Intermittent Fasting for Weight Loss and

I am a huge fan of Intermittent Fasting and am known to be evangelical about getting everyone on board when I can! It's certainly not easy, and really not meant to be adhered to 100% of the time for most people who don't have significant health considerations.

That said, Intermittent Fasting is an eating pattern where you cycle between periods of eating and fasting. Numerous studies show that it can have powerful benefits for your body and brain.

There are also many ways to interpret the pattern, but I believe the pattern showing the most efficacy for the effort is nocturnal fasting, whereby you fast for 13-14 hours between dinner and breakfast the next day. Specifically from 5:30pm - 7:30am.

True fasting excludes any food or beverage that would elicit a metabolic response. So, take your last bite of food before 5:30pm and just consume water, calorie-free tea (unsweetened), mineral water, etc., until 7:30am the next day. No bites of food. No taste testing. Nothing. It can be especially challenging if you are a night owl, like myself. But hang in there. Drink lots of water. You will awake feeling enormous mental clarity, lightness of thought, and readiness for the day!

Here are evidence-based health benefits of intermittent fasting:

1. When you fast, insulin levels drop and human growth hormone increases. Your cells also initiate important cellular repair processes and change which genes they express.

2. Intermittent fasting helps you eat fewer calories, while boosting metabolism.

3. Studies show that intermittent fasting can reduce oxidative damage and inflammation in the body. This could have benefits against premature aging and development of inflammatory diseases. Studies in rats have shown that intermittent fasting extends lifespan in a similar way as continuous calorie restriction.

4. Intermittent fasting has been shown to help prevent cancer in animal studies.

5. Intermittent fasting may offer neuroprotection for brain health. It may increase growth of new neurons and protect the brain from damage.