FASTING MADE US HEALTHY
INTERMITTENT FASTING (IF) was the most Googled diet in 2019. It’s basically an eating pattern that involves a regular cycle of fasting and eating, with varying lengths of time for the fasting section. But fasting in itself is not new; it’s been around since the dawn of civilization, with early humans often forced to go for days without food until they successfully hunted something to eat or found something to pick. It’s also been widely practised for religious reasons for thousands of years.
Fasting for a fixed period of time, however, is a recent phenomenon, thanks in part to recent studies showing the numerous health benefits: better blood sugar control, improving heart health, decreasing blood pressure, and, most recently, being good for brain function (shown in animal studies). Intermittent fasting can also help reset your immune system, as well as giving your gut a break and a chance to recover from digestion, which takes up a lot of energy. Last, and by no means least, it’s an effective way to lose weight by both limiting calorie intake and boosting metabolism.
Dr Michael co-written with Mimi Spencer. He and his wife, Dr Clare Bailey, also a GP, have both learned first hand the benefits of intermittent fasting. ‘It was 2012, and I went to my GP for a skin problem. She did a blood test and told me my blood sugar was in the diabetic range and recommended medication,’ explains Dr Mosley. ‘It was a huge shock. I was 5 foot 11 inches tall and weighed about 90kg, so my BMI was over the healthy range. My dad had died of Type 2 diabetes so I was determined to try and reverse it.’
