Have you noticed that just one or two days of fasting make hunger and cravings go away? Abstaining from food resets your appetite and satiety hormones while improving metabolic rate. Even though you may feel sluggish and hungry in the first few hours, your energy will go through the roof by the end of the day. A growing body of research shows that intermittent fasting improves body composition, regulates blood sugar, and boosts brain function.

How Does Intermittent Fasting Work?
Intermittent fasting is an eating pattern that alternates period of eating and calorie restriction. Some people abstain from food on fasting days. Others go below 500 calories a day, or stick to protein shakes, meal replacements drinks, and amino acid beverages. There are several ways to implement intermittent fasting into your diet. It all comes down to your needs and goal.

This dietary plan involves fasting for eight to 72 hours. For instance, most people fast at night. If you stop eating from 8 pm to 8 am the next day, you're fasting for 12 hours. Alternate day fasting is quite popular too. This protocol consists of a 24-hour fast followed by 24 hours of normal eating. Some forms of intermittent fasting allow the consumption of coffee, tea, and protein shakes on fasting days.

Currently, health experts work on getting this dietary plan FDA approved as an alternative cancer treatment. The benefits of intermittent fasting are backed up by thousands of studies. When you don’t eat for several hours, your energy increases. At the same time, your growth hormone and testosterone levels go up, which promotes muscle building and fat loss. Intermittent fasting has been also shown to lower HDL cholesterol and triglyceride levels, prevent Alzheimer's disease, and improve cardiovascular health.

Harness the Power of Intermittent Fasting
According to researchers, intermittent fasting is the key to a healthy, long life. This dietary protocol has been practiced for thousands of years in a form or another. Today, it enjoys a lot of popularity in the health and fitness community. It's a preferred choice for dieters and athletes looking to shed pounds and stay lean year round.

This form of fasting improves athletic performance, increases endurance, and promotes fat loss. Studies have found that reducing daily calorie intake by up to 40 percent for short periods of time can extend lifespan by a third. It also helps prevent and relieve heart disease symptoms, high blood pressure, diabetes, obesity, and autoimmune conditions. Other health benefits of intermittent fasting include:

• Improved cognitive function
• Increased longevity
• Reduced cancer risk
• Faster healing 
• Better weight management
• Higher metabolic rate
• Total body detox
• Improved digestion
• Improved lipid and carbohydrate metabolism
• Reduced inflammation
• Lower risk of chronic diseases
• Stronger immune system 

Abstaining from food for short periods of time can dramatically improve your health. This approach strengthens your immune system, prevents acne breakouts, and enhances your body's ability to eliminate toxins. Intermittent fasting also resets your taste buds and curbs sugar cravings, which makes it easier to eat healthy. Research suggests that fasting is highly beneficial for people struggling with eating disorders as well as for those who have a hard time losing weight.

When you're fasting, the levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor in your body increase. This chemical supports the formation of neurons and boosts cognitive function. It also lowers the risk of Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s disease, protecting your brain from age-related disorders and memory loss. Unlike most diets, intermittent fasting requires no calorie counting or special meal plans. All you have to do is to stop eating for a few hours. Sounds simple, isn't it?

Summary

• Intermittent fasting alternates between periods of eating and fasting.
• This dietary plan involves abstaining from food for at least eight hours. 
• In the long run, it helps prevent chronic and autoimmune diseases, improves brain health, and boosts longevity. 
• Many athletes use intermittent fasting for its ability to enhance physical performance and accelerate fat loss.