How Intermittent Fasting (With Your Spouse) Can Improve Your Life

John Jan 07, 2023

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Table of Contents

What is intermittent fasting?
How does it work?
Benefits of Intermittent Fasting
How to fast correctly (and succeed)
Conclusion
1. Related Articles

Intermittent fasting, or IF, has become increasingly popular as of late. This article will detail how intermittent fasting (with your spouse) can improve your life. There are many different variations, but in general intermittent fasting involves eating only during a specific time window each day and avoiding food the rest of the time. If that sounds difficult, it’s because it is. It requires commitment and dedication to see results. But these challenges are worth it once you begin to see the benefits of intermittent fasting. It’s not easy to start, but it will result in positive changes to your health and relationship with your wife. Read on to find out how.

What is intermittent fasting?

Intermittent fasting is an eating pattern that cycles between periods of fasting and non-fasting. There are several variations, but the most popular are 16/8, 20/4 and the 5:2.

16/8 – This is the most common form of intermittent fasting. It involves eating during an 8-hour period and fasting for 16 hours of the day. For example, you could eat between 10am and 6pm, and then fast until 10am the next day.

20/4 – This version is like the 16/8 version, but extends the fasting period to 20 hours instead of 16. That means you could eat between 10am and 6pm, and then fast until 2pm the next day.

5:2 – This is a more extreme version of intermittent fasting, but it has been shown to be very effective. On the 5:2 plan you eat regularly for 5 days, and then fast for 2 days. Many people choose to do a full water fast on the fasting days.

How does it work?

Intermittent fasting works in several ways. It’s a very effective way to reduce stress, which is a key factor in many diseases. It can also help you shed excess fat, and can even positively impact your brain function.

Hormones – When you’re fasting, your body releases a hormone called human growth hormone (HGH). This hormone is important for muscle growth, fat burning and longevity. For males in their mid-30s and older, this can have a huge benefit for naturally increasing testosterone. And what guy would say no to this?

Gut Health – The bacteria in your gut handles many bodily functions. Intermittent fasting is great for your gut health because it encourages diversity in the bacteria in your body. And the undisputed science is that gut health is key to feeling healthy and happy. It’s also very helpful for those who suffer from digestive problems such as IBS.

Benefits of Intermittent Fasting

There are many benefits to intermittent fasting, and they’re all tied back to improving your health. These include improved mood and cognition, reduced risk of disease and increased longevity.

Weight Loss – If you’re looking to lose weight, intermittent fasting is an effective tool when combined with a diet primarily of protein, fats and vegetables. It spurs your body to release fat stores, which can then be burned for energy.

Improved Mood – One of the most surprising benefits of intermittent fasting is an improvement in mood. This can be tied back to the reduction in stress that is caused by intermittent fasting.

Better Brain Function – Intermittent fasting has also been shown to improve cognitive function and brain health. This is a result of the reduction in stress and increase in HGH that occurs when you fast.

How to fast correctly (and succeed)

Intermittent fasting is best suited to those who are already healthy. It’s not recommended that you start intermittent fasting if you have diabetes or other health problems. If you do decide to try intermittent fasting, there are a few things you can do to make it more successful.

Hydration – It’s important to stay hydrated when you’re fasting. This will help keep your body healthy, and will also keep you from feeling as hungry. But you need to drink more water than you’re probably accustomed to. This will keep you feeling full, with the added benefit of flushing excess sodium that’s causing puffiness. You can spice things up by adding natural flavors to your water, such as sliced kiwi, cucumber, or zero calorie flavoring.

Protein – Many people think that you should eat a lot of protein when you’re fasting, and they’re not wrong. Protein requires more energy (i.e. stored fat) to burn, and so when you’re fasting you’re actually drawing energy from fat stores. You want to aim for 40-50% of your daily caloric intake coming from quality protein sources, supplementing with Isopure or Vital Proteins, and splitting the rest of your daily intake between complex carbs and fats. If you’re not accustomed to a high protein diet, it’s safer to eat around 30-40% protein. This will help ease you into fasting, until you become more accustomed to it, then you can begin to increase your protein intake.

Fasting With Your Spouse – There are many advantages to fasting together as a couple. For one thing, it makes the experience more enjoyable, since you have company while you’re fasting. And when you’re enjoying yourself, you’re less likely to feel deprived of food. In addition, fasting together can strengthen your relationship. Fasting together helps you get to know each other better and spend more quality time together. Plus, you may find that you have a more positive view of yourselves when you start seeing results from the IF lifestyle. You may also be more motivated to keep up with the IF lifestyle if you’re doing it together with your spouse. Not only will you experience a reset of your system, but you may also experience a reset in your relationship by helping the both of you become more in-sync with each other’s moods through the fasting experience. And who doesn’t want to feel more physically and emotionally connected with their spouse?

Conclusion

Intermittent fasting is an effective way to improve your health. It’s important to note that it’s not something you can do for a long period of time. For example, you shouldn’t attempt to fast for several weeks at a time. Instead, two weeks or every other week is best. Fasting for shorter periods of time is much more effective, and doesn’t come with the same health risks. If you’re interested in improving your health and even your relationship with your spouse by going in together, intermittent fasting is a great place to start. You’ll notice the benefits almost immediately, and they’ll only increase over time.