Intermittent fasting is a modern dietary practice that many people have integrated into their lives. The benefits of fasting have been known for much of human history, but it’s only recently that people have swapped to this as a way to give themselves more energy throughout the day.
You’ve probably heard of the basic concept before, but with the new popularity of this practice come a lot of different variations. One of these is the idea of dirty intermittent fasting.
But what does this mean? How can you know that you’re making the right choices for your body? If you’re asking these kinds of questions then you’ve come to the right place!
In this article, we’re going to take you through everything you’ll need to know about dirty intermittent fasting, what it is, how to do it, and some of the benefits it can bring. We’ve also included a short FAQ section that will answer any other questions you might have about this issue.
Frequently Asked Questions
Let’s first get our terms in order. Intermittent fasting is a popular form of dietary practice that consists of putting yourself through periods of fasting, then eating larger meals at specific moments of the day.
Fasting has been used for a variety of different reasons throughout human history – be it spiritual, practical, or health.
There has been a lot of research done into intermittent fasting, and there are some obvious benefits that could make it a great addition to your life.
If you consider the concept of three meals a day – this is only something that humans have had the luxury to do in the last 200 years or so.
Before that, it was far more common to consume either one or two meals a day as food was harder to come by and spare time was much less common.
Intermittent fasting has been shown to come with a variety of different benefits including weight loss, gut health, sleep pattern regulation, and protection against specific diseases.
By regulating the amount of insulin and glucose your body takes in, you can find yourself more regulated and feeling as if you have more energy throughout the day.
Dirty intermittent fasting is a fairly new form of fasting that is growing in popularity.
The concept of dirty fasting is something that has recently been coined, and it’s important to note that because of how young it is, there isn’t much research to back up the benefits.
With this in mind – dirty fasting is the idea of consuming a small number of calories as you go through your fasting window.
This is very different from traditional methods of fasting, where all calories (and sometimes even water intake) are avoided until the time when you can eat. The term ‘dirty’ is used as a way to describe the departure from strict fasting methods. Generally, people who engage in dirty fasting will eat around 100 calories during their fasting window.
The average calorie intake for a human is around 2000 calories per day, so as you can see 100 calories isn’t a lot to consume.
So then in this type of fasting, you cheat your fasting window by taking in a tiny amount of calories – this could be a beverage containing calories like coffee or milk, or something small to eat like fruit or broth.
This is a variation of a method of fasting called ‘alternate-day fasting’ where you eat a small amount during your fasting windows every other day.
However, people who engage in alternate-day fasting typically eat much more – up to 600 calories during their fasting windows.
There are a few reasons why people would engage in dirty fasting – but it’s a great way for people who find it difficult to stick to their fasting windows to have a little something.
The idea is that a few calories during these windows isn’t going to be the end of the world, and don’t properly break your fast. This ultimately means that practitioners stick to their fasting routine much longer and easier.
The Benefits Of Dirty Fasting
So then, by this point, you’re probably wondering how effective dirty fasting is. The first thing to know is that – as we mentioned before – the long-term effects of dirty fasting haven’t been studied.
That said, there are a lot of anecdotal and intuitive benefits to this method that could make it right for you. It all depends on what your goals are in your fasting regime.
So let’s say you’re looking to lose weight. Fasting, in general, is a great way to do this 0 but fasting through strict windows can be difficult to maintain, particularly if you’re new to it.
By dirty fasting, you’re able to ease yourself into the practice by consuming a small number of calories during this time.
A few calories aren’t going to ruin your weight loss and can make you stick to your new dietary practices more easily.
That said, the jury is still out on the negative aspects of dirty fasting. Some people will insist that without strict fasting windows, you’re going to be losing a lot of the beneficial aspects of the practice.
Conclusion
So there you have it! Dirty Intermittent Fasting is the practice of consuming under 100 calories during your fasting windows to help you better stick to the overall practice.
It is a great option for somebody who is new to fasting or someone who isn’t concerned with sticking to strict windows. If you’re looking to lose weight, it can be a fantastic way to get started!
We hope that this article has properly explained this practice to you and that you’re now a lot more confident about what it is and why you may want to use it.
We wish you the best of luck in your dietary changes, and hope that any kind of fasting you choose is a great benefit to your life!
