Expert-Approved Diet Plan For The Intermittent Fasting Bride

Every bride wants to look her fittest and glowing best for her wedding day. But, with the bridal errands, outfit fittings and umpteen chores – your health may take a backseat.

This is where intermittent fasting comes in. Many brides are swearing by this time-based meal plan that seamlessly fits into their hectic pre-bridal schedule.

“Intermittent fasting is actually not a diet, it's a pattern of eating. It's a way of scheduling your meals so that you get the most out of them. It doesn’t change what you eat, it changes when you eat, allowing the body to use its stored energy – by burning off excess body fat,” says Dr Vandana Luthra, fitness expert and founder of VLCC Group.

While the most obvious benefit of intermittent fasting is weight loss but there are many other potential benefits such as cleansing, detoxification, lowering blood insulin and blood glucose levels, and improving cholesterol profile.

So, we spoke to a few nutrition and health expert to help you get on the intermittent fasting bandwagon.

How does it work?

'First, restricting your meals and snacks to a strict time will naturally decrease your calorie intake, which can lead to weight loss. This eating pattern may reduce levels of insulin, a hormone involved in blood sugar management. Decreased levels can increase fat burning to promote weight loss. Short-term fasting increases metabolic rate by 3.6-14 per cent. Intermittent fasting may also increase levels of norepinephrine, a hormone that can boost your metabolism that increases calorie burning throughout the day,' says Dr Simal Soin, health and beauty expert, AAYNA Clinic.

There is evidence to suggest that the Intermittent Fasting approach, where meals are restricted to a certain period of the day, and when combined with a healthy diet and lifestyle, can be effective in weight loss. Vandana explains as below:

When we eat some of this energy is stored for later use. Insulin is the key hormone involved in the storage of food energy in the form of sugar & fat. In case of excess sugar, the liver starts converting excess sugars into fat.

The process goes in reverse when we do not eat (intermittent fasting). Insulin levels fall, signalling the body to start burning stored energy as no more is coming through food. Blood glucose falls, so the body must now pull glucose out of storage to burn for energy. This can provide enough energy to the body’s needs for the shorter duration only. After that, the body will start burning fat for energy.

Intermittent Fasting puts your body in a fat-burning state that supports weight loss.

Here's how you can do it:

'This starts with 16/8 fasting where you fast for 16 hours each day and restrict eating window to just eight hours, which likely means we can squeeze in two, maybe three meals. There is also a 20/4 method where you fast for 20 hours and allow yourself one four-hour window to eat. It’s likely you might get just one, maybe two meals in each day, depending on what you find works for you,' says nutritionist Harshita Dilawri.

• Get healthy start: 'Have a fruit first thing in the morning (within 5-10 minutes of waking up), then after an hour’s gap have whatever it is you feel like having – your cup of tea, or even better, milk,' says nutritionist Harshita Dilawari.

• Hydrate: 'Those who are new to this regime may find the fasting a tad difficult initially. You can consume green tea/black coffee/espresso to help you feel full and not give up. These liquids can give you the much-needed initial support to get going,' says Dr Arjita Kumari, spa and wellness director, Alila Diwa Goa. You’ve heard this one a million times, but it’s also really important – 2 bottles of water a day to flush out toxins and keep you hydrated. Make this a non-negotiable part of your bridal diet chart for glowing skin!

• Home food, ftw: Eat more of fibre and cut down on carbs – include lots of colourful fruits and vegetables. As Harshita says, 'Stay away from processed foods and stick to home-made food. You will anyway miss this a lot once you leave your home post the wedding!'Adding, include only brown rice and multigrain bread (not even brown bread – sometimes it’s just white bread with brown colour added to it) in your bridal diet chart.

• Don't overeat: Follow portion control – don't switch to heavy meals post fasting

• Work out – The body needs at least 30 mins of physical activity. When you eat right and work out, there is holistic development.

Watch out for:

The safety of the fasting depends more on who is doing the fasting than the style of fasting itself. People who have any medical conditions should seek the counsel of their healthcare provider. The potential side effects and risks include:

• Hunger, weakness, and tiredness in the beginning stages of the plan
• Overeating or eating unhealthy food during the eating window due to excessive hunger
• Heartburn or reflux as a result of overeating

 So, now you are all set to glow the healthy way!