Fasts Determine When You Need to Eat Not What You Eat

A 2017 study published in JAMA Internal Medicine found that after dieting for one year, participants lost about the same percentage of bodyweight whether they followed an alternate-day fast or simply restricted their caloric intake. A major benefit of intermittent fasting with a designated time for food consumption is that it makes eating healthier much simpler and easier to manage for the long-term. You can help suppress hunger during intermittent fasting by eating high-fiber foods, such as nuts, beans, fruits and vegetables, as well as high protein foods, including meat, fish or tofu during your window for dietary intake.

• The 16/8 Fast - This method of fasting involves skipping breakfast and restricting eating to an eight-hour window each day. For example, you can choose to eat between noon and 8 pm, fast for sixteen hours, and then repeat the process.
• Skip-a-Day Diet - One of the simplest fasting protocols, you consume a healthy diet. Then, every couple of weeks you should fast for 24 hours consuming only water or no-calorie drinks like black coffee or green tea.
• 5:2 Fasting Method - The 5:2 diet approach advocates no food restriction five days of the week, cycled with a 400-500 calorie diet the other two days of the week.
• Missing Meals - This simple style of fasting allows people to skip meals when they are not hungry but eat when they are. It offers a more natural feel but it is still important to eat healthy foods at mealtime.

Humans have fasted for millennia, if for no other reason than out of necessity during times of food scarcity. However, unlike traditional fad diets that establish what you can and cannot eat, intermittent fasting focuses on when you eat, which can be a powerful practice when coupled with healthy menus. Unlike many fad diets, fasting is backed by scientific research that has concluded intermittent fasting to be just as effective as low-calorie diets and sometimes more effective at supporting a healthy body composition. A major benefit of intermittent fasting includes improving your metabolic health to help prevent the onset of metabolic syndrome and several chronic diseases such as diabetes, high cholesterol and inflammation.

*NOTE: Due to a difference in hormonal makeup, women have special considerations when fasting. Intermittent fasting is not a good idea for women under 18 years of age, those with a lean body profile, or those with medical conditions, such as hypothyroidism or a history of eating disorders. Ask your physician about an appropriate fasting protocol for you.