Your Guide to Intermittent Fasting
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When we launched Fasting Today®, we heard lots of questions from consumers and retailers who were curious about both the formula of the ultimate drink mix for intermittent fasting and the practice of IF itself.*
To help you make the most of your fasts — and decide if it’s a habit that’s right for you — we compiled a helpful guide with links to all of our blogs on the topic.
Keep reading to learn more!
What is Intermittent Fasting and Who Can Benefit from It?
Deciding what, when and how to eat is a choice we each have to make for ourselves. No matter what you choose to put on your plate, we want to help you feel your best before, during and after every meal! When you are following an intermittent fasting plan, you deserve to feel your best when you’re in your fasting periods. After all, life doesn’t slow down when you’re in the middle of fast.
Also called IF, this is a diet or health plan that limits eating to certain hours of the day. Many people follow intermittent fasting to maintain a healthy weight, while others cite research that supports fasting for healthy energy, graceful aging or brain health.* Some people like to keep things simple and only eat at certain times of day.
If you’re curious about intermittent fasting and want to learn more, keep reading.
Amino Acids, Protein and Muscle Strength: What to Know
While you often hear about protein being important for athletes and other active people, everyone needs to consume adequate amounts of this macronutrient. Foods like meat, fish, dairy, soy and legumes provide protein.
Muscle strength is also important for all humans of all ages, whether or not you pump iron, run marathons or practice yoga. Amino acids are the building blocks of protein, and they are responsible for carrying out crucial tasks in the body.
In our guide linked below, you’ll learn about protein and amino acids, the roles they play in the body and what you need to know about muscle strength. Plus, if you’re intermittent fasting (or thinking about it), you’ll want to read to the end.
What is Baobab Fiber?
If you are lucky enough to spot a baobab in the wild, you’ll immediately see why these trees are so revered. Native to sub-Saharan Africa, as well as parts of Australia and India, some of them are more than 3,000 years old! They grow as tall as a six-story building, with a diameter of 40 feet or more! Their trunk is hollow and the tree only bears leaves for a short time. The rest of the year, they seem to have been uprooted and replanted upside-down. Plenty of legends try to explain its unique appearance and significance.
Nicknamed the “tree of life,” the baobab tree bears green oval-shaped fruit with large white blossoms that dangle from the branches. The leaves are eaten like spinach and have been used in African herbalism and traditional medicine. Elephants feast on the trunk when water is in short supply – one large tree can store up to 4,500 liters of water! The fruit is considered by many to be the greatest raw food on the planet. We use baobab fiber in our new Fasting Today® intermittent fasting drink mix. Click the link below to learn why baobab can’t be beat!
What are Electrolytes and Why Do You Need Them?
You may have heard of electrolytes in the context of sports drinks. But do you know what they do – and why they are important? Electrolytes are minerals in bodily fluids (blood, urine and sweat) that help maintain proper fluid levels in the body.* They also maintain the pH level of the blood and support proper muscle function – and that includes the muscles you work at the gym and the smooth ones in your heart and digestive system.*
When you are intermittent fasting, you continue to excrete and use up electrolytes, but you don’t replenish your stores since you aren’t eating. This is where a beverage containing electrolytes can be helpful. But reaching for a sports drink – even one labeled “diet” – isn’t the best option during a fast since that would break your fast.
During fasting, it’s important to ensure adequate electrolyte intake. When your body sends cues like dizziness, muscle cramps or fatigue, those are indications that electrolyte intake is inadequate.
Read the blog linked below to learn more about why you need electrolytes and how to get them while fasting.
Intermittent Fasting? 5 Drinks That Won’t Break Your Fast Plus a Dozen That Will
When you’re fasting, it’s important to stay hydrated. Thirst can sometimes be confused with hunger, and when you’re eating by the clock with hours to go before you break that fast, time can feel like it’s standing still. Maintaining optimal hydration levels matters even more if you’re working out during your fasting period.
Staying hydrated will help you feel your best during and after a fast. But other than plain water, is there anything else you can drink that won’t break your fast?
