Digestion uses more energy and resources than any other process in the body. Intermittent fasting is a way of taking the pressure off the digestive system and allowing the body to use that energy for healing, regeneration and rebuilding.

Intermittent fasting may seem daunting at first, so it is important that you take your time and build up at a rate you are comfortable with. Remember, this is your health – develop an approach which works for you!

Intermittent fasting requires setting aside a period of time where you do not eat, but can still consume fluids. There are several variations of intermittent fasting, such as the 16:8 method (referred to as “Time Restricted Feeding”) – whereby someone will not consume food for 16 hours within a day, but can eat within the remaining 8 hours.

This might take the form of fasting from 6pm in the evening to 10am the following day and then eating between 10am and 6pm.

Emerging publications suggest intermittent fasting slows disease processes, promotes weight loss (link) and induces autophagy, a naturally occurring mechanism which cleans out dead cells and allows regeneration, improving longevity (link).