body fat

evident

-, the doctor insists that it is "important to go to a dietitian-nutritionist. "It is not recommended in people with eating disorders, and also should not be 'publicized' or promoted as a way to compensate for other excesses, because that can cause problems," warns the expert. "The objective of Any dietary tool, including intermittent fasting, must be

learning to eat

, and the side effect will be to improve health and lose body weight. "

So how do you differentiate when you are doing it right and when it gets out of hand and can be dangerous to your health? We asked.

"If

intermittent fasting

is used to compensate for excesses, such as a high consumption of ultra-processed foods, or to compensate for binges, we are putting health at stake," he says emphatically.

When and how to do intermittent fasting

Intermittent fasting

protocols

can be grouped in many ways, but in general we can speak of "alternate-day fasting (one normal day and another with few kilocalories), full-day fasting (6 normal days and one total fast) and food with time restriction ", explains Ramón de Cangas.

According to different tests, doing the first during a period of 3 to 12 weeks loses between 3% and 7% of body weight and 3 to 5.5 kilos of fat.

As for

daily fasting

, there are different formats.

The most common are 16: 8 (16 hours of fasting), 18: 6 (18 hours of fasting) and 14:10 (14 hours of fasting).

But regardless of the number of hours without eating, it also influences when we eat them: "Several lines of research support the hypothesis that reducing or eliminating nighttime eating and prolonging the fasting intervals at night can lead to sustained improvements in health, "says the doctor.

One week of intermittent fasting to get started

This example of

a week-long menu

, proposed by Dr.

Ramón de Cangas

, is a very simple way to start the practice of

intermittent fasting

when it gives the best results and is easier to follow, at night, to take advantage of the hours of sleep .

It follows the formula 16: 8, that is, 16 hours of

fasting

, in the morning version, which means that we have breakfast and eat, and this noon lunch is made before 15 hours.

  • Monday.

    Breakfast: scrambled eggs, whole wheat bread with olive oil, jerky, extra virgin olive oil and tomato, seasonal fruit.

    Lunch: vegetable puree, lentil sauté with beef and tomato, seasonal fruit

  • Tuesday.

    Breakfast: unsweetened plain yogurt, unsalted raw nuts and unsalted raw almonds, grilled chicken breast, seasonal fruit.

    Food: zucchini cream, chicken with pasta and mushrooms, seasonal fruit.

  • Wednesday.

    Breakfast: curd, toasted hazelnuts and oat flakes, cured loin, seasonal fruit.

    Food: tomato salad, pumpkin and squid stew, seasonal fruit.

  • Thursday.

    Breakfast: cottage cheese, oat pancakes, 99% cocoa chocolate, seasonal fruit.

    Food: ratatouille, beans with prawns, seasonal fruit.

  • Friday.

    Breakfast: tea with milk, sardines in olive oil and walnuts, fresh cheese, seasonal fruit.

    Food: sautéed mushrooms, chicken with rice, tomato and mushrooms, seasonal fruit.

  • Saturday.

    Breakfast: coffee with milk, corn cakes with almonds, seasonal fruit.

    Food: mushroom salad, chickpea cobblestone with aubergines, seasonal fruit.

  • Sunday.

    Breakfast: French omelette, raw unsalted nuts and honey, seasonal fruit.

    Lunch: carrot puree, hake with lettuce and tomato salad, seasonal fruit.

According to the criteria of The Trust Project

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