Fasting - so much more than a diet
Diets are often characterized by the one-sided intake of food substitutes or the one-sided abstinence from certain foods. After dieting, users usually regain weight just as quickly, sometimes even more than they lost (the so-called yo-yo effect).
At its core, however, it is about habits, whether instilled, learned, or slowly instilled.
Science agrees that for long-term weight loss and health prevention, the combination of dietary changes, behavioral changes and physical activity is crucial , as is the case with holistic fasting programs.
A more intensive examination of one's own body, health, and nutrition is essential. Fasting, like nothing else, can be a gateway to a health-promoting diet and lifestyle.
For correctly performed fasting, two specific effects are observed on a biological/physical level:
- Autophagy (self-cleaning of cells/recycling of cellular waste)
- Ketone bodies (anti-inflammatory, ketogenic metabolism)
Fasting is therefore also widely used medically:
- Reduction of blood pressure and resting heart rate
- Reduction of blood sugar and blood fat levels such as cholesterol
- Soothing asthma and allergies
- Anti-inflammatory effect in rheumatism
- Soothing irritable bowel syndrome and intestinal inflammation
Extract of diet programs
Staying clean, being fit, or eating right often feels like buying a used car or signing a cell phone contract: uncertain and confusing. In the end, you feel like you're being led by the nose.
The number of diets, fitness and weight-loss programs, and sustainability promises could hardly be greater and continues to grow. At the same time, it is now scientifically proven that short-term diets do not work in the long term.
Brigitte Diet
The primary focus is on weight management and changing eating habits. The diet combines a balanced diet with physical activity. If maintained, this diet can lead to sustained weight loss. Ketone bodies and autophagy are not stimulated.
Weight Watchers
Developed in 1963 by the American Jean Nidetch, it's a mixed diet with foods rich in fiber and protein, low in fat and energy, and satisfying. Suitable for healthy overweight individuals and also applicable over the long term. Regular group meetings promote exchange and mutual motivation.
Juice cleanses/detox diets
These diets are usually pure juice cleanses. After a bowel movement, you usually drink water, herbal tea, and fruit and vegetable juices for days. This is intended to help the body break down substances such as alcohol, medications, or environmental toxins.
From a nutritional and medical perspective, this is largely pointless due to high protein loss, a high glycemic index (high sugar content and thus insulin release), and no autophagy or ketone bodies. The rapid weight loss is primarily due to a loss of water, not body fat.
Sleep diet
An insulin-based diet and a regular meal schedule are important here. The goal is low insulin secretion. Meals should contain a lot of carbohydrates or proteins. Carbohydrates are avoided entirely in the evening. From a nutritional perspective, there is no reason to consume carbohydrates and proteins separately. Even if the theoretical idea is somewhat understandable from a biochemical perspective, there is no sensible basis for this "diet" from a nutritional or medical perspective.
ß-HCG diet
Crazy, but it's circulating in the diet world... definitely nonsensical and not recommended!
The hormone (human) chorionic gonatropin (so-called beta HCG) is produced in increased amounts during pregnancy. 500 kcal daily and taking HCG in the form of drops, lozenges, or tablets... it is said to primarily reduce belly fat. Scientific evidence for this, as well as the biological consequences of hormone use, are pending.
Paleo
This trendy diet is primarily based on wild meat. The one-sided, high consumption of animal proteins and fats is insane from a health perspective. The theory behind this Stone Age diet is that humans have genetically adapted to this diet… nonsense, and besides, it's also not reproducible. Most animals and plants hardly exist in their original forms anymore due to centuries of breeding.
Glycemic index
The name "glycemic index" diet comes from the glycemic index, a measure of the rise in blood sugar after eating. This diet also includes a high amount of animal fat and protein…unhealthy from a health perspective. The positive side of avoiding sugar is that it's not consumed, but there are no reliable studies (no evidence) for long-term results.
Formula diets
There are countless providers... what they all have in common is the replacement of one or more meals with a substitute substance. Formula diets contain a lot of protein and fewer carbohydrates and fats. For longer or more frequent use, doctors should be consulted. The often high protein content can be stressful for the kidneys.
Alkaline fasting
This term stands for an "alkaline" diet to "deacidify" the body... certain vegetables, fruits, or nuts. Since the body itself has an acid-base balance with various buffer systems, this diet seems medically nonsensical. There is no evidence of the effect of an "alkaline" diet on the body's pH level. Since essential nutrients are often neglected, long-term alkaline fasting is not recommended.