Is Intermittent Fasting Safe for Women?
Healthful Vitality | 11/13/2021 | Is Intermittent Fasting Safe for Women?
Intermittent fasting is perhaps the best way to lose body weight effectively and prevent metabolic disorders. If practiced correctly, it might be a safe way to reduce body weight and restrict calorie intake.
However, the female body is unique and prone to hormonal imbalances. Any lifestyle changes may cause hormonal changes, resulting in specific health issues.
Is intermittent fasting safe for women?
Usually, the benefits of intermittent fasting outnumber the health risks. Therefore, it may be suitable for women’s health in more than one way. For example, intermittent fasting may help reduce body weight, boost self-esteem, and have a beneficial psychological impact.
It may also help prevent less severe conditions like PCOS and thus help regularize periods. Intermittent fasting may also help improve egg health and boost fertility.
Intermittent fasting is one of the best ways of preventing common disorders like hypertension and diabetes. As, these disorders can be pretty bad for women’s health.
Intermittent fasting may help normalize gut health and improve mood. In addition, it may help reduce anxiety-related disorders. It may also help prevent depression.
Intermittent fasting, if done right, is generally good for hormonal health. Thus, boosting mood and helping people feel energized. In addition, it reduces the risk of irritable bowel syndrome, mood disorders, and much more.
Intermittent fasting is usually good for hormonal health, helping regularize periods, help feel energized and even reduce fatigue and anxiety. It also appears to improve the sleep quality in most.
Only ill practiced intermittent fasting is unsafe
The most significant issue with some beginners is over-enthusiasm. Some may go too strict from the very early days. Many may opt for more complex intermittent fasting, like fasting every other day. Such stringent calorie restrictions may work for many, but not for all.
Fasting every other day is the most rigorous form of intermittent fasting. It may help achieve quick results. But one should be careful, as results do not last long in many cases, and most may give up their efforts altogether.
One size does not fit all. What may work for one may not work for others. One should always listen to their body. If there is a constant feeling of fatigue, even after several months of intermittent fasting, it means there is something wrong. Usually, the body would start adapting to a new lifestyle in 4-8 weeks.
However, if irregular periods, fatigue, mood issues continue after 8-12 weeks, one must alter the diet. Thus, there is a need to make dietary changes. It may mean a need to increase calorie intake or consume foods rich in vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants.
Post-menopausal women facing health issues caused by intermittent fasting may also consider adding phytoestrogens to diet. Thus, tofu, soy products, flaxseed, dried beans, alfalfa, mung beans may help regularize hormones.
Additionally, it is an excellent idea to consume more foods rich in dietary fiber like beans, berries, avocadoes, whole grains, apples.
Adding natural antioxidants to the diet may also help reduce the side effects of intermittent fasting. For example, berries, broccoli, spinach, pumpkin, nuts are all rich in antioxidants.
(Related: Faster Ways to Weight Loss)