Your guide to intermittent fasting

You’ve probably heard of fasting before. It’s choosing not to eat for predefined periods of time. Intermittent fasting relies on switching between windows of time where you fast and others where you can eat.¹

It’s all about timing. And you control the parameters. Some common methods include:

• 16:8 method: Fast for 16 hours each day, with an 8-hour eating window (e.g., eating from midday to 8 PM).¹
• 5:2 method: Eat normally for 5 days of the week and restrict your calorie intake (500–600 calories) for two days. These days should be non-consecutive, for example, you might choose Monday and Thursday as your fasting days.¹
• Alternate-day fasting: Alternate between regular eating days and fasting days. On your fasting days, you may choose to lower your calorie intake or not have any at all.¹

Your body relies on food as an energy source. When you fast, you force it to use your fat stores for energy instead. This process can lead to weight loss in some people.

Beyond triggering weight loss, intermittent fasting has been reported to have several health benefits.

Obesity is associated with lots of health conditions including diabetes, high blood pressure and heart disease. Approaches that help control the amount of calories you eat, like intermittent fasting can play an important role in reversing these conditions.

It can improve your insulin sensitivity

Intermittent fasting can help lower your blood sugar levels and improves your body’s resistance to insulin. This means that you're less likely to develop diabetes as a result. It can also help people who live with Type 2 diabetes to maintain stable blood sugar levels.²

It can reduce your risk of heart-related conditions

Heart health is central to your wellbeing. When you have high levels of bad cholesterol, triglycerides (fats) and inflammation, you are more likely to develop heart disease, high blood pressure or stroke. Fasting can improve your cardiovascular (heart) health by reducing inflammation, plaque build-up in your arteries, blood pressure and the amount of fat you store around your waist. ²

We’re all individuals with unique needs and health histories. As with any lifestyle change to support your weight loss, you should talk to a healthcare professional before you start.

However, there are some considerations that generally affect people who choose to fast intermittently.

You might feel hungry and tired

Your body will have to adjust to the changes in your eating habits. This may trigger feelings of tiredness and hunger as it begins to tap into your fat stores for energy. But this should go away on its own. You’ll probably notice that you don’t have these feelings within a few days of starting to fast.

It might affect your social life

Have a big event coming up? It might be difficult to maintain your new eating style when you are socialising. But intermittent fasting is a flexible approach to managing your diet. You can adjust the number of hours you fast for, or you can choose to fast on different days. It is a flexible. But it’s important to stay mindful of your consistency if you want to make it a long-term lifestyle change.

Your medical history might mean that it’s not a suitable option for you

Certain medical conditions might make it more difficult for you to fast intermittently. Doing so, could even worsen your symptoms. Talk to your doctor or pharmacist if you want to try it. They may be able to suggest alternatives that work better for your needs.