I've come in a bit late on the Intermittent Fasting debate, but I wanted to just add one other benefit of Intermittent Fasting that hasn't really been expanded upon (as far as I can see), which is that while not eating your body is able to divert the energy it normally uses solely to digest food and redirect it into repairing any tissue damage.

Damage can mean many things, not least damage to broken down muscle fibres, which is something we all 'suffer from'. Fasting will allow our bodies to repair the ongoing damage to our cholesterol, levels, our blood sugar levels, any form of pre cancerous cell and it will allow our livers and kidneys to recover from the stresses we place upon them.

The longer we fast, within reason, the more damage gets repaired. I'm talking up to weeks at a time. However, a twenty four hour fast on a reasonably regular basis will help keep things under control. As long as we catch up with our macro nutrients I see no real reason why we should all start losing muscle and because of the beneficial effect on our glucose levels fasting will assist in fat loss.

I understand how difficult the concept and then the actual practice of Intermittent Fasting will appear to most, but providing you don't overload of fast carbs prior to actually fasting it really isn't too difficult. If you can plan a low or no carb day before fasting you are already halfway to being in ketosis and that will knock any hunger for six.

I've fasted anything from 24 to 60 odd hours before and though I wouldn't say I didn't lose any muscle I certainly lost and kept off quite a few pounds of fat. I also learned that hunger is usually just a temporary feeling that will go away in ten minutes or so. As long as I eat properly most of the time I don't let that fleeting feeling of hunger sabotage my diet plans.

The whole concept of Intermittent Fasting comes from the way we were originally created and the world in which we originally lived. Prehistoric man didn't go shopping for his food, he caught it. When he caught it he ate it. He didn't stick it in the freezer for later. Most likely, having stuffed himself full he didn’t really eat again for a few days. During that time, he or she didn't waste away and he didn't feel drained of energy. The opposite happened and he actually gained the energy he would need to go out and do it all over again. We haven't really changed; our eating/shopping habits have.

Just my extra little bit.