By Megan Ramos, Clinical Educator, and Co-Founder of The Fasting Method with Dr. Jason Fung, M.D.

• Intermittent fasting can do more than help you lose weight
• Fasting simplifies your life and reduces stress
• Intermittent fasting is flexible and can be done anywhere
• Fasting can also help keep cash in your wallet
• You can improve your health and reduce your medication dependency with intermittent fasting

People are becoming increasingly aware of intermittent fasting as a great dietary strategy for weight loss and type 2 diabetes reversal, but it has other, often overlooked, benefits. In this week’s blog post we’re going to talk about some of the less obvious benefits of intermittent fasting.

1. Fasting asks less of you

You don’t need to go buy special foods or prepare special meals. There’s no special workout or supplements. In fact, you don’t have to spend any time grocery shopping, doing food prep, or make time for specific workouts. Fasting not only saves you money, it also saves you time.

How much time do you spend every day shopping, prepping, cooking, eating and cleaning? Whatever the number, multiple it three to six times if you follow traditional dietary advice. I guarantee you it’s startling if you do the math. No wonder you don’t have time to go to the gym or practice any self-care to reduce your stress.

2. You can fast anywhere, any time

The stars do not have to align to get started with intermittent fasting. All you need to get started is water and motivation to regain control of your waistline and your health. You can start this morning or this afternoon. You can fast on work trips and you can even squeeze some fasting in while on vacation if you overindulge at any meal. There is no special equipment you need to fast!

Fasting works with every diet and schedule. You can fast at home, in the office, or on an airplane. And, if you feel hungry between meals, you can always grab some water, tea, or coffee on the go.

3. Intermittent fasting can reduce stress

The stress of our modern day lives can really take a toll on our health, but fasting is one way to help reduce the burden. With fasting you get time back because it simplifies our days. Less time in the kitchen or the store means more time for rest. You can start doing things for yourself like going on a walk, reading a book, or learning a new skill or hobby. This is something no other diet does for us.

4. Your wallet

You don’t have to pay for a gym membership and buy special exercise equipment. You don’t have to shell out cash for supplements or expensive weight loss surgeries, especially when you don’t know if they’re going to even work. And you don’t need to buy expensive foods for a specific meal plan you likely won’t end up eating. Fasting on the other hand doesn’t cost anything to try. All you need is water to get started.

5. Deeper health benefits

Fasting can help people reduce their medication dependency. This case series shows intermittent fasting is an effective alternative to taking diabetic medications for type 2 diabetics. These patients also came off of other medications as well (cholesterol lowering agents and pills for high blood pressure).

Many people in our Fasting Method Program notice many other improvements in their health including improved sleep, mental concentration and acid reflux. Learn more about how to get started with intermittent fasting with our online program The Fasting Method.

 

By The Fasting Method

For many health reasons, losing weight is important. It can improve your blood sugars, blood pressure and metabolic health, lowering your risk of heart disease, stroke and cancer. But it’s not easy. That’s where we can help.