Lose weight and belly fat, prevent disease, boost metabolism, and live longer!
So, you want to begin an intermittent fasting plan and embark on a leaner, healthier and longer life? You probably have already heard about this wildly popular health and fitness diet plan. Intermittent fasting continues to be one of the top Google trending diet searches of the year. The truth is that intermittent fasting programs are popular because they are much easier to maintain than traditional, highly restrictive, calorie-controlled diets. Scientific studies show that intermittent fasting can have extraordinary health benefits such as:
- Promoting weight and body fat loss (especially stubborn belly fat)
- Stabilizing blood sugar levels, reducing insulin resistance, and managing diabetes
- Increasing resistance to stress and suppressing inflammation
- Improving cardiovascular health including lowering resting heart rate, blood pressure and “bad” cholesterol levels
- Supporting brain health and improving memory
- Fighting premature aging
- Fostering a healthier gut
- Boosting psychological well-being
If you are ready to get on the intermittent fasting bandwagon, then here is the perfect step-by-step guide to following an intermittent fasting plan of your choice. Whether it’s the 16:8 method, the Warrior intermittent fasting plan; the Alternate Day intermittent fasting plan; the 5:2 method; or the Eat-Stop-Eat intermittent fasting plan. Too good to be true? No, but the trick―as with everything―is doing it in a safe and effective way and Intermittent Fasting For Dummies makes that easy, providing tried and true evidence-based advice and information about the five most popular methods and 40+ recipes that will suit any lifestyle or diet. Nutrition and fitness expert―and internationally recognized specialist in disease prevention―Janet Bond Brill shows you how to choose the method that suits you best, as well as guiding you through the science behind intermittent fasting, including how it ignites your fat-burning potential, promotes cellular repair, increases the production of growth hormone, and reduces insulin and blood sugar levels.
- Choose the right plan and stick to it
- Make more than 40 healthy and delicious nutritionist-approved meals
- Lose weight and body fat and keep it off
- Improve overall health and prevent disease
Wherever you are in your health journey―seeking weight loss, getting fitter, living a disease prevention lifestyle or building muscle―Intermittent Fasting For Dummies shows you how to make the science of "too good to be true" into a truly effective part of your regular, healthy routine.
Table of Contents:
Introduction 1
About This Book 1
Foolish Assumptions 2
Icons Used in This Book 3
Beyond the Book 3
Where to Go from Here 4
Part 1: Getting Started with Intermittent Fasting 5
Chapter 1: The Lowdown on Intermittent Fasting, Just the Basics 7
Defining Exactly What Intermittent Fasting is (and Isn’t) 8
Recognizing the nuts and bolts of intermittent fasting 9
Delving deeper into how intermittent fasting works 10
Considering Your Intermittent Fasting Options 12
Answering Your Frequently Asked Questions 15
Taking the First Steps of Change 16
Chapter 2: Assessing Your Goals 19
Understanding What a Healthy Weight Range is for You 20
Taking a self-inventory 20
Considering your reasons for weight loss 21
Setting your weekly SMART goals 22
Calculating Your Healthy Weight Range 25
Making friends with the scale 25
Guesstimating accurately 26
Using your Body Mass Index to see whether you’re overweight 27
Gauging your inches to link your weight and health 29
Determining what a healthy percentage of body fat is for you 31
Chapter 3: Verifying Calories As Your Last Resort 33
Examining How Your Intermittent Fasting Plan is Going 34
Explaining calorie surplus and deficit 34
Studying Calories 101 36
Balancing your equation 36
Calculating Your Ideal Calorie Range 37
Curbing your calories in 37
Expending your calories out 38
Following the 80:20 rule 42
Trying just one more time 43
Chapter 4: Understanding the Link Between Weight and Health 45
Discovering What the Scientists Know about Being Overweight 46
Enumerating the numerous health risks of being overweight 46
Seeing why where you store your fat matters 53
Beating the Odds of Inheriting the Fat Genes 55
Part 2: Grasping the Health Benefits of Intermittent Fasting 57
