Intermittent fasting is the new fad diet, often compared to long-term fasting. But is it really the same thing? Can Intermittent fasting be compared to Breuss’s long-term fasting?
In this article and the articles following, I’ll be comparing Breuss’s long-term fast with other popular fad diets on the market, starting with the two diets that claim to have fasting as their primary ingredient.
The daily intermittent fasting and 5:2 Diet.
I’ve written quite substantially about my Breuss long-term fasting method and the impact it had on my life.
If you’ve read my article Can 42-day long fasting make us thrive? you would know that I only learned about long-term fasting when my grandfather was diagnosed with brain tumors and Breuss’s 42-day long-term fasting proved to be a path to his full recovery.
In the article, I also told you about my weight issues and the diets I’ve tried to get my weight under control. So yes. I have tried my fair share of diets in my day.
The popular fab diets
In this month’s articles, I’ve decided to take a closer look at the 13 most popular fab diets out there and compare their results to the results of Breuss long-term fasting.
For clarity purposes, I’ve divided the diets into 4 broader categories according to their main focus.
The categories that we’ll be exploring are:
- Diets claiming to have fasting in them – the most popular being: Intermittent fasting and 5:2 Diet
- Low-carb diets, seem to be the most popular. I’ve decided to take a closer look at the following: Keto diet, Atkins diet, Gluten-free diet, South Beach diet
- Diets based on fruit and vegetables – the most popular among them being: the Paleo diet, Mediterranean diet, and Flexitarian diet.
- Other focussed diets – these have none of the above specifics and are using other techniques. Here, I’ve chosen four of the most popular: The alkaline diet, the Weight Watchers diet, the Whole 30 diet, and the Raw food diet.
When comparing the diets above to the Breuss long-term fasting, we’ll be looking at the following criteria:
- The characteristics of each diet
- It’s benefits
- Difficulties keeping up with it
- It’s sustainability over a longer period
- Comparison to the Breuss long-term fast
What fasting is and is not
That being said, let’s dive into the first diet category
Fasting has become quite popular in the last few years. I’ve written quite a few articles about the subject of Breuss long-term fasting however, I just realized I’ve never quite explained the definition of fasting.
To correct my wrong and to be on the same page here is the definition of fasting from the Oxford Dictionary:
So, fasting means no food of any kind for a specific amount of time.
Since we’ll be comparing Intermittent fasting and the 5:2 diet with Breuss long-term fasting I thought to elaborate on one more thing.
With Breuss long-term fasting you cannot ingest solid food for a period of 21 or 42 days, depending on what you use the long-term fasting for. I explained the differences between the two fasts here and here. You can however drink freshly squeezed Breuss vegetable juice (in fact, it is mandatory) and certain tea that helps with the detoxification of the body and helps it heal.
So to recap. Fasting is:
- no intake of solid food for a certain amount of time
- the only thing allowed is liquid
- Any limiting of solid food does not constitute fasting
Diets claiming to have fasting in them
The diets that we’ll be looking into are:
- Intermittent fasting diet
- 5:2 diet
Intermittent Fasting Diet
Characteristics:
- It involves cycles of eating and fasting within a specific time frame during the day
- The only restrictions are regarding the time window in which you eat, not the food itself
- It can be adapted to individual lifestyle
Benefits:
- Because of the eating time limit the consumption of calories is smaller which can result in weight loss
- As with Breuss long-term fasting, intermittent fasting can enhance insulin sensitivity which leads to better blood sugar control and reduced risk of type 2 diabetes
- It can improve heart health (lower blood pressure and cholesterol levels)
- As with Breuss long-term fasting, intermittent fasting can promote longevity and risk of certain diseases but on a significantly lower scale than long-term fasting
- Since none of the food is restricted, intermittent fasting can be long-term sustainable
Difficulties:
- It inquires discipline
To learn more on the subject of intermittent fasting, this article is a good place to start.
5:2 Diet (also known as the Fast Diet)
Characteristics:
- Some type of intermittent fasting,
- You eat normally for 5 days a week, and on the other 2 days, you restrict the intake of calories – typically to around 500-600 calories for women and 600-800 calories for men.
- It can be adapted to the individual lifestyle, where you can choose which days to restrict calories on.
Benefits:
- Easy to understand and follow
- Some studies show that it may have positive effects on metabolic health, including blood sugar levels and cholesterol
- Since restricting the calorie intake for two days it can lead to weight loss
- As in intermittent fasting, you are eating the entire food specter most of the time so it can be long-term sustainable
Difficulties:
- It inquires discipline
To learn more on the subject, read this article and this article.
Comparison of the Intermittent fasting and the 5:2 Diet with the Breuss long-term fast
Intermittent fasting is very similar to long-term fasting only it’s done on a daily scale.
I’ve been practicing Intermittent fasting for several years myself and I have only good things to say about it.
Of course, it’s not as efficient as Breuss’s long-term fasting in the same time frame.
In my opinion, it is even harder to do. I had difficulties comprehending this. How could I be struggling more when not eating only a few hours, when I had no problems with not eating for weeks?
My logical conclusion was that my brain was aware that food would be coming in 3, 4, or 5 hours (or however long I had until the completion of the fast). This way my stomach was preparing for food (because of my constant thinking about it) and it growled from hunger even 3 hours before I finally took pity on it.
With Breuss long-term fasting, I know I won’t be having any food for 21 days, and when I feel hungry I sip at the Breuss vegetable juice, which fills me up.
Looking at intermittent fasting and comparing it with Breuss long-term fasting I would choose Breuss long-term fasting every time.
5:2 Diet could not be compared to any kind of fasting in my opinion, even though it is described as one in the articles I’ve been reading.
Eating regular food for five days a week and constricting the food intake on the remaining two days isn’t fasting. 600 calories can be considered anything from a sandwich, salad, or a small fish and potatoes dinner.
If we remember the definition from before; fasting is withholding the consumption of food. In the 5:2 Diet, you are ingesting food all days of the week, limiting its contents for the 2 remaining days.
I’ve never tried this diet, and I’m pretty certain I won’t be shortly.
In comparison with Breuss’s long-term fasting both, Intermittent fasting and 5:2 Diet can be sustainable over longer periods, whereas Breuss’s long-term fasting should only be done once per year 3-6 weeks.
My standard practice
In the last several years I have combined the two types of fasting for the ultimate health benefit.
I cleanse my body of toxins once per year with Breuss long-term fasting.
For the remainder of the year, I implement Intermittent fasting for my daily practice.
There is no right or wrong.
When deciding what method to try, I say use whatever method that suits your body best.
If you pay attention to how you are feeling physically and mentally you will know which route to choose.
Until next time, brush up on some knowledge of carbohydrates, we’ll be digging into the low-carbohydrate diets next.
Ann