Breakfast is the most important meal of the day right? Kellogg’s Tony the Tiger (remember Grrrr-eat?) and my Grandma were on the same page here, both big advocates of eating breakfast. Aside from the fact that sugary cereals are better for you in the garbage than in your body, there is a mountain of evidence showing that skipping breakfast might be one of the healthiest things you can do with your diet. Gasp! What did I just say?
Blasphemy for sure. It’s called intermittent fasting and hundreds of research papers have found that your body will be a happy camper when you skip breakfast (or one other meal in the day...doesn't have to be breakfast). There are several types of intermittent fasting with the most common being what is called the 16/8 approach. This means 16 hours of fasting and an 8 hour window in which you eat. Most people fast from 8 pm to noon while some prefer to miss the evening meal and fast from 4 pm to 8 am.
If your schedule doesn’t suit either of these you can make your own with the guiding principle being the the 16/8 split. At first these short fast might take some getting used to but in short order your body will likely show you the benefits of eating this way. The most obvious benefit is that most people end up eating fewer calories (a well proven way to increase your lifespan) and lose some weight, something most of us could stand to do.
The research shows that intermittent fasters lose 3-8% of their weight in 3-24 weeks, which is substantial weight loss compared to other approaches. As with any eating plan, and this is more an eating schedule than a diet as it dictates when, not what, to eat, it's important to choose nutrient dense foods. When you consume fewer calories you want to make them count, so eating nuts and seeds, avocados, eggs, lean meats, organic dairy and lots of veggies and fruit makes sense.
Intermittent fasting wouldn't go so well. Next week I’ll write more about the benefits of intermittent fasting and in the meantime try making at least one day a 16/8.
