In the period from 40 to 50 years Many women experience weight gain. It is the consequence of hormonal changes and a slowing of the metabolism associated with the passing of the years. To avoid this weight gain, it is advisable to modify the diet to reduce calorie intake and stimulate certain metabolic processes. Intermittent fasting is presented as an effective help at this precise moment.

In reality, changes begin at age 30 because at this age the production of growth hormone is reduced, which causes a general decrease in muscle tone, so fewer calories are burned at rest. If we add to this a reduction in physical activity, the risk of rapid weight gain increases.

Another factor that favors overweight is premenopausal hormonal changes that are associated with a redistribution of body fat: the fat that accumulated in the buttocks during youth now moves to the abdomen and is very difficult to eliminate.

Weight is not the only problem. From 40 years old too can increase sugar and cholesterol levels, especially if the diet has not been balanced and healthy over the last decade.

If you reduce weight through a lighter and healthier diet, increasing the presence of fresh foods rich in fiber, the risk of diabetes and cardiovascular diseases decreases, there is less joint pain and even the chances of developing some types of cancer decrease.

Intermittent fasting helps adapt to metabolic changes

A balanced diet based on natural, non-ultra-processed plant foods can help us control weight and other risk factors. But if this diet incorporates the technique of intermittent fasting, The results can be faster and more intense.

The benefits of intermittent fasting have been proven in studies that began with mice. It was observed that if laboratory animals ate every other day, they remained thin, developed fewer diseases related to aging and lived 30 to 40 percent longer, according to a review of articles published in 2019 in the New England Journal of Medicine, directed by gerontologist Rafael de Cabo and neuroscientist Mark Matsson, from Johns Hopkins University.

In monkeys, intermittent fasting has also caused spectacular changes: it reduces body weight, blood pressure and cholesterol levels, improves glucose control, reduces systemic inflammation (which is at the root of many diseases), maintains brain health and even increases resistance and coordination.

Effects as radical as those in animals have not yet been proven in humans, but studies have shown that various forms of intermittent fasting can be effective for lose weight, control blood sugar and lower blood pressure. There are indications that stricter forms with prolonged fasting or more calorie restriction offer more benefits.

Types of intermittent fasting

There are three types of intermittent fasting:

• Fasting on alternate days: One day you eat normally and the next you limit your intake to sugar-free drinks (in less strict ways a total intake of 500 calories is allowed).
• Plan 5:2, which means eating normally five days a week and a very light meal the other two days.
• Fast daily for at least 10 hours (meals are eaten in the remaining 14 hour «window»). Some experts recommend longer periods of daily fasting, which can be up to 18 hours.

Why is intermittent fasting beneficial?

Scientists explain the positive effects of intermittent fasting by the «metabolic shift»: after 10-12 hours of complete fasting, the body depletes your glycogen stores (the form of glucose that is stored in the muscles and liver) and begins to burn ketones (a fuel made from fat by the liver).

There is still more. The succession of periods of fasting and eating stimulates a process called autophagy by which less healthy cells are recycled or eliminated, which favors the self-regeneration of the entire organism.

Intermittent fasting allows control and reduce body weight and it does so in a more effective and healthier way than a simple low-calorie diet. For example, a study led by Dr. Krista Varady, from the University of Illinois at Chicado, shows that the response to insulin improves twice as much and, consequently, blood glucose levels are effectively regulated.

As for other benefits, dozens of human trials are underway to test whether intermittent fasting is effective for delay the development of cancer and reduce symptoms of multiple sclerosis, stroke, Crohn’s disease and other conditions.

Don’t forget physical exercise and healthy habits

Despite all the properties of intermittent fasting, we should not make it our only strategy to promote our health. Rest, emotional balance, personal relationships, a healthy environment and physical exercise remain equally important. Remember that the WHO recommends a minimum of 150 minutes a week of aerobic exercise (walking, cycling, swimming, etc.), to which strength routines should be added (weights, rubber bands, squats, push-ups…) a minimum of twice a week.

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