Michael Raiti wrote:

> I only know a little of the research behind intermittent fasting.  In
> order to derive benefits from it how long does the fast need to be
> and how frequent should one fast?  I normally eat 3 or 4 times a day.
> Would I just skip breakfast and lunch and only eat dinner or would I
> need to fast the entire day and not eat until breakfast of the next
> day?


The way I do it and some others on this list is to fast all day and eat
one big meal at night.

Ori Hofmeckler has a book about this, the Warrior Diet. Although Ori
eats some veggies during the day or a bit of fruit or juice. I don't eat
anything whatsoever until evening though, unlike Ori.

The rodent studies involve fasting for one full day and night cycle and
then letting the rodents eat ad libitum the entire next day. The body
weight of those rodents isn't much different than normal. They seem to
live longer lives and be more resistant to toxins. Their biomarkers are
more favorable. The only other diet with similar improvement is in those
calorie-reduced diets that the late Ray Walford advocated.

So the big question is this: is eating once per day going to have
benefits compared to fasting a full day and night and eating essentially
every other day?

I believe that clinical trials are going on at NIH on this, but I am not
positive. Those trials involve once-per-day eating rather than
every-other-day eating as compliance would be too hard otherwise.

> I think that I would find it difficult to skip dinner.  Is it
> possible to work out on a fast day before eating?  How often can IF
> be done?

I work out during the day and often don't eat until that night.

I do IF virtually every day except for some social meals now and then
like on a weekend.

> I have seen mentioned in mouse studies doing it every other
> day.  I have read others advocating 1 time per week for fasting.  I
> believe that Roy Walford would not eat for 2 consecutive days and
> then eat normally for the other days of the week.
>
I read Walford' 120 Year Diet and he advocated regular meals but with
severe calorie reduction. I don't recall diminished frequency as being a
recommendation at least in that book.

> Mike
>
>
>>>
>> The clinical research is quite promising on Intermittent Fasting (IF).
>> That's not what you asked, but it is related.
>
>
> --
>