Intermittent fasting is an eating pattern that involves alternating periods of eating and refraining from any caloric intake. In practice, what this means is limiting the consumption of foods to certain hours of the day, i.e. time-restricted eating. Whether this means eating during a window of just six, eight or 10 hours a day and then abstaining from food for the remaining 24 hours is up to the individual, but the concept considered the newest trend in weight loss is actually quite reminiscent of the monthlong dawn to dusk fast embarked on by Muslims every year for the holy month of Ramadan.

The only difference foodwise is that in intermittent fasting, water, tea and coffee (served with no sugar) are allowed, whereas, in the 30-day fast for Ramadan, liquids or even cigarettes are prohibited during the fasting hours. In addition, the fasting hours between the two regiments are interchanged, with the Ramadan fast taking place in the daylight hours, versus the intermittent fast in which most people contain their eating to the hours most active during the day. This makes the intermittent fast a much easier one to adapt to, making it an eating regiment people are choosing to incorporate into their lives indefinitely, especially when they experience how much better they feel for doing it.

Timing of time-restricted eating

The intermittent fasting program that is now all the rage looks something like this: Most people will drink water, black coffee and plain tea until around noon after which they will break their fast with the aptly named meal breakfast and will continue to consume all of their calories for the day within the time slot they have allotted, which could be anything from six, eight or 10 hours. If someone is doing the 18:6 program, which refers to eating within a six-hour window and then fasting the remaining 18 hours a day, or for a longer window such as 16:8, which means eating meals within eight hours of a day, is up to the individual.

For optimum benefit fasting for 18 hours seems to be the best choice for most and that would mean eating between the hours of noon to 8 p.m. But it can also be adapted to a different schedule such as from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., which would actually be ideal because in this case the calories consumed are done well before bedtime, which gives people a greater chance of getting a deep sleep.

There is also the option to restrict the eating window to just four hours a day, which would be equivalent to eating from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. For example, however, studies show that even though the hours spent eating are less comparatively, the weight loss incurred was also less than the six hours "on" and 18 hours "off" options. The best results also show that consistency is key, meaning ideally the fasting hours designated should be the same for every single day if possible.

In the Ramadan fast, the hours of eating depend on when the sun sets and rises, and while the exact timing depends on the time of the year this 30-day religious observation takes place as it rotates when applied to the Gregorian calendar of our modern-day versus the lunar calendar which is when the tradition began, the duration of the fast takes place consistently give or take the deviation of a few minutes.

Benefits of intermittent fasting

The health benefits of time-restricted eating are multifold as many Muslims will confer as they consider it a time of detoxification and renewal, self-reflection and spiritual awakening. As it turns out among the several benefits of this eating style are weight loss, increased insulin sensitivity, decreased inflammation, cell regulation and repair, a rise in the human growth hormone and improved cognitive function. Studies suggest that this style of eating increases the longevity of our lifespan.

Weight loss: Intermittent fasting helps people lose weight by simply reducing caloric intake and increasing metabolism. This type of eating style has gained popularity for the sole virtue of the fact that it seems the most effective way to lose weight fast, no pun intended.

Improved insulin sensitivity: By restricting the timing of insulin release the body’s sensitivity to the hormone increases, making this diet also effective at reducing the risk of Type 2 diabetes and other metabolic disorders.

Reduced inflammation: Chronic inflammation is linked to a range of health problems, including heart disease, cancer and Alzheimer's disease, but thankfully intermittent fasting improves overall health by decreasing inflammation in the body.

Improved brain function: Intermittent fasting boosts brain function and improves memory by increasing the production of a protein called brain-derived neurotrophic factor.

Longevity: Fasting for 18 hours or more has been shown to ignite the cell repair process of autophagy and increase human growth hormone, which in short helps us stay strong and young.

Tips to start time-restricted eating

The guidelines for the Ramadan fast and intermittent fasting are pretty much the same, starting with the necessity to eat a healthy diet of whole foods to benefit best from this style of eating. Consuming simple carbs and foods filled with sugar will lead to blood sugar spikes, which is the source of cravings.

Whereas, if one eats a healthy plant-based diet loaded with natural fiber and complex carbs such as beans, legumes and proteins then there is less chance of suffering from hunger as these foods are already highly satiating in nature. Consuming lots of liquids helps the intestines and the digestion process and thus soups are always a good call. If one were to fill their eating window with carb-laden pizzas and pasta, fruit juices and highly processed foods such as packaged biscuits and candy, then successful intermittent fasting will be near impossible, due to the highs and crashes of the sugar levels in the blood, leaving one wanting more.

Therefore, to truly reap the benefits of time-restricted eating and to make it more enjoyable, one needs to consume a diet consisting mainly of whole foods and seasonal produce and fruit. So doctors suggest starting first with making the switch to a healthy eating lifestyle before beginning to implement the intermittent fasting routine.