There is a new trend in the way we eat, or possibly I should say how often we eat. Its popularity stems from the fact that it helps people lose weight without having to deal with the effects of actual hunger. It also helps reduce the risk of chronic diseases, such as diabetes, cancer, and heart disease.

What is this new trend? “Intermittent Fasting” or IF is the name of this game.

Intermittent fasting is really nothing new. In fact, IF goes back to our original ancestors. It’s an eating strategy hard-wired into our DNA, because our ancestors practiced a reduced eating schedule. They literally had no choice in the matter. They just didn’t have the kind of frequency and ease of access to food that we have now.

Our window to eat –

This new eating strategy isn’t just about skipping meals. It is about spending as much time as possible fasting.

The best way to define any type of fast is to think of it simply as a change in eating patterns. In the case of IF, instead of three full meals in a day, or eating a handful of smaller meals throughout the day, there is a window of time in which we are allowed to eat. This could take the form of a few hours a day, or the fasting window could represent certain days of the week. During that time, we can eat whatever we want, within reason of course.

Spacing out our “eating window” allows our minds to tune in to our bodies so we can understand what real hunger feels like.

IF it’s not about starving. Fasting does not mean going hungry, but it is not a diet either. The literal definition is:

“to abstain from eating and drinking for a specified period of time.”

IF is all about eating two meals in a day instead of three (or multiple) during which you introduce a 16-hour fasting period. You can choose breakfast and lunch or lunch and dinner, and it’s proving to be a powerful approach to eating.

The western world spends little to no time in a fast state. True hunger is something we should only experience every 16-24 hours, not every four hours as we are accused of. For most, there is constant grazing from dusk to dawn, and even late into the night for some people.

IF will not work for anyone whose diet is centered around processed foods like French fries. Fasting requires us to follow a whole food diet, rich in vegetables, lean protein, carbohydrates, and healthy fats to experience the best and fastest benefits of IF. The two meals chosen for the day should be packed with nutrition and completely balanced.

It is estimated that one in two people in today’s modern world is obese or overweight and millions die from complications stemming from this truth. IF helps control body weight and is also a powerful tool in the field of life extension.

Unless you’re late-night snacking, you probably already work a form of IF into your schedule, fasting for about 12 hours daily. However, current research shows that some benefits of IF require longer periods of fasting, up to 20 to 24 hours, depending on activity levels.

The proposed benefits of IF in animals and humans read like a long list of “look better”, “feel better” and “live longer”…

Having a limited eating window is much less difficult to achieve than restricting calories. IF is truly one of the simplest strategies for shedding fat weight and maintaining good weight (muscle tissue) and requires very few behavioral changes.

Slowing the aging process, increasing energy levels, and rebooting the immune system are all benefits when you incorporate IF into your eating schedule.

So, what are you waiting for? Decide which two meals you want to enjoy in the future, and choose the richest, most nutrient-dense foods to enjoy during that period. If you follow this protocol and combine it with challenging strength training exercises, I promise you will see positive changes in your body and the way you feel.