While intermittent fasting as a method for weight loss is nothing new, revised ways to tackle the eating rule have continued to pop up as the diet has gained traction.
Promoting health and beauty benefits including fat reduction, reduction of inflammation, and even a reduction in signs of ageing, this small lifestyle adjustment works wonders. Recently, a new form of intermittent fasting has come about in the '8 Till 8' diet rule—a slightly more forgiving take on the sometimes restrictive eating plan.
According to UK-based GP, Dr Rangan Chatterjee, confining your daily eating window to 12 hours can lend itself to numerous health benefits. Not only is this type of intermittent fasting ideal for promoting weight loss, it also has the ability to reset your gut and supercharge your immunity.
"Research shows that changing when you eat as well as what you eat can be beneficial in terms of weight loss, immune function, blood sugar balance and the health of your gut microbiome," he told Get The Gloss."If you give you gut bugs a break, you encourage the growth of other bacteria that help to clean out your gut lining."
While intermittent fasting sounds limiting straight off the mark, it's not as difficult as it initially sounds. Dr Chatterjee says, ideally, you're going to be sleeping for about eight of your 12 fasting hours. So your only challenge lies in being disciplined with your eating times.
"The modern world gets in the way, but try having breakfast at 8am, and finishing dinner around 8pm," he said, also adding that this timeframe should be achievable for most.
Not only will you experience almost immediate results just from adopting this subtle shift, but its ease also lends itself to better longevity, both for lifestyle improvements and general diet discipline. Plus, ceasing your meals by 8pm also works wonders for getting your circadian rhythms (AKA your body clock) on track.