Chapter 5: Navigating the Science of Intermittent Fasting 59
Discerning What The Scientists Know about Intermittent Fasting 60
How intermittent fasting affects your cells and hormones 61
Flipping your metabolic switch 62
Understanding Why Intermittent Fasting Works 63
Illuminating the three metabolic states 64
Examining the important role of ketones 65
Discovering the facts on fat 66
Revving up your metabolic rate 67
Circling the Circadian Rhythm Connection 67
Chapter 6: Identifying the Health Benefits to Intermittent Fasting 69
Comprehending Why Intermittent Fasting is a Powerful Weight-Loss Tool 70
Creating a sustainable calorie deficit 70
Losing the fat and gaining muscle 71
Seeing how intermittent fasting targets belly fat 73
Discovering the Numerous Health Benefits to the Body 74
Outlining the diseases/disorders affected 75
Considering the mechanics behind the results 78
Realizing the positive effects on the brain 79
Identifying the benefits for longevity 79
Renewing your body with autophagy 80
Chapter 7: Determining Whether Intermittent Fasting is Right for You 81
Getting Permission from Your Personal Doctor 82
Know your numbers 82
Give it time 83
Throwing a Big Red Flag — Warnings for Diabetics 84
Assessing type 1 and type 2 diabetes 85
Focusing on the risks 86
Recognizing Who Shouldn’t Intermittent Fast 87
Surveying the Eating Disorder Silent Epidemic 89
Restricting Children from Intermittent Fasting 90
Part 3: Evaluating the Most Popular Intermittent Fasting Plans 91
Chapter 8: Knowing What to Eat During Your Fasting and Feasting Times 93
Keeping Your Goals 93
Fasting goal — Deplete your glucose stores 94
Feasting goal — Consume healthful foods 94
What You Can Eat When You’re Fasting 94
Drinking your way through your intermittent fast 95
Loving black coffee 96
What You Can Eat When You’re Feasting 99
Knowing what to eat: Some quick tips 99
Why eating a plant-based diet is smart 99
Weighing Keto and Intermittent Fasting — Not a Healthy Combination 100
Understanding why the Keto Diet and intermittent fasting don’t mix 101
What’s wrong about keto: What you shouldn’t and should be eating 102
Chapter 9: Trying the 16:8 Time-Restricted Intermittent Fasting Plan 105
Clarifying What Time-Restricted Intermittent Fasting is 106
Trying the 16:8 time-restricted plan 106
Seeing why the 16:8 plan is easy 107
Losing the fat and keeping the muscle 108
Recognizing how much is too much 109
Visualizing a Time-Restricted Fasting Plan — A Sample 1-Week Calendar 110
Chapter 10: Enlisting the Warrior Intermittent Fasting Plan 111
Describing What The Warrior Intermittent Fasting Plan is 111
Eyeing the Pros and Cons to the Warrior Intermittent Fasting Plan 113
Exercising during Your Warrior Intermittent Fast 114
Visualizing a Warrior Intermittent Fast — A Sample 1-Week Calendar 115
Chapter 11: Attempting the Alternate Day Intermittent Fasting Plan 117
Explaining the Different Versions of Alternate Day Intermittent Fasting Plans 117
Understanding the Science of the Alternate Day Intermittent Fasting Plan 118
Benefiting from the Alternate Day Intermittent Fasting Plan 120
Exercising during Your Alternate Day Intermittent Fast 121
Eyeing an Alternate Day Intermittent Fast — A Sample 1-Week Calendar 122
Chapter 12: Applying the 5:2 Intermittent Fasting Plan 123
Shedding Light on the 5:2 Intermittent Fasting Plan 123
Examining the Science of the 5:2 Intermittent Fasting Plan 124
Exercising during Your 5:2 Intermittent Fast 125
Visualizing a 5:2 Intermittent Fast — A Sample 1-Week Calendar 126
Chapter 13: Starting the Eat-Stop-Eat Intermittent Fasting Plan 127
Perusing the Eat-Stop-Eat Intermittent Fasting Plan 127
Examining the pros and cons 128
Seeing what the research says 129
Visualizing an Eat-Stop-Eat Intermittent Fast— A Sample 1-Week Calendar 130
Part 4: Customizing Your Complete Intermittent Fasting Plan 131
Chapter 14: Combining Daily Exercise with Your Intermittent Fasting Plan 133
Capturing What You Need to Know about Intermittent Fasting and Exercise 134
Transforming Your Body with Cardiovascular Conditioning 136
Recognizing common cardio 136
Mapping out when and how 137
Paying attention to your body 138
Healing Your Body with Strength Training 139
Slowing down aging 139
Building muscle: No magic, just hard work 140
Planning when and how 141
Destressing with Mindful Exercise 143
Eyeing the many benefits of yoga 143
Recognizing the art of rhythmic breathing 144
