Intermittent fasting: The positive news continue
Yaaaaaaaay!!! I told ya so!
- By Harvard Health Publishing Staff, Harvard Health
There’s a ton of incredibly promising intermittent fasting (IF) research done on fat rats. They lose weight, their blood pressure, cholesterol, and blood sugars improve… but they’re rats. Studies in humans, almost across the board, have shown that IF is safe and effective, but really no more effective than any other diet. In addition, many people find it difficult to fast.
But a growing body of research suggests that the timing of the fast is key, and can make IF a more realistic, sustainable, and effective approach for weight loss, as well as for diabetes prevention.
The backstory on intermittent fasting
IF as a weight loss approach has been around in various forms for ages but was highly popularized in 2012 by BBC broadcast journalist Dr. Michael Mosley’s TV documentary Eat Fast, Live Longer and book The Fast Diet, followed by...
Science-Based Ways to Overcome Unhealthy Eating Habits
Science-Based Ways to Overcome Unhealthy Eating Habits
Written by IFM Staff
Recent research is helping clinicians better understand what patients really need in order to make sustainable and effective changes in their diets. Studies suggest that direct access to healthy food is one way to improve psychological and physical well-being. When patients with chronic disease are provided with support that helps them to make healthier choices—even over a short period of time—both health and well-being improve.
In a randomized controlled trial over a two-week period, researchers investigated the effects of giving a group of young people a $10 voucher for fruits and vegetables and twice daily text reminders versus giving them the actual fruits and vegetables worth $10 with no reminders.1 While both groups increased their intake of fruit and vegetables, only the group that was given fruits and vegetables showed improvement on measures of flourishing, vitality, and...
