This is an important topic for general health, nutrition and fitness, and I’m providing a shoehorn to slip you into the know for those of you who aren’t already. You’ll continue to hear about this for the rest of your life, so now’s a good time to clue in.

For months I’ve jumped mid-stream into discussions of intermittent fasting. Recently I’ve wondered how to introduce it to, for example, poor innocent geek friends of mine who haven’t heard of it before. Hopefully I’ll return and pick up my own spin on the intro thread soon. For now, here’s one of the most popular introductions to IF, a.k.a. Intermittent Fasting by Dr. Michael Eades, a leading popularizer of IF.

There is a way to reduce blood sugar, improve insulin sensitivity, reduce blood pressure, increase HDL levels, get rid of diabetes, live a lot longer, and still be able to lose a little weight. All without giving up the foods you love. And without having to eat those foods in tiny amounts. Sounds like a late-night infomercial gimmick, but it isn’t.

Before I get to the real nitty gritty of how such a thing can be done, let’s look at a method that has been proven in countless research institutions to bring about all the above-mentioned good things. It’s called caloric restriction.

When researchers restrict the caloric intake of a group of lab animals to about 30 to 40 percent of that of their ad libitum (all they want to eat) fed counterparts, they find that the calorically restricted animals live 30 percent or so longer, don’t develop cancers, diabetes, heart disease, or obesity. These calorically restricted (CR) animals have low blood sugar levels, low insulin levels, good insulin sensitivity, low blood pressure and are, in general, much healthier than the ad lib fed animals.

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Caloric restriction is a terrific way to lose weight and get healthy; problem is, it’s not much fun. When rats live out their little ratty lives calorically restricted in their cages they seem to show signs of depression and irritability. Primates do for sure. If primates don’t get enough cholesterol, they can actually become violent. But, if you’re willing to put up with a little irritability, hostility and depression, it might be worth cutting your calories by 30 percent for the rest of your long, healthy miserable life.

Doesn’t sound so cheery? You’re not ready to sign up yet?

Well, there is a better way.

A number of different research teams have studied a method by which rodents can get all the health and longevity benefits of caloric restriction without calorically restricting. And the method has been studied in humans and seems to achieve the same health benefits and, if an old Spanish study can be believed, maybe even an increase in lifespan.

What is this magic method? intermittent fasting.

Read the whole article here: http://www.proteinpower.com/drmike/2006/09/13/fast-way-to-better-health