24 Hours- A Better Fast?

Intermittent fasting has gained a lot of popularity as a way to burn fat, improve blood sugar and lose weight. There are many ways to fast intermittently, but the most common way is the 16 hour overnight fast. However, there is research showing that the optimal fast may actually be 24 hours, which is called “Eat-Stop-Eat.” The eat-stop-eat method of fasting is fasting for 24 hours, once or twice per week, and eating normally the other days.

One of the benefits of fasting is decreased insulin levels and increased insulin sensitivity. This is because insulin is a storage hormone that increases when you eat. When your insulin is high, you store. When you eat too often, your insulin remains high, and you store more. Research shows that a 24 hour fast reduces insulin levels drastically, and in order to burn fat, you must have low insulin levels.

Research shows the benefits of fasting for 24 hours include increased weight loss, increased longevity, improved brain function and decreased incidence of cardiovascular disease and diabetes. Additionally, there is no muscle wasting as long as you continue to do resistance exercise and no change to your metabolic rate.