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Fasting In Ramadan – Is Ramadan Like Intermittent Fasting?

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Is Ramadan like intermittent fasting? The topics I have discussed in Ramadan 2021. This is the most debatable question about Ramadan. Some people agree on this and become happy that with diet combined with Ramadan intermittent fasting they will be able to achieve health and fitness goals. On the other hand, some people highly disagree with this fact. So, let’s find out what is true and what is not in the post below.

What Is Intermittent Fasting?

Let’s start the topic of is Ramadan like intermittent fasting from simply knowing what Intermittent fasting is? This is a time of fasting that is having a specific eating window and for the rest of the time, you need to fast. 

People usually confuse Intermittent fasting and Ramadan fasting. Intermittent fasting is not about which foods to eat, but rather when you should eat them. It is actually a diet plan that switches between fasting and eating on a regular schedule. Intermittent fasting helps you to manage your weight and prevent diseases. During intermittent fasting, you eat only during a specific time. It is about fasting for a certain number of hours to burn your body fats.

It has been acquiring fame as a method to lose weight. 

Whereas…

Is Ramadan like intermittent fasting? The answer is YES and NO both. In my opinion, Ramadan is not an interchangeable term for intermittent fasting. Instead, it is a type of intermittent fasting practiced by a large number of grown-up Muslims around the world for an entire lunar month consistently. In Ramadan fasting, you shift from typical eating examples to restrictive nighttime eating. 

TYPES OF INTERMITTENT FASTING

Intermittent fasting has different types, all of which split the day or week into eating windows and fasting periods. I will discuss in detail the types of intermittent fasting later but for now, I am briefly touching on the most common 3 methodologies.

  • 5 Is To 2 Intermittent Fasting

In the 5:2 fasting pattern, you do not restrict your calorie intake and eat normal food five days a week. While two days a week you fast and reduce your calorie intake to a quarter of your daily needs. If you are a man you can restrict to 700 calories during fasting days and if you are a woman you should take 500 calories a day.

  • Alternate Day Fast

In alternate day fasting, you eat a normal diet one day and the next day fast completely for 24 hours. In this way one day you eat what you want and the next day you are allowed calorie-free beverages. A few investigations propose that another day fasting is probably pretty much as powerful as a regular low-calorie diet for weight reduction. That appears to be sensible because diminishing the number of calories you eat should assist you with getting more fit.

  • 16:8 Fasting Window

16:8 is also called Leangains protocol. It is a type of daily restricted fasting pattern of intermittent fasting. You can have a meal within the 8 hours specified window and no meal for the next 16 hours. You eat normally but only within an eight-hour window each day. 

For instance, skip breakfast yet have lunch around the early afternoon and supper by 8 p.m. The fasting period will be 14-16 hours. You can easily follow this method by eating anything after dinner and skipping breakfast. 

It’s vital to principally eat good food varieties during your eating window. This technique will not work if you eat loads of shoddy nourishment or an inordinate number of calories.

Is Ramadan Like Intermittent Fasting?

After reading the types of intermittent fasting what do you think? Is Ramadan like intermittent fasting? Like I said earlier the answer to this is YES and NO. Ramadan fasting is a type of intermittent fasting which is usually a type of daily restricted pattern. Where you need to eat in a specific window and fast in the remaining.  

Furthermore, Fasting in Ramadan is like intermittent fasting as in both we abstain from food. But aim and motive behind Ramadan and intermittent fasting are different. We do intermittent fasting to lose weight and Ramadan fasting for religious and spiritual benefits.

But the health effects are more or less the same. For example in a study, it was shown that fasting in Ramadan is like intermittent fasting and tends to improve blood cholesterol levels. So, whether is Ramadan like intermittent fasting or not benefits of health will be there.

How Ramadan Fasting & Intermittent Fasting Are Similar?

Here are some similarities between Ramadan fasting and intermittent fasting:

  • You are to abstain from eating food for a positive reason. 
  • Helps in weight loss. 
  • Provide health benefits like positive regulation of Blood pressure, blood sugar, and cholesterol. 
  • They build self-control and patience within you. 

How Ramadan Fasting & Intermittent Fasting Are Different?

Here are some difference between Ramadan fasting and intermittent fasting:

  • In intermittent fasting, you are allowed to take zero-calorie beverages like black coffee without sugar, green tea, and water. Whereas in Ramadan fasting you are completely on fast during your fasting window. That is nothing to be taken by mouth. This is also a type of intermittent fasting which is not usual practice and known as dry fasting. 
  • Ramadan is a consistent fast of only one pattern. You can’t change the pattern or timings by your own will. Whereas in intermittent fasting you can change the timings and pattern as per your own will.
  • The purpose of intermittent fasting is only health-related and is mainly used for weight loss. While Ramadan fasting is done for religious purposes and besides provides health & spiritual benefits of intermittent fasting too.
  • In Ramadan fasting you refrain from consuming both food and water from sunrise to sunset. Therefore, according to the time from sunrise to sunset duration of Ramadan fasting vary with location. Duration of Ramadan fasting changes with the season also. In summers it is up to 20 hours and in winter up to 14 hours. On the other hand, intermittent fasting duration does not depend on location and seasons. It is the same everywhere around the globe. 
  • So, let’s conclude below about is Ramadan like intermittent fasting?

Wrapping It Up

In a nutshell, is Ramadan like intermittent fasting? Actually, as a Muslim, you should be proud of getting this opportunity from ALLAH – All-mighty to have the benefit of intermittent fasting from the start of time. You should practice Ramadan fasting with all the religious recommendations. 

To conclude the answer to the question “Is Ramadan like intermittent fasting?” is that YES it is a form of intermittent fasting that provides all the benefits intermittent fasting can. Only if we chose to have a healthy diet in our eating window.

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Rabia Mirza

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