may want to get rid of excess body fat (especially stubborn belly fat).
You may already be lean and fit but want to tap into the myriad health benefits associated with intermittent fasting.
You want to increase your energy level and boost your metabolism.
You may have tried multiple diets in the past and been frustrated with the process and possibly gained back the weight.
You want to reduce the risk of diabetes, cancer, and heart disease.
You may want to simplify your life by freeing up time previously used to plan, cook, and clean up after all those meals.
You may have sensed all the excitement about intermittent fasting and want to give it a whirl.
You want to live a long, happy and healthy life.
Icons Used in This Book
Throughout this book, and in true For Dummies fashion, you’ll notice several icons — all of them are designed to help you better understand and get the most out of your intermittent fasting plan. The following is a list of the icons you can expect to see throughout this book and what they mean:
Beyond the Book
In addition to all the information in this book, you can find additional information online to help you with your intermittent fast. If you want to discover more about nutrition, healthy eating, and the Mediterranean Diet, you can visit my websites:
www.DrJanet.com: For nutrition tips, recipes, blogs, book and app links, and all things nutritious and healthy, visit my website. You can also find out about my extensive credentials so you can have full confidence in my written nutrition advice.
www.MediterraneanNutritionist.com: This website is your one-stop Mediterranean eating guide. U.S. News & World Report has consistently rated the Mediterranean Diet as No. 1 in numerous categories.
Where to Go from Here
You can read the entire book from cover to cover or if that’s not how you want to go about it, feel free to go to the Table of Contents and read the chapters that most interest you right now. You may want to start in the kitchen or supermarket, stocking up on delicious, nutritious foods for recipes in Chapters 21 and 22. Perhaps you may want to start with Chapter 1 to get an overview of intermittent fasting. Or you may decide to peruse the Parts of Tens first to get a quick overview of key recommendations in bite-sized bits of information. Regardless, this journey is all about putting you in charge. It’s about you taking control of your life and changing when you eat while still enabling you to choose what you eat.
If you want additional information to reference whenever you want, refer to the Cheat Sheet at www.dummies.com. Just search for “Intermittent Fasting For Dummies Cheat Sheet.”
Part 1
Getting Started with Intermittent Fasting
IN THIS PART …
Find out what intermittent fasting is and why this eating pattern is a complete game-changer.
Evaluate whether intermittent fasting is a lifestyle that’s feasible for you and what you need to do if it is.
Assess where you’re beginning so you can figure out where you want to go with your intermittent fasting plan.
Determine your ideal weight range for your personal health to get you a clearer picture of what is a safe and sustainable weight and percent body fat goal.
Get up to speed on this exciting method of losing body fat (especially the dangerous belly fat) and getting healthier.
Chapter 1
The Lowdown on Intermittent Fasting, Just the Basics
IN THIS CHAPTER
You want to begin an intermittent fasting plan and embark on a leaner, healthier, and longer life. (You wouldn’t be reading this book otherwise, right?) You may have heard that intermittent fasting is the key that unlocks everything from sustainable weight loss to increased mental clarity to a serious boost in energy. You may have asked your healthcare provider about how to follow this wildly popular diet but given her limited nutrition knowledge, you may not have received valid information.
So in vogue is this health and fitness trend, that it has moved into fad diet territory — meaning intensely popular for a short period of time — spawning massive amounts of misinformation at your fingertips. Because of its fad status, you may have fallen prey to illegitimate intermittent fasting claims and techniques proliferating on the Internet. This chapter serves as your jumping-off point to the world of intermittent fasting and explains in plain English what intermittent fasting is, based on sound science.
Defining Exactly What Intermittent Fasting Is (and Isn’t)
Before you can understand what intermittent fasting is, I first need to discuss fasting, which is different from intermittent fasting. Fasting is refraining from consuming food or drinks, except for water, for a set period. Traditional fasting, for lengthy periods