Chapter 15: Paying Attention to Possible Speed Bumps When Intermittent Fasting 145
Handling Hunger Fears 146
Curbing Those Cravings 146
Igniting Your Energy 148
Heading Off Headaches 149
Dealing With Scheduling Issues 150
Finding Your Stress Relievers 151
Chapter 16: Changing Your Connection with Food 155
Assessing Your Relationship with Food 155
Determining what kind of eater you are 156
Taking control of emotional eating behaviors 157
Breaking Your Behavior Chain 158
Rearranging your food environment 159
Changing unhealthy eating behaviors 160
Getting a handle on your hunger 161
Diving into Mindful Eating 162
Practicing mindful eating techniques 162
Reviewing the habits of healthy eaters 163
Part 5: Intermittent Fasting Made Easy: Eating, Shopping, and Cooking 165
Chapter 17: Adding the Mediterranean Diet to Your Intermittent Fasting Plan 167
Incorporating the Mediterranean Diet into Your Intermittent Fasting Plan 168
Grasping the Laws on Lean Protein 170
Eat more plant and fish protein 171
For vegans and vegetarians: Focus on plant protein 172
Add healthy fish protein 172
Making Extra-Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO) Your Main Fat 173
Keeping Those Grains Whole 174
Powering Up with Plants 178
Chapter 18: Going Grocery Shopping, Healthfully 181
Finding Your Way around the Supermarket 182
Shopping with a plan 182
Analyzing where everything is located in the supermarket 183
Organizing your shopping cart 184
Favoring farmers’ markets 185
Knowing How to Read Labels 186
Sizing up the ingredient list 189
Searching for sugar 189
Slashing the sodium 191
Rating the frozen meals 192
Going organic 193
Chapter 19: Stocking Your Fridge, Freezer, and Pantry with Nutrition 195
Organizing a Healthy Refrigerator 196
Putting things in place 196
Establishing a well-stocked freezer 197
Arranging a Healthy Pantry 198
Capitalizing on categories 199
Knowing what and where to store food 200
Chapter 20: Making Cooking at Home a Delicious Habit 203
Simplifying Your Cooking and Your Life 204
Cookware 204
Utensils 205
Tools and gadgets 206
Boning Up on the Healthiest Cooking Techniques 208
Microwave cooking 209
Roasting and baking 209
Boiling 209
Grilling 209
Sautéing and stir-frying 210
Steaming 210
Utilizing Additional Tips And Tricks to Maximize Nutrient Retention 211
Chapter 21: Starting Your Healthy Recipe Collection 213
Serving Up Appetizers for Intermittent Fasting 214
Savoring Salads, Soups, and Sandwiches 219
Planning Plant-Based Entrees for Intermittent Fasting 229
Fishing for Seafood Entrees 235
Making Mediterranean Side Dishes for Intermittent Fasting 239
Diving into Desserts and Snacks for Intermittent Fasting 245
Chapter 22: Creating Your 5:2 Intermittent Fasting Recipes 253
Making 500-Calorie Meals for Women 254
Creating 600-Calorie Meals for Men 260
Part 6: Using Tools for Success 267
Chapter 23: Tracking Your Intermittent Fasting Progress 269
Journaling for Success 270
Graphing Your Progress 271
Monitoring your SMART goals 273
Chapter 24: Getting Support during Your Intermittent Fast 277
Getting Help from a Professional 277
Enlisting Friends and Family 279
Dealing with Setbacks 280
Part 7: The Part of Tens 283
Chapter 25: Ten Myths about Intermittent Fasting Debunked 285
Intermittent Fasting Puts Your Body Into Starvation Mode 285
Skipping Breakfast Makes You Fat 286
Intermittent Fasting Slows Metabolism and Frequent Meals Boost It 286
Eating Three Meals a Day is Better for Your Health 287
You Need to Eat Protein Every Three Hours to Gain Muscle 287
Intermittent Fasting Makes You Lose Muscle 287
Intermittent Fasting Triggers Excessive Hunger and Makes You Overeat 288
Intermittent Fasting is Harmful to the Brain 289
Intermittent Fasting Causes Dangerous Drops in Blood Sugar 289
Intermittent Fasting is Too Hard 290
Chapter 26: Ten Healthiest Superfoods to Include When Intermittent Fasting 291
Black Coffee 292
Spinach 292
Quinoa 293
Extra-Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO) 293
Black Beans 293
Beets 294
Nuts and Seeds 294
Broccoli 295
Blackberries 295
Lentils 296
Index 297
About the Author :
Janet Bond Brill, PhD, RDN, FAND, LDN is an internationally recognized expert on fitness, nutrition, and health. She is a registered and licensed dietitian and nutritionist. She has published three books on the prevention of heart disease and numerous articles in reputable scientific journals.
