Page 16 - BTC Debunking the diet

Chapter 3: Intermittent Fasting

We’ve put intermittent fasting (IF) first because it’s the current flavour of
the month, and because it’s getting so much ‘radio play’ at the moment, it is
garnering more attention than some of the other diets that have been
around for longer, but are currently out of flavour (yes, and favour ).

This can also be known as a variation of the keto diet, in reference to ketosis,
which we will speak about more under Banting.

Fasting refers to the practice of not eating food for a sustained period of
time. The Magic of 3s applies here: 3 minutes without air (before the brain
starts to die, and only if you’re young and fit), 3 days without water (again,
wouldn’t apply if you’re in your 80s), and 3 weeks without food
(circumstances permitting). The hunger strikers of the IRA and the suffragette
movement went for long periods without food. In the case of the IRA, some
political prisoners died from the fast; in the case of the suffragettes, the
women were eventually force-fed in prison. And obviously we are not saying
you should not eat for 3 weeks!

The most popular manifestations of IF are what is known as 16:8, 5:2 and the
24-hour fast. All put forward the idea that you need to restrict your intake of
calories through a combo of not eating, and then steering clear of carbs.

16:8 purports that you don’t eat for 16 hours, leaving you with a window of 8
hours to eat. If you eat at 8pm and then break your fast the next day at
12pm, then you will have fasted for 16 hours.

5:2 purports that you limit yourself to an intake of 500 calories per day for 2
days of the week, and then the other 5 days you eat normally.

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This booklet © 2019, Rob Rodell, all rights reserved.