6 SIDE EFFECTS OF INTERMITTENT FASTING.

Intermittent fasting:

As the name suggests it is a fasting technique in which one keeps fast for a certain period. It is not a diet but a way of scheduling your meals in a period of time. In fact, Intermittent fasting does not specify what foods a person should eat or avoid. First of all, it is a great way to avoid dietary food and lose weight. Secondly, it improves our overall health and well-being such as minimizing the aging effects.

Apart from various benefits, there are some side effects. They are temporary and will get resolved with a longer period of fasting time. Given below are some of the common side effects and how they can be resolved.

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Side effects of intermittent fasting:

1. Low Energy:

When we eat as per our requirements throughout the day, our body, in turn, gets the constant source of fuel needed and we get energized. But in IF it is not so and we full sluggish and drained for a couple of weeks. We often blame low energy levels due to the absence of food but not on the absence of movement.

In fact, we are more sedentary in modern life.  We generally love to log hours in front of a computer screen and watching TV or behind a steering wheel. So in spite of working out on a regular basis and are not active then you are leading a sedentary lifestyle. So take a time to walk, do a mini workout or do a stretch. In your work time please do remember to get up from the desk out every hour and do a 5-minute walk. You will find that though the activities are of short duration it will keep your blood flowing and in turn increase your energy level.

The next thing to increase the energy level is that take a short nap of around 15-20 minutes. Remember not to doze off for a long time as this may throw off your sleep cycle.

2. Headaches:

Due to the new eating schedules in IF you can get dull or pesky headaches. One of the most common causes for this is the low blood sugar level which is due to eating of fewer calories. Blood sugar level fluctuations and shifts in stress adaptive hormones such as cortisol are common causes of headaches.

The way to resolve this issue is by taking more fat during the periods when you are not fasting. By doing so your body becomes less dependent on sugar for fuel which in turn makes you experience severe blood sugar drops when you are fasting.

The other cause is dehydration when you are on intermittent fasting for headaches but dehydration also causes slow digestion leading to ore bloating.

3. Heartburn:

In fasting lack of food leads to a reduction in stomach acid which digests food and destroys bacteria. This will cause heartburn which could range from mild discomfort to burping all day to full pain. To resolve this issue you have to drink more water and avoid greasy, spicy foods when you eat.

4. Feeling Cold:

When you are on intermittent fasting you may feel cold in hands and feet. When you are fasting in general your core body temperature drops. Not only you may feel cold in hands and feet but on also the tip of the tongue. This is due to the adaptation process of not eating. This is normal and will overcome in time. Another reason for feeling cold is due to the blood sugar level reduction. To combat this coldness drink hot tea, take warm showers, wear extra cloth layers and avoid being outside in the cold for a longer time.

5. Gout & Kidney stones:

Intermittent fasting leads to spike in Uric acid which is related to Gout and certain types of Kidney stones. If you are predisposed to kidney stones then there are two types’ i.e Oxalate stones and uric acid stones. If you are doing IF and if you get kidney stones then it can be probably a uric acid stone. The indication of high-level acid is gout like big toes swelling or pain when you are doing IF. Now, this is not common but it can happen. The question is why this uric acid goes up in first place. That is because one big function of uric acid in the body is this that it is an anti-oxidant. So as your body is repairing and clearing out stuff and detoxifying it uses uric acid as an anti-oxidant. Now the simple way to reduce this uric acid is to realize that your ph. is too acid and have to alkaline a little bit. So next time you eat to make sure to have big salads. When you are eating you are actually doing Keto with intermittent fasting. It is very important to consume large no of vegetables to minimize the acid but if you are not eating many vegetables you can have a high uric acid level and this will affect kidneys.

6. Cravings:

When you are on intermittent fasting you are on longer periods without eating. Hence there are chances that you will think about eating and there’s where the carvings come in. The reason behind cravings is that when you begin fasting, your body needs to adjust between using fat for fuel and using carbs for fuel, during which period you may experience cravings. So the best thing to resolve this is to drink a glass of water or take a warm cup of herbal tea or sleep off. 

Apart from this, there are some more side effects like hunger, irritability, overeating which are less important.

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Conclusion:

All these sounds not good but these side effects last a week or at the most three weeks. In order to alleviate these effects, it is advised to go easy on intermittent fasting i.e if you are eating 6 meals a day doesn’t go for two meals a day.

Also, intermittent fasting is not for everyone. People with diabetes, pregnant or nursing mothers, children, and people having chronic diseases or having eating disorders should stay away from intermittent fasting. Or at least check with your physician before going for fasting.

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