Pro Cheer Health and Fitness: A Guide to Intermittent Fasting
When it comes to improving your level of fitness, there are so many dietary practices, tactics, and resources to try. So it's understandable if you're quite confused about which approach to try as an aspiring or current professional cheerleader. If you're here because you've heard about fasting and are wondering if it's right for you, here's what you need to know. In this article, we discuss intermittent fasting an eating pattern. We'll define what it is and dive into its benefits.
What is intermittent fasting?
Intermittent fasting or IF for short is an eating cycle where you go without food for longer periods between meals. The wonderful thing about intermittent fasting is that there are plenty of ways to do it. You can choose an intermittent fasting type that will match your lifestyle, schedule, and personal preferences. Whether you go to college, are a full-time mom, or work at an office, you'll find an IF method that works for you.
Here are the different types of intermittent fasting:
- Alternate Day Fasting - As the name suggests, alternate day fasting entails fasting one day and eating the next day. But here's the thing: You can eat during your fasting day. However, you should only consume 25% of the total calories you need per day to lose weight.
- 16:8 method - With this method, you're only allowed to eat within an 8-hour window and fast for 16 hours. For example, you can eat from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm or 11:00 am to 6:00 pm.
- Meal skipping - This is the most convenient way to do intermittent fasting. You can skip any meal of the day - breakfast, lunch, or dinner. Meal skipping is extremely helpful when you're too busy to prepare food or don't feel the need to eat.
What are the top benefits of intermittent fasting?
- Weight loss - If you've packed on the pounds, intermittent fasting is an effective means of reducing your total calorie intake over the week. It forces your body to burn sugar and tap into its fat stores for energy.
- Autophagy - Intermittent promotes autophagy, a process where your body gets rid of unwanted, old, or damaged proteins and cells. Autophagy detoxifies your body and slows down the aging process. This is a powerful way for you to maintain homeostasis.
- Mental clarity - If you're struggling with brain fog and want to achieve better mental clarity, intermittent fasting can help you with that. Since fasting stimulates the metabolic process of ketosis, ketone bodies are produced. If you didn't know, ketone bodies, particularly BHB ketones, are a more efficient form of brain fuel compared to glucose.
Final Thoughts
Remember that professional cheerleaders have a responsibility to keep themselves fit and healthy. Being fit and healthy doesn't only help with your performance during auditions and in the arena, but it also makes you a more productive, happier, and energetic person!
Get Our Pro Cheerleading Top
Hey, ladies!!! đź‘‹Do you need a pro-cheer-inspired top to wear during your workout or next summer camp? I designed the perfect shirt for these important occasions. You can even wear it on a regular day to express yourself. Choose from 5 great colors: White, Baby Blue, Cranberry, Silver, and Lemon.
