Would you like to shed fat… without “dieting” at all?
Well, stay with me as I explain an ancient pattern of eating (and I'm not talking about "Paleo") that has gained new scientific respect as a way to lose weight, prevent diabetes, reduce inflammation,
slow aging and prolong your life.
When our ancestors were still living in caves, obesity did not exist. Ancient people simply didn’t have access to enough food (or the type of food) necessary to pack on the pounds.
Meals were scarce. Our ancestors often went days with little food, only to succeed in a hunting and gathering expedition that allowed them to feast until their bellies
were full.
Hunting, gathering, lifting heavy things and moving for the majority of the day were our primary ways of life before the Neolithic Revolution. But around 12,000 years ago, we traded our nomadic lifestyle for a more settled, agricultural one.
That agricultural revolution
certainly offered greater bodily safety and increased food security. And it no doubt improved the longevity of our ancestors and created a population boom.
But it also changed our diets in ways that have made us more susceptible to obesity and the modern epidemics of chronic disease we now face.
In 2013, obesity was recognized by the American Medical Association as a disease. And according to the Centers for Disease Control, 33 percent of Americans qualify. Include those who are merely "overweight" and the percentage jumps to 70 percent of Americans!
So, what can we do to lose weight when things have gotten so out of
control?
Follow the wisdom of history.
Today, I'd like to share with you a pattern of eating as old as the human species itself. The good news is it is very easy to adapt this to your modern life. And it could be just the solution you are looking for to achieve effortless fat loss (and
significant improvements to your health).
What Is Intermittent Fasting?
As the name implies, intermittent fasting refers to a period of fasting. Typically, you would eat little or nothing at all for periods 16 to 24 hours (stay with me and I'll show you how to make this easy).
Because our ancestors didn’t have continual access to food, their bodies adapted to handle times of scarcity and times of plenty. When food wasn’t immediately available, their metabolism would tap into stored glycogen and body fat to be used for energy.
How Intermittent Fasting Helps You Lose
Weight
Research clearly shows the powerful weight-loss benefits of intermittent fasting, due to increased fat oxidation (or fat “burning”). According to a study published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, alternate-day fasting increased fat oxidation in non-obese study subjects.
The Journal of Obesity also cited the effectiveness of intermittent fasting in the reduction of abdominal fat. Stubborn belly fat is not only unsightly, it also increases your risk of diabetes, hypertension, heart disease, cancer and more.
So, let's review...
The Many Health Benefits of Intermittent Fasting
Reduces Chronic Inflammation
Millions of people live with chronic inflammation, caused, in part, by oxidative
stress.
According to a study published in The Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry, intermittent fasting reduces oxidative damage from free radicals and increases cellular stress resistance. Other studies confirm it also plays a role in optimizing energy metabolism, boosting cellular protection, reducing oxidative damage, recharging the immune system... and decreasing
inflammation.
Another anti-inflammatory benefit of IF is its ability to suppress pro-inflammatory cytokines while also decreasing levels of leukocytes (blood cells that indicate inflammation, infection, or trauma). If you’re living with an autoimmune or inflammatory condition, intermittent fasting may help your
condition.
Prevent Type 2 Diabetes
Intermittent fasting also provides major benefits for insulin resistance and helps reduce blood sugar levels.
The British Journal
of Diabetes and Vascular Disease published a study showing that type 2 diabetes could be effectively managed (and even reversed) through intermittent fasting! The study showed an improvement of pancreatic function, as well as an improvement in metabolic parameters, insulin levels, and insulin sensitivity.
According to the study authors, “Intermittent fasting might achieve much of the
benefit seen with bariatric surgery, but without the costs... and risks associated with surgery.”
Prevent Cardiovascular Disease
Intermittent fasting can also improve various risk factors for cardiovascular disease, including inflammatory markers, blood pressure, total and LDL
cholesterol, blood triglycerides, and blood sugar levels.
From a study published in the FASEB Journal:
“Dietary restriction (DR) has been shown to increase life span, delay or prevent age-associated diseases, and improve functional and metabolic cardiovascular risk factors in rodents and
other species.”
Promote Cellular Detoxification
Intermittent fasting triggers a metabolic process called "autophagy", which helps eliminate waste materials from the cells while recycling essential nutrients within the cell. This increase in cellular
detoxification may provide protection against Alzheimer’s and cancer.
Prevent the Development of Cancer
In addition to triggering the removal of cellular waste, intermittent calorie restriction may also help prevent cancer by decreasing a hormone called IGF-1 (which
is linked to cancer risk).
Furthermore, when IF is combined with the right food choices, it can help starve cancer cells while also protecting your cells from the toxicity of chemotherapy. And because intermittent fasting reduces inflammation, this can further reduce your risk of cancer.
Improve Brain Health and Prevent Alzheimer's Disease
Intermittent fasting has also been shown to reduce neurological damage (likely due to reductions in inflammation and oxidative stress). It also improves metabolic features important to brain health and may increase the growth of new nerve cells (beneficial in the treatment of neurological
conditions).
A study also showed that alternate-day fasting (restricting your meals on fasting days to about 600 calories) can boost brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) from 50 up to 400 percent! Deficiencies in this compound are linked to depression and other cognitive
abnormalities.
A study published in the Journal of Molecular Neuroscience shows that dietary restriction also suppresses age-related deficits in learning and memory, while increasing the resistance of neurons to degeneration.
Given these factors, it's no surprise that an
article published in Johns Hopkins Magazine claims that “fasting twice a week could significantly lower the risk of developing Alzheimer's disease or Parkinson's.”
Age Slower & Rejuvenate Faster
Fasting is also known to dramatically
increase the production of human growth hormone (HGH). Research shows that fasting can raise HGH levels by as much as 1,300 percent in women and 2,000 percent in men!
This is crucial as HGH is the closest thing ever discovered to the "Fountain of Youth."
What’s more, IF has been shown to promote the the
renewal of stem cells.
Increase Life Span
Prolonged dietary restriction appears to significantly increase life span in rodents. According to a study published in Gerontology, fasting rats lived 83 percent longer than rats who did not fast!
With its role in weight loss, inflammation, cardiovascular disease, cancer and brain health, it it not a stretch to deduce that intermittent fasting could increase your life span.
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If you're interested in the benefits of a simple, GUIDED intermittent fasting program, our good friend and over-40 fitness expert, Shaun Hadsall, has created a very popular new "hormone-reset" solution...
