What is the one thing I can advise someone to be healthier both in mind and body? Weight training?, running?…Yoga? these are usually the answers I usually get – but NO!!  Intermittent Fasting –  probably the most useful process one can undertake to get rid of bad fat, cleanse the blood and freshen the brain. Followed correctly – you can lower cholesterol, reverse diabetes (low carb and sugar nutrition required), purify the blood and think clearer and sharper. It can take 3 months from starting to see the benefits so stick it out.

What is intermittent fasting? Simply put – you fast 16 hours (no food) and eat in a 8 hour window. There are variations. I like to mix it up with 18 hours fasting, 6 hours fasting and i throw in a One Meal A Day (known as OMAD). I will throw up a more detailed blog about the variations and scientific results later. Here is a little infographic of the benefits:

How has this benefited me? Combined with hard graft training, I have increased strength, clarity of mind and with the loss of most of the bad fat (visceral fat) in my body, all my health stats and blood biochemistry in the past 36 months have improved dramatically particularly the function of my one and only kidney. If you can fit in a morning training session which can include brisk walking if you can’t train…you will torch the fat away and for those who are looking for weight loss…you will see inches disappear from your tummy and in-turn reduce the chances of diabetes!

Now the caveat is that in the 6 or 8 hour feeding window you still eat healthy and not woof down Big Macs and fries. I have a low carb and some days ketogenic nutrition plan so I eat high fat – moderate protein – low carb. I have another blog due on Ketogenic Nutrition – it’s not for everyone and some keto guys get super serious about the grams you ingest. In fact I have scaled back the Keto lifestyle (less than 20g of carbs a day) and my body responds best to low carb which is about 50-70g of carbs a day. Here is my favourite low carb high fat meal:

The easiest way to implement the plan is to simply skip breakfast. So eat your dinner at 8pm and your next meal the next day at 12pm. I leave fluids out too but some days I have water and tea…BUT that’s It.

In generations past, breakfast didn’t exist. Society, and without giving away names so I don’t get sued, introduced the notion that it was healthy to eat cereal persuading us that it was healthy and this was then spread to the masses.

More intermittent fasting blogs later this year. Including talks I have delivered to groups including a Crossfit Box in London. It is not theory – i am a living example of the benefits of this lifestyle and just to add…this is not a new notion, our ancestors from centuries ago would have eaten this way.

Try it and live it. Athletes, friends and family who have asked for help and have stuck to the advice i have given them are now converts to this lifestyle.

Always here for advice.

Relentless Challenge – Relentless Life