By now you’ve probably heard all about the benefits of intermittent fasting. From weight loss to longevity to autophagy to improved performance. But which of these claims are supported by the scientific evidence and which ones have been incorrectly propagated despite well-intentioned bloggers, biohackers, health practitioners, your next-door neighbor who swears by the skipping breakfast, or your coworker who only eats one meal per day.

Today I’m joined by Dr. Krista Varady, Professor of Nutrition at the University of Illinois, Chicago to share the benefits and dispel some of the common misconceptions around intermittent fasting.

Dr. Varady is one of the foremost experts in intermittent fasting, and author of the Every Other Day Diet, having spent the last 15 years researching the various forms. Her research focuses on the efficacy of intermittent fasting for weight loss, weight maintenance, and metabolic disease risk reduction in obese adults. Her work is funded by the NIH, American Heart Association, International Life Sciences Institute, and the University of Illinois. She has published over 70 publications on this topic.

In this episode, we discuss:

- What is intermittent fasting (IF)and the 3 different forms, including Alternate Day Fasting, the 5:2 diet, and Time-Restricted Feeding

- The nuances of each form of fasting as it pertains to meal timing, meal frequency, and macronutrient intake

- The differences in weight loss between various forms of IF and daily calorie restriction (or lack thereof)

- The practicality of intermittent fasting techniques and behavioral change, long-term compliance, and success rates

- And finally, some of the common misconceptions with intermittent fasting and improvements in health

This was an enlightening conversation that helped me, and hopefully will help you get a deeper understanding of just how effective intermittent fasting can be as a tool to facilitate long-term, healthy, and realistic weight loss. And most importantly shed light to the fact that when it comes to weight loss, there’s no magic pills, potions, or diets, rather a myriad of behavioral change tools, like intermittent fasting, that can help you more effectively control your daily calorie intake in a way that works for you.

As always, if you love what you hear on this show, then do me a favor and subscribe, leave a positive rating and review and share this episode with a friend or loved one whom you think could benefit. AND, if you want to talk about working with me personally, I’d love to chat, just schedule your free nutrition strategy call over at www.bslnutrition.com/levelup

http://www.bslnutrition.com/episode90

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