第1737期:Could fasting help you lose weight?

Most of us would agree that being healthy is important. We are inundated with articles in health magazines talking about the latest fad diets, or adverts that offer potential miracle cures for obesity that are often too good to be true. One of the latest crazes is fasting, often referred to as intermittent fasting. But what is it? And how can it help us to lose weight?

我们大多数人都会同意健康很重要。我们淹没在健康杂志上谈论最新时尚饮食的文章，或提供潜在的肥胖奇迹疗法的广告，这些广告往往好得令人难以置信。最新的狂热之一是禁食，通常被称为间歇性禁食。但它是什么？它如何帮助我们减肥？

Fasting refers to a period of abstinence from consuming food. The idea of intermittent fasting is to reduce calories over a certain number of days or hours rather than a sustained period. It has been linked to longevity and generally improved health. It also helps those interested in keeping off the weight or dropping a few pounds. There are also different ways to fast. For example, in the 5:2 diet, you eat normally on five days of a week and reduce your calorie intake on the other two. Then there's a restricted-hours diet that sees people only eating during a limited part of the day, for example, over eight hours. But is it for everyone? Well, before we get to that, let's look at some of the possible benefits.

禁食是指一段时间内不进食。间歇性禁食的想法是在一定的天数或小时内减少卡路里，而不是持续一段时间。它与长寿和普遍改善健康有关。它还可以帮助那些有兴趣保持体重或减掉几磅的人。也有不同的禁食方式。例如，在 5:2 饮食法中，您每周有 5 天正常进食，而减少其他两天的卡路里摄入量。然后是限时饮食，人们只在一天中的有限时间内进食，例如八小时以上。但它适合所有人吗？好吧，在我们开始之前，让我们看看一些可能的好处。

A study published on the National Library of Medicine website suggests that intermittent fasting may help with the control of blood sugar and potentially lower the risk of diabetes. However, more research on this is needed. Other studies have claimed that some form of intermittent fasting may help to prevent some diseases, aid with metabolism, slow the ageing process, support brain function, and help to shed weight.

国家医学图书馆网站上发表的一项研究表明，间歇性禁食可能有助于控制血糖并可能降低患糖尿病的风险。但是，需要对此进行更多研究。其他研究声称，某种形式的间歇性禁食可能有助于预防某些疾病、帮助新陈代谢、减缓衰老过程、支持大脑功能并帮助减轻体重。

And what about the downsides? Well, this diet is not for everyone. Fasting might not suit those who are underweight or with a long-term medical condition. Fasting may cause some people to experience symptoms such as headaches or make them prone to overeating after a reduced calorie intake day. As with many diets, it's always wise to speak to your doctor or weight loss professional before changing your eating habits. And, at the end of the day, it could just come down to what lifestyle choice suits you.

那么缺点呢？好吧，这种饮食并不适合所有人。禁食可能不适合体重过轻或患有长期疾病的人。禁食可能会导致一些人出现头痛等症状，或者使他们在卡路里摄入量减少的一天后容易暴饮暴食。与许多饮食一样，在改变您的饮食习惯之前咨询您的医生或减肥专家总是明智的。而且，在一天结束时，它可能只是归结为适合您的生活方式选择。

词汇表

inundate 使应接不暇
fad 一时的风尚
miracle cure 灵丹妙药
obesity 肥胖
too good to be true 好得令人难以置信，好到不像真的
craze 风靡一时的事物
intermittent fasting 间歇性禁食
abstinence 节制
consume 吃，喝
longevity 长寿
keep off the weight 保持体重
drop a few pounds 减重
intake 摄入量
blood sugar 血糖
metabolism 新陈代谢
ageing process 衰老的过程
brain function 大脑功能
shed weight 减重
underweight 过瘦的，体重不足的
prone to 有…倾向的，易于
overeat 过量饮食，吃得过饱