Intermittent fasting has been a buzzword in the wellness community over the past several years. Once considered to be a fringe practice, if not outright dangerous, fasting has recently gone mainstream. It turns out that intermittent fasting can be an excellent way of slowing down the aging process, increasing immunity, and controlling weight gain.

What Is a “Fast”?

The simplest definition of fasting is refraining from the consumption of foods, beverages, or both for a specified period. Many people are familiar with fasting for religious reasons or as preparation for medical or procedures. However, there have also been people that have included fasts in their wellness practices for many years. Increased study into fasting has shown it to have real benefits for many people.

What Is Intermittent Fasting?

Intermittent fasting is an ongoing eating plan in which you alternate between periods of being able to consume calories (known as an “eating window”) and longer blocks of time during which you only consume non-caloric liquids, such as water, black coffee, or tea.

The length of intermittent fasting time blocks varies by person. Many people have found real benefits in what is known as a 16:8 schedule: A sixteen-hour fast followed by an “eating window” of eight hours. Over time, some fasters may adopt an 18:6 or even a 20:4 schedule.

Some people who practice intermittent fasting opt for even longer fast they can last a day or more. Among these individuals are those that eat on alternate days, while others may extend their fasts as long as 48 or even 36 hours.

The Benefits of Intermittent Fasting

Research into intermittent fasting is ongoing, but there appears to be a number of benefits from periodically refraining from calorie consumption:

• Weight loss & control

• Anti-aging

• Reducing cardiovascular disease

• Reducing chronic pain

• Improving mood

• Improving sleep quality

The science seems to be particularly strong for both weight loss and weight control as well as improving sleep quality. Many people eat out of habit, rather than genuine hunger or a need for nutrition. Intermittent fasting can help address habitual eating and make it easier to restrict calories by discouraging casual snacking. In addition, many people who practice intermittent fasting reduce food consumption because they are simply too full to eat more than one or two meals within a four-to-eight-hour period.

Sleep quality is another matter. Nighttime eating has been associated with lessened sleep quality which can contribute to lowered immunity, weight gain, and mood disorders. Scheduling the beginning of your fast period two or three hours before your normal bedtime can help you get better sleep.

One other benefit to intermittent fasting is financial: If you are eating less, and are scheduling meals rather than habitually stopping for snacks or drinks, you’ll save on both grocery and eating out costs.

Intermittent Fasting Cautions

Intermittent fasting is not a good option for everyone, which is why it is important to talk to your doctor before beginning a restricted eating plan. Fasting may be contraindicated for individuals who have eating disorders, who have diabetes, or who take medications that are meant to be consumed with food.

Another thing to be aware of is that fasting may impact athletic performance. You may need to adjust your eating, workout, and sports participation schedules to ensure that you reap the full benefits of fasting.

Intermittent Fasting Tips & Resources

Here are some tips that can help you maximize your success:

• Download an intermittent fasting app such as Zero that can help you track your fasts and remind you of when your fasting period ends and you can begin eating again.

• If you are used to eating or drinking caloric beverages throughout the day, start slowly. Try doing a 12:12 (12 hours fasting, 12-hour eating window) fast for the first week and then slowly work your way to a 16:8 fast.

• Leverage sleep time to make your fasts easier. Start your fasts at night, soon after dinner but at least two hours before bedtime, so that most of your fast is completed before you wake up in the morning.

• Sip black coffee, tea, herbal infusions, or water during fast periods to stay hydrated and create a feeling of fullness.

• Pay attention to changes in meal schedules: If you normally have brunch on Saturday mornings with friends or have dinner later than usual on book club nights, you’ll want to plan ahead to shift fasting and eating window times, or to have a longer fast the day before (or after) a shortened or skipped fast.

• To maximize the effectiveness of intermittent fasting, take steps to restrict food consumption to scheduled meals. For example, if your fast ends at noon each day, consider only consuming calories during lunch and dinner, forgoing snacking and caloric beverages between meals.

Intermittent fasting can be an important way of understanding what and how much you eat, while also gaining control over the amount of food you eat. Properly practiced, it can have significant beneficial effects on your overall wellness, including your body composition, sleep, finances, and mood.