As with fashion, trends in dieting come and go. There are many reasons we lose weight, and with it comes a great deal of advice on how to do so rapidly and successfully.
You have undoubtedly heard of and perhaps even used intermittent fasting. However, there’s a relatively new term floating around: dirty fasting.
No studies have been done on this practice or how it compares favourably against "clean" fasting. Clean and dirty fasting are terms that refer to what breaks a fast.
The South African Medical Research Council reports that the prevalence of obesity and overweight has doubled worldwide since 1980, with approximately one-third of the world's population being obese or overweight.
Many people go on to develop eating disorders because during the process of trying to drop a few pounds, you might decide to run more and maybe even restrict the number of calories you consume in a day.
As a result, you may start developing unhealthy habits when the idea of looking at a certain image starts to consume you, which is dangerous for your health.
Julia Goedecke, a senior specialist for the Medical Research Council of South Africa, said that many do not understand the health consequences of being overweight. "People don’t understand it. They see it as more of an aesthetic problem than a health problem".
What is clean fasting?
During a clean fast, all you consume is water or non-caloric drinks like tap water, mineral water, sparkling water, black coffee, and black tea. Your body can't be forced out of a fasting state, so it may keep burning carbs for energy since there aren't enough calories and carbohydrates.
It is still unclear whether clean fasting requires calorie-free liquids or if there is an exception for liquids with little to no calorie count because there are no scientific studies to support this weight loss method.
It's important to drink enough water during a clean fast to stay hydrated. However, during this particular fast, you steer clear of adding things like lemon slices, fruits, and herbs. They may give your water flavour, but they defeat the point of a "clean fast."
What exactly is a dirty fast?
Dirty fasting is when you consume anything with fewer than 50 calories during your fasting window. Your fasting is considered dirty if you drink your coffee with milk or you drink a sugar-free drink.
You can eat the following foods during a dirty fasting window. If you want to try a dirty fast, flavour your beverages with these items first: stevia, honey, 1 cup bone broth, lemon water and sugar-free gum.
The efficacy of this particular practice is different from other types of intermittent fasting, which include complete calorie restriction during the fasting period.
Nevertheless, experts agree that this modified alternate-day fasting, which allows for calorie intake during fasting windows, has been related to several health advantages, including weight loss and decreased levels of inflammatory markers, blood pressure, and cholesterol.
Depending on your goals, always seek professional advice before fasting, regardless of whether you are clean or both types of fasting.