Alarm clock with fork, knife and plate on the table. Top view. Time to eat.
You may be familiar with intermittent fasting, which is simply extending the time you go without food, usually this includes sleep time, and then compressing your meals into a short window. It can be done in several different ways. For example eating your last meal at 6 pm and then pushing your first meal the next day to 8 am if you want to do a 14 hour fast or until 10 am for a 16 hour fast and eating your meals that day between 8 am and 5 pm or 10 am and 4pm. You can have water, black coffee, green, oolong or herbal tea and stay in your fasted state until your first meal. I delve into more detail about different ways to do this in Today is Still the Day.
According to a recent study, doing this type of fasting, every other day stimulated the development of fat burning beige fat cells within stored white fat, reducing obesity, insulin resistance, and fatty liver. Researchers believe that changing the bacterial composition of the gut that this type of fasting caused was the major factor in this process.
You are still eating every day, just shifting the timing of your meals and fasted states. Allowing your digestive system to rest and reboot has numerous health benefits, one of the greatest being that it shifts the gut microbiome in a healthy way.
It is a very simple and relatively easy way to get the benefits of fasting without actually going a day or more without food. I practice intermittent fasting several times a week and actually enjoy it. And it is a win-win because it not only helps with weight loss, but also keeps your gut healthy and happy, which impacts every area of your health, particularly your immune system.
Just be sure you break your fast with healthy meals composed of clean, whole, high quality, one-ingredient foods. Within your eating window you can include one, two or three meals depending on how long that window is. And always try not to eat past 7 pm as that has also been shown to be beneficial to health.
Do you ever fast? Would you consider intermittent fasting every other day?
Want to see more articles like this? Subscribe to this blog (just click on “Follow”) and get each new post delivered to your email or feed reader. To follow me and get even more tips on how to live your life in 3-D, including improving your diet, choosing cutting edge nutritional products and effective weight loss strategies be sure to like me on Facebook here and here, sign up for my FREE weekly No-Nonsense Nutrition Report (and get a free gift!), follow me on Pinterest and Twitter!
Make gradual changes. Boost health, vitality and energy. Become your best YOU.
3-D Vitality 
I tend to do the overnight fast and extend it to 10:00 or 11:00 AM. It’s an effective way for me to fast without feeling deprived and thinking about not having food.
That’s my preferred way as well Cindy.
I love these posts, and am learning so much from you Ms. Ann. Thank You! Would love your thoughts on fasting for diabetics. Since being diagnosed with Type II years ago, I attempted to fast once again and found myself with a severe hypoglycemic situation. Haven’t fasted since, but have looked for other ways to fast than meals.
J.D. I very much appreciate your thoughtful reading and responses. In response to your question:
This study (https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/323316.php) used 24 hour fasting and only 3 men but the results were very positive. However, that being said, fasting for a person with diabetes can be potentially dangerous and requires medical supervision, so I would never suggest you undertake it on your own. I would also say that 16:8 fasting which is fasting for 12-16 hours a day (which includes time sleeping) and just compressing your meals into a smaller window may be a safer and easier method to try – but of course, still with supervision especially if on medication. You could have your last meal of the day by 6 pm and then have breakfast at 6 am or a bit later if you extend your fast to 13, 14 or more hours. Then just keep your meals within an 8-10 hour window. It may be something to discuss with your doctor.
In my book, (https://www.amazon.com/dp/069219634X) Today is Still the Day, I talk in the spirit section about fasting from other things like complaining, watching the news, criticizing, reading the paper, etc. so I believe there are other ways to “fast” that will benefit us for sure. I hope that is helpful to you!
Ann, I needed this reminder. I’ve gotten into the habit of having hot cocoa I make before bed.
Thanks Debbie. I have hot chocolate on the weekends when I let myself stretch the meals out a bit.
I have tried fasting for a few days in the past, but have never lasted more than 2 days. Intermittent fasting is much more pleasant and doable. What are your favorite foods to break a fast with?
I keep my foods the same as my normal meals when I’m not intermittently fasting – organic, grass fed and finished, pastured or wild caught – clean protein, non-starchy veggies and healthy fats.