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If you are interested in losing weight and achieving optimal health, intermittent fasting may help. Celebrities such as Christy Turlington, Hugh Jackman, and Beyoncé have all been reported to use forms of this unique approach to balancing the body’s functions.

What is Intermittent Fasting (IF)?

Intermittent fasting involves limiting food intake or abstaining from food for a set period of time, typically 12 to 16 hours. It was a method first used in the 1900s to treat medical conditions such as diabetes, obesity, and epilepsy. Now intermittent fasting sees a growing level of scientific acceptance as part of a long-term total health plan.

The way it works is like this: Your fasting window could begin after dinner– you would refrain from eating until 12-16 hours the following day (remember that half of your fasting window will be spent sleeping). Your eating window would then be for six to eight hours.

Intermittent fasters often do this every day, or some prefer several times a week.In more extreme cases, intermittent fasting may involve avoiding food during for an entire 24-hour period twice per week. You should choose the eating and fasting ratio that best suits your lifestyle.I have found that with my patients, intermittent fasting usually sounds harder than it is, and the body does adjust to this schedule fairly quickly. Intermittent fasters often find that they actually sleep better and have more energy!

What are the Benefits of Intermittent Fasting?

So why are people crazy enough to do this? The science behind intermittent fasting suggests that it can help reduce oxidative damage and inflammation in the body. Inflammation is associated with a broad range of disorders, and curbing it helps cut the overall load on your metabolism and organs. Studies have found this technique to be effective at speeding up metabolism to burn more fat. Intermittent fasters are often surprised to discover that they have more energy and sleep better than they ever have before!

Intermittent fasting weight loss advocates suggest that fasting helps to naturally reduce your calorie intake and calm food cravings. Losing weight with intermittent fasting comes naturally because your body’s exposure to sugar, salt and “bad fats” will be limited.

One of the major benefits of intermittent fasting is that it simplifies healthy eating. The idea is that this schedule will free up time normally spent on preparing and eating multiple meals per day. With more time on your hands, you can focus on shopping for fresh, whole foods and ingredients, healthy cooking, and preparing one to two well-rounded meals to enjoy during your non-fasting period.

More amazing benefits of IF: It’s Good for the Brain

We are learning more and more about the astounding effects intermittent fasting can have on improving short and long term brain health. Research studies show that by reducing oxidative stress in the brain, IF can improve markers of learning and memory, enhance the growth of new neurons, and help the brain recover after a stroke or trauma.

And even more amazingly, intermittent fasting can decrease the risk of developing neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s, and may even improve brain function for those affected by these life-debilitating diseases.

For the millions of people suffering from anxiety and depression, intermittent fasting can help prevent and balance these disorders.

The impact of intermittent fasting on brain health isn’t totally understood yet, but the research we have so far is extremely promising and exciting. Give it a try and see if you notice an improvement in cognitive function and focus.

Gut Health

Intermittent fasting also allows your gut to heal and produce new enzymes and microbes in between meals. This is really how we were meant to eat. Our hunter-gatherer ancestors would go many hours and even days without food until they found their next meal. For IF advocates, improving gut health is one of the most desirable benefits of this program.

Intermittent Fasting as Part of a Complete Wellness Plan

While some people, such as diabetics, should exercise caution when considering intermittent fasting, for many it can be part of a successful total wellness plan. At the biostation, we offer a range of services to help enhance the health benefits of intermittent fasting:

Advanced Testing

Our Performance Panel can help uncover any hormonal imbalances or nutrient deficiencies you may be experiencing that make it harder (if not impossible) to lose weight. Experts at the biostation may also recommend more specialized testing including a food sensitivity test and/or a micronutrient test so you can avoid foods that contribute to inflammation, and further identify what vitamins and minerals your body needs at the micro-level.

Nutrient Therapy

Concerned that you aren’t getting sufficient nutrients from your diet? It’s important to eat healthy, but that’s often not enough. Nutrient IV therapy can deliver necessary vitamins, minerals and amino acids directly to your body with 100% absorption.

Medical Weight Loss

A supervised medical weight loss plan is the fastest way to lose weight–and the biostation will support you every step of the way. We offer a doctor-designed HCG weight loss program, one of the fastest and safest approaches to slimming down. Your program will be customized for you and your body, and includes weekly weigh-ins and nutritionist consultations.

Learn more about Intermittent Fasting + Proven Healthy Weight Management Tools

To learn more about intermittent fasting and additional tools that can help you achieve and maintain a healthy weight for life call the biostation™ today at 561-257-3497 or contact us online to schedule your private, personal consultation.

South Florida's leading provider of Functional and Age Management Medicine, the biostation offers comprehensive, individualized, and a holistic approach to total wellness and age management. By focusing on customized medicine, the biostation helps patients earlier in the aging process in order to help prevent, rather than treat age-related issues. Founded and run by Martin G. Bloom, M.D., a Cardiologist and Functional Medicine Expert with 40+ years of experience, the biostation, which has locations in Delray Beach, Miami and now Boca Raton at the Boca Raton Resort and Club, is dedicated to helping patients identify the root causes of any issues in order to restore the body to its peak performance, alleviate symptoms and ultimately, reverse the effects of aging and prevent age-related diseases. the biostation creates personalized treatment plans with proven, effective and safe anti-aging solutions that include highly advanced testing, bioidentical hormone therapy, nutrient therapy, sexual health programs, medical aesthetics, weight loss and much more.