Why You Should Fast

A few years ago, I saw this documentary about fasting. In it, Dr. Michael Mosley explores the potential medical benefits of not eating for an extended period. He interviews a 101-year-old marathon runner about his way of staying fit. The answer: limit the number of calories you eat in a day.

Mosley also describes another striking event: the crisis in America in the 1930s when people had less to eat on average. Instead of people dying sooner, life expectancy actually increased by six years.

Additionally, he talks with various scientists about how limiting the amount you eat can have positive medical effects.

After various experiments with fasting, Mosley settles on a 5-2 fasting pattern. This means that he eats normally for 5 days a week and only 600 calories per day on two days. I have tried this myself but found the two days of eating almost nothing difficult to maintain.

The same Michael Mosley writes nine years later in his book 'Just One Thing':

"Extending your overnight fast is known as time-restricted eating (TRE), and is based on research showing the multiple health benefits to be had from having a slightly later breakfast and an earlier evening meal (and, of course, no late-night snack!). TRE is a very popular form of intermittent fasting and is sometimes also known as 16:8 or 14:10."

This essentially means that you eat nothing after dinner until the next day at lunch. Mark Hyman also mentions this method and its benefits in his book 'Food: WTF should I eat?'

"Ideally you should finish dinner at six or seven p.m. and not eat again until eight or nine in the morning. That’s it. It gives your body a chance to repair, heal, clean up metabolic waste in your body and brain, and more. And it stimulates weight loss."

How I Fast

I try not to eat anything after dinner until the next lunch. I usually manage this 5-6 days a week. Going that long without eating can be tough because my stomach growls quite a bit as soon as I get up, but with a large glass of water and a cup of coffee (which doesn't break the fast), I can manage for a while.

I've noticed that it has a positive effect on my weight, and I feel good about it. I also feel sharper in the morning. I read somewhere that this is because it's in our hunter-gatherer genes. When we eat little, we become more alert to our surroundings so we can discover food. Whether this is true, I don't know, but I find the idea fascinating.

Do you fast too? Let me know by leaving a comment below.