Three indicators and four blood tests to assess the effectiveness of intermittent fasting

Generally speaking, a body fat percentage of over 25% for men and over 33% for women is considered "obese".

For people who exercise regularly, it's best for men not to exceed 18% and for women not to exceed 25%.

For those who do not have a habit of exercising, the percentage of men should not exceed 20% and for women should not exceed 28%.

If your body fat percentage is too high, it means that there is too much fat inside and outside your body, including the "fat" on your face, the blood, and the internal organs. This is not just a problem of physical appearance, but may also cause unimaginable damage to our health.

Measuring waist circumference

BMI is useful, but it is not the best reference value for predicting future health.

A 16-year study tracking 45,000 women showed that the waist-to-height ratio is an excellent predictor of heart disease risk.

Waist circumference is very important because the worst type of fat is visceral fat that accumulates in the abdomen.

The abdomen is the worst place for fat to accumulate, which can lead to inflammation and significantly increase the risk of developing diabetes.

How to measure waist circumference: Wrap the measuring tape horizontally around the waist 0.5-1 cm above the navel. For obese individuals, measure the waist circumference at the widest point of the waist.

Generally speaking, a healthy waist circumference is less than 90 centimeters for men and less than 80 centimeters for women.

If this value is exceeded, everyone should pay attention.

Four blood tests to witness the miracle of intermittent fasting

Intermittent fasting participants should undergo three blood tests during their routine health check-ups to witness the health benefits of intermittent fasting.

fasting blood glucose

The reason why health checkups require measuring fasting blood glucose is that even if you are not at risk of diabetes, this data is an important reference for your health and can also predict your future health.

Studies show that even a moderate increase in blood sugar can raise the risk of heart disease, stroke, and chronic digestive problems.

Ideally, insulin sensitivity should also be tested, but this test is complex and expensive, so it is not very meaningful.

Triglycerides

This is a type of fat in the blood, a way for the body to store calories.

High triglyceride levels can increase the risk of heart disease.

cholesterol

A health checkup requires testing for two types of cholesterol: LDL (low-density lipoprotein) and HDL (high-density lipoprotein).

In summary, LDL delivers cholesterol to the arterial walls, while HDL removes cholesterol.

Ideally, LDL should be lower and HDL should be higher.

One assessment method is to calculate the percentage of HDL in the total of HDL and LDL; as long as it is higher than 20%, it is acceptable.

IGF-1

This test is expensive and not every doctor can perform it, so intermittent fasting individuals can choose whether or not to get tested based on their own circumstances.

IGF-1 (insulin-like growth factor 1) can be used to assess the rate of cell renewal, can be used to predict cancer risk, and is also an indicator of physiological aging.

Intermittent fasting over a period of time typically lowers IGF-1 levels, thereby reducing the risk of age-related diseases such as cancer.

Intermittent fasting can be achieved while dining out.

Eating out is an unavoidable activity for everyone. If a fasting person eats out on a fasting day, how should they control their diet?

Do not drink beverages with high calories

When you eat out, avoiding carbonated drinks, sweet tea, and alcoholic beverages is the simplest way to reduce your overall calorie intake.

Choose calorie-free drinks whenever possible, such as water or diet beverages.

Burn calories on your main course instead of wasting your limited calories on drinks.

Refuse free pre-meal gifts

Restaurants often offer complimentary snacks such as peanuts and cold seaweed salad before meals. Before the main course arrives, people can easily finish these snacks without realizing it, resulting in the rapid intake of calories that they don't need.

Therefore, when dining out, you can tell the waiter in advance that you do not need the free gifts.

Consume protein, fruits and vegetables, and carbohydrates in an orderly manner.

Before consuming carbohydrates, you should focus on consuming protein and fruits and vegetables so that you will not be able to eat any cream cakes, sugars, or desserts.

Always be mindful of controlling your food intake.

When fasting people eat out, they should avoid being as eager as others to empty their plates. If you eat all the food without restraint, you will consume the entire amount of food you would need for the next two days in that one meal.

Fasters can ask the server for a takeout box so that when they are ready to eat their food, they can separate the portion for the next meal and only eat the remaining portion, thus effectively controlling their food intake.

Example of a fasting day plan

Men's one-day intermittent fasting plan

Breakfast: Half a cup of nonfat plain yogurt (62 kcal), 1 small sliced ​​banana (80 kcal), 5 large strawberries (20 kcal), 1/3 cup of blueberries (25 kcal), 6 chopped almonds (92 kcal)

Dinner: Shrimp, watercress, and avocado salad (295 kcal)

Instructions: 1. In a salad bowl, combine 1 1/2 cups chopped watercress (6 kcal), 142g peeled cooked shrimp (139 kcal), half a diced avocado (137 kcal), 3 tablespoons finely chopped red onion (11 kcal), and 1 tablespoon capers (2 kcal). 2. Add white wine and vinegar, and mix well.

A total of 599 calories per day

Women's one-day intermittent fasting plan

Breakfast: Oatmeal porridge (40g of boiled oat flakes, 160 kcal), about half a cup of fresh strawberries (30 kcal) Total: 190 kcal

Dinner: Stir-fried chicken strips (281 kcal)

Instructions: 1. Cut 140g of chicken breast into strips (148 kcal). 2. In a pan, add 1 tsp olive oil (27 kcal), 1 tsp minced ginger (2 kcal), 1 tbsp chopped cilantro (3 kcal), 1 clove crushed garlic (3 kcal), 2 tsp soy sauce (3 kcal), and the juice of half a lemon (1 kcal). Sauté the chicken strips until slightly browned. 3. Add half a cup of destringed snow peas (12 kcal), 1 1/2 cups of shredded cabbage (26 kcal), and 2 peeled and thinly sliced ​​carrots (36 kcal). Sauté for another 5-10 minutes, or until the chicken strips are fully cooked. 1 mandarin orange (25 kcal).

A total of 496 kcal per day