Brad Pilon defines “Intermittent Fasting” (“IF”) as a purposeful break from eating. Dr. Edward Group defines it as alternating periods of fasting with periods of eating during the same day. If you think about it, we already do IF, because we fast when we go to sleep and we break that fast when we eat food the next day (unless we’re midnight snackers, which is bad!). But for optimum benefits (and they are many), we must do it purposefully and as a strict regimen. IF requires that you are diligent about eating on time and avoiding snacks. It’s easier than strict dieting and it works with your hormonal rhythms to promote a healthier metabolism.
You will need to overcome the misguided advice from conventional physicians, diabetes educators, and dieticians who advise diabetics to never go more than three or four hours without eating. This is “old school” thinking, we are told. The benefits of IF far outweigh any warnings that fasting is not healthy, as proven through recent research articles and studies.* Both Dr. Group and Brad Pilon discuss alternate methods of IF, but both agree that 12:12 is a good way to start, which is a 12-hour window during which you eat followed by 12 hours of fasting (only water, coffee, or tea). For example, eat regularly (not marathon eating) for 12 hours and then fast for 12 hours–say eat 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. and then fast till 6 a.m. the next day. That way, most of your fasting is done during sleep. Others may find 10:14 or 6:18 suits them better. Twice-weekly fasting is recommended, and on the other days, eat normally.
Check out both experts: Brad Pilon is the author of Eat Stop Eat, and his blog is www.bradpilon.com. Dr. Edward Group is the author of The Green Body Cleanse and his comprehensive Website is www.globalhealingcenter.com.
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*Williams, K.V., et al., “The Effect of Short Periods of Caloric Restriction on Weight Loss and Glycemic Control in Type 2 Diabetes,” Diabetes Care 21.1 (1998).
*Blair, Stephanie, “Intermittent Fasting: Try This at Home for Brain Health,” Stanford Law School, N.p. 2017.
*Garaulet, M., et al., “Timing of Food Intake Predicts Weight Loss Effectiveness,” International Journal of Obesity 37.4 (2013): 604-611.