Intermittent Fasting (IF) is quickly becoming one of the world’s most popular health and fitness trends.  So what is it exactly? Put simply, intermittent fasting is not a diet but more of an eating pattern that cycles between periods of fasting and feeding.

In today’s day an age many of us leave our bodies in a constant “fed state”. For example, we eat throughout the day and then have a late night snack followed by reaching for the sugar filled coffee and muffin early in the morning. As a result our body is digesting  24/7 and has a consistent energy source of carbs and sugar to pull from. Since we don’t need that all that energy at one time some of it ends up being stored as fat.

When one takes on an IF eating pattern they commit to eating for only a certain portion of the day. The most common among these being the 16/8 method. This means you are fasting for 16 hours and have an eating window of  just 8 hours in a 24 hour day. For example, you could eat from 11a-7p and fast from 7p-11a. You aren’t necessarily consuming less calories either, your just  eating them within a different window. As a result, during the fasting periods you can retrain the body to pull from alternative energy sources (ie. your body fat) since you don’t have the constant calories coming in.

Studies have started to show a multitude of benefits from IF including weight loss, boosted energy, improved cognitive function, and even signs of increased longevity.  However, IF is not for everyone. Consult a physician or registered dietitian before drastically changing your eating patterns.

To learn more about this topic check out this article: https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/intermittent-fasting-guide