Now more than ever is an opportune time to dive into those things you’ve always been curious about, wanted to try, learn more about and become well versed in.

For me it’s been intermittent fasting a new craze that is making waves. While fasting has gone on since the beginning of time it’s really taking off as a healthy way of warding off disease, slowing the aging process and losing weight.

Why Is Intermittent Fasting So Good For Us?

These are just a few of the benefits. More on that in a moment. I’ll lay out the benefits, not all, but the most attractive ones for me.

As we age and progress in life hopefully we are all doing the self work and looking for ways to improve, live better and healthier lives.

And the with so much information out there it can be hard to decipher good from fad to just a fly by night craze.

What is Intermittent Fasting?

It’s not a diet, but rather an eating pattern that cycles between periods of fasting and eating.

There are no specific foods, but rather when you should eat and when not to eat.

It’s not a diet in the conventional sense of the word, but more of a defined time table of eating patterns.

Intermittent fasting can be daily 16-hour fasts or fasting for 24 hours, twice per week.

So it’s not rigid in the sense of sticking to smaller portions for an extended period of time, but rather extending the time between your intakes.

Through the history of human evolution fasting has been a thing. Many times in history since hunter-gatherers couldn’t find food they would go without for extended bouts of time.

In fact it’s a more natural process in relation to our overall evolution to fast from time to time rather than eat 3 to 4 meals per day.

And let me not mention portions. While we’re in a holding pattern here so are all you can eat buffets. It might seem like a thing of the past, but it’s over indulgence like that which ends up leading to health issues in the longer term.

The BACKSTORY

While it’s been around for ages it’s making a serious comeback now after taking off in 2012 after the BBC TV documentary Eat Fast, Live Longer and the book The Fast Diet by Dr. Michael Mosley – webmd’s review of it.

And then that was followed by The 5:2 Diet by Kate Harrison (click the link for the 5:2 breakdown) and then Dr. Jason Fung’s 2016 bestseller The Obesity Code, one of three of his bestselling health books.

Dr. Fung’s The Obesity Code is packed with research based evidence, his own clinical experience and great nutrition advice. He stresses not just in his book but as a principle rule of thumb to eat more fruits and veggies, fiber, healthy protein and fats and to cut the sugar out pretty much altogether. Me and my sweet tooth struggle with this one.

For more healthy nutrition advice checkout my interview with Nutritionist Tamar Cohen.

So what are some of the benefits of intermittent fasting?

• Slows the Aging Process

• Changes the Function of Cells, Genes and Hormones

• Lose Weight and Belly Fat

• Good For Brain Health

• May Help Prevent Cancer

For a breakdown of the 10 Evidence-Based Health Benefits Of Intermittent Fasting.

I’M GOING TO TRY INTERMITTENT FASTING

I’m most certainly going to take a deep dive in and will be sure to share my results with you.

I’m going to give it three weeks of consistent intermittent fasting and see how I feel. I’m hoping for noticeable results. And yes perhaps that’s asking for a bit much in a span of three weeks, but I’ve read a lot about it and as the story goes the results are noticeable pretty instantaneously.

I’m hoping to shed a few extra pounds and see visible skin improvement.

I’m pretty hopeful that it’s not all fluff. The scientific data really shows promise and credible stats that are hard to argue with. Here’s some stats from the National Institute On Aging.

So let’s see.

I’m doing a little more research on exactly the break down, but I’m thinking I’ll probably start really small the first few days – just to get myself acclimated so I’m thinking – 12 hour fasts and then stepping it up once I’ve acclimated my body and mind to it.

I’ve done harder things in life so I know I can.

And here’s why I want to try it….

I could lose a few pounds yes, most certainly, but I’m at an age that I want to do better with looking into longterm health as I approach later life.

I am taking a more concerted approach and making more of an effort to find things that enhance my overall feeling of well being.

This article here breaks it down if you want to give it a go – 6 Ways To Begin Intermittent Fasting

And this Ted Talk offers great insights by a nutritionist who understands the inner workings of our internal systems and the nutrients we need to make it thrive.

I think ultimately being grounded and balanced is the key, exercise and portion control are the biggest issues for most, but I got this.

I’m looking forward to a slimmer, healthier me. Bonus: With an added glow.

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