Fasting is a common practice followed by many of us for several reasons. Today, intermittent fasting is also a common diet trend for weight loss. Read on to find out how fasting affects your blood pressure and how you should plan your fasts.

What you should know:

How does fasting affect your heart?
How to plan your fasts?
Who should avoid fasting?

How does fasting affect your heart?

Fasting can be healthy for your heart and reduce the risk of heart conditions. Fasting can lower your blood pressure, reduce cholesterol and control diabetes. These are some of the common risks of heart diseases like cardiac arrest or stroke. That’s why fasting is considered healthy for diabetics too.

However, fasting can lead to an electrolyte imbalance. This makes the heart unstable because it will be prone to arrhythmia. When you decide to fast, prepare your diet and intervals between meals with medical supervision.

How to plan your fasting?

When you are fasting, it is important to follow steps to ensure that you don’t put your health at risk. These tips will be especially helpful if you are following fasting as a health practice over a period of time.

Set realistic meal intervals

An 8-hour gap between meals can be enough if you are just starting to fast. You should try and avoid fasting for longer than 24 hours. For example, a popular diet plan includes 2 days of fasting during the week. On days of fasting, you can eat 2 meals with a total of 500 calories.

Plan your meals in advance

When you break a fast, it is important to plan your diet and stick to it. This will help you avoid eating junk food or heavy meals after fasting. It is helpful to plan a healthy diet even on your non-fasting days.

Stay hydrated

Even when you are fasting, you should continue drinking water and fresh juices throughout the day. Dehydration can lead to headaches, constipation and fatigue.

Avoid high-intensity activities

Your energy levels will tend to be low on the day when you fast. That’s why it is important to avoid energy-intensive activities and avoid weakness.

Don’t fast when you are unwell

If you feel unwell, listen to your body and eat regular healthy meals. Put your own health before your diet.

Who should avoid fasting?

Fasting might not be safe or healthy for everyone. That’s why you should consult your doctor or dietician before fasting. Some people should try and avoid fasting, including:

Women who are pregnant or breastfeeding
Children and teenagers
People with type 1 diabetes
People with eating disorders

When you are fasting, it is important to plan your meals and intervals with a medical professional. For more fitness or nutrition related advice, visit Activ Living.