Many diet trends will tell you what time to eat in the morning or when to stop at night in order to lose or maintain weight, but new research adds to growing evidence that timing may not be that important. Experts explain what does make a difference.
Intermittent fasting (IF) is an eating pattern that involves alternating periods of eating and fasting. There are several different variations of IF, but the most popular methods include:
- The 16/8 method: This involves fasting for 16 hours and then eating during an 8-hour window. For example, someone might eat between 12 PM and 8 PM, and then fast until 12 PM the next day.
- The 5:2 diet: This involves eating normally for 5 days and restricting calories to 500-600 for the other 2 non-consecutive days.
- Alternate-day fasting: This involves eating normally one day and then eating very little or nothing the next day.
The idea behind IF is that by reducing the amount of time you spend eating, you can improve your overall health and reduce your risk of chronic diseases such as heart disease, diabetes, and cancer. Studies have shown that IF can help improve insulin sensitivity, lower inflammation, and increase weight loss.
It’s important to note that Intermittent fasting is not recommended for everyone, such as pregnant or lactating women, individuals with medical condition, such as diabetes, and should be discussed with a healthcare professional before starting.