The hot, new fitness fad

With the New Year around the corner, most of you would have begun chalking up resolutions for the next year. If losing weight, looking younger and fitter is on your list, a new study by Dr Rozalyn Anderson, co-editor of a gerontology journal, might interest you. The study shows that adults age slower if they eat fewer calories a day. The results of calorie restriction are promising, especially in middle age, as it delays signs of ageing and increases longevity.

Did you know that Batman star Ben Affleck and Wolverine star Hugh Jackman, supermodel Mir-anda Kerr and songstress Beyoncé are said to be fans of intermittent fasting or autophagy, which is set to be the hottest fitness trend in 2018? In intermittent fasting, people eat within an 8-hour block, leaving 16 hours of fasting in bet-ween. During that stretch, their bodies undergo change. Varun Tej, Kalyan Ram and Raashi Khanna also follow the trend. Celebrity trainer Kuldep Sethi informs, “It’s a good way to burn fat and lose weight. Intermittent fasting forces the body to rel-ease growth hormones, that help the skin glow, while ensuring healthy nails and hair.”

Kuldep Sethi, celebrity trainer

He adds, “For instance, you can eat between 8am and 4pm. Then from 4pm to 8am, you eat nothing. The insulin levels go down in the 16-hour stretch of not eating and the body is forced to use the stored fat. This leads to burning of large amounts of fat. But it’s important to drink loads of water and flush out toxins in this diet. Don’t follow it often, allow for breaks.”

Wellness and fitness expert, Purnima Mandava, says, “You can fast with the change of season. Fasting helps people look younger and fitter. It slows down ageing too. That’s why festivals such as Ramadan and Shivaratri encourage fasts. Fasting is better than dieting. If you’re on antibiotics, give a gap of 48-72 hours before a fast or it can be dangerous,” she says.

Well-known model Sharon Rose opines, “Fasting allows the body to burn fat. So we fast once a month, not every week or every day. It’s an easy way to burn fat and look fit.”

Are there side effects? Says Dr. Raman Boddula, Senior Endocrinologist and Diabetologist, Yashoda Hospitals, Secunderabad, “While fasting has its benefits, it also leads to loss of body mass and body fat causing malnutrition. A gap in food intake leads to heartburn, gastric issues, worsening of peptic ulcer disease, poor diabetes control, headaches, dehydration, constipation, renal stone-related issues, mood disturbances and malnutrition. Children, pregnant and nursing women should never attempt to fast.”

Celebrity fitness expert, Batul Khan adds that fasting isn’t a great idea. “Feeding the muscle every four hours is essential. Have small and healthy meals at regular intervals. Fasting doesn’t just help one lose weight, but leads to muscle loss too. Proper training is essential,” she adds.