| Intermittent Fasting: A Sustainable Strategy This is not a "diet." Diets are about what you eat. Intermittent fasting is about not eating. It involves no complicated rules to follow, no recipes to learn, and no lists of foods you can or can't consume. And there are numerous health benefits. Studies indicate that intermittent fasting... - Improves your cholesterol and blood glucose levels
- Moves you closer to a body mass index of 25 or less, reducing your risk of high blood pressure, Type 2 diabetes, coronary heart disease, stroke, gallbladder disease, colon and breast cancer, osteoarthritis, and respiratory problems
- Improves IGF-1 - a hormone that prevents cell death and slows the aging process - reducing the risk of a number of age-related diseases
- Switches on millions of repair genes in response to the minor physiological stress of fasting
- Gives your pancreas a rest, boosting the effectiveness of the insulin it produces
- Promotes an enhanced sense of well-being - many fasters report a "glow," perhaps the result of something going on at a metabolic level that governs our moods.
Intermittent fasters often find they commonly eat not because they are hungry but because they are bored or thirsty or because food happens to be in front of them. We eat from habit or because it's a certain hour or because we are afraid that if we don't we will be ravenous later. You might imagine that hunger builds and builds until it becomes so unendurable that you find yourself facedown in a pizza buffet. The reality is that hunger comes and goes in waves, then passes. We tend to assume that fasting makes it harder to concentrate. Yet fasters report that it sharpens their senses and concentration. Most believe fasting will make them irritable. But studies show it improves mood and protects the brain from dementia and cognitive decline. The biggest obstacle to fasting is fear. Our brains evolved to persuade us to eat as much as we can as often as we can to guard against future hunger. That was an effective strategy in a food-deprived environment. But in our modern world of inexpensive, easy-to-access, fatty, salty and sweetened foods, it's a handicap. Over time most fasters see their appetites moderate. And while it may seem like a tough slog at first, over time the sense of deprivation diminishes and eating this way becomes second nature. I've personally eaten this way almost my entire adult life. Not everyone should fast, of course. The list includes children, pregnant women, people with underlying medical conditions and those who are already too thin. But for the rest of us, there are good reasons to give it a try, including greater resistance to disease and improved longevity. Intermittent fasting offers a host of physical and psychological benefits. It is a sustainable strategy for a longer, healthier life. Try it. You stand to gain a lot... and perhaps lose a bit as well. Good investing, Alex | 
