Intermittent fasting (IF)

There are various forms of IF that can be used. The two best-known methods are

5:2 method
This method involves eating normally five days a week without a calorie restriction. On the remaining two days, the calorie intake is then restricted completely or to approx. 500 kcal. It is important to ensure that the two fasting days are not consecutive.
In human studies, it has been observed that this fasting method leads to a significant decrease in weight, fasting insulin levels and fasting glucose levels. Furthermore, some study participants reported a reduction in tension, anger and fatigue as well as an increase in self-confidence and mood. Studies show that it is generally much easier to adhere to fasting on alternate days than to everyday calorie restrictions.

If you limit your calorie intake to around 500 kcal on fasting days instead of completely abstaining from food, there are a few helpful tips to bear in mind:

• Eating a large meal late in the day is easiest for most people. You may, and this is even healthier, prefer to eat early or spread your food intake over 2 meals. Try out what works best for you.
• During these days, the focus should be on low-calorie vegetables, protein-rich foods and good fats, e.g. in the form of soups, in order to feel full. Good examples are: grilled salmon, other fish or chicken with vegetables, eggs with prawns, vegetables and olive oil, mixed salad with olive oil, avocado and salmon, chicken and vegetable soup, spinach, onions with salmon, vegetables with cashew nuts, tomato soup with prawns.

16:8 method
In this most widespread form of IF, food intake takes place in an 8-hour phase, followed by a 16-hour fasting period. The positive effects of the fasting period are already noticeable after 12-14 hours. The optimum period is 14-16 hours (max. 18 hours) without food. The charm of this method lies in its simplicity. Due to the sleeping time, during which no food is eaten anyway, most people not only find it much easier than expected to fast for 13-16 hours a day, but it also quickly becomes an integral part of their lives - especially because the many positive effects are quickly noticeable for most people.

How does it work?

• It is best to eat your last meal early in the evening - before 8 pm in summer and before 5 to 6 pm in winter - and then not eat for 16 hours. IF also shows positive effects if you eat later in the evening. The important thing is to maintain an interval of 13 to 16 hours before the next meal.
• During the fasting period, calorie-free drinks can be consumed, such as water, unsweetened coffee, herbs or green tea.

That was all you needed to know to get started.

Special tips:

• Eat no more than two to three times during the eight hours and make sure you eat good food. This includes avoiding soft drinks/fruit juices, sweets, ready meals, bread and red meat on the one hand, and plenty of varied vegetables, mushrooms, fruit, good fats (such as olive oil, oily fish, avocado, nuts) and good proteins (e.g. eggs, chicken, fish and nuts etc.) on the other.
• Ideally, you should exercise two to three times a week on an empty stomach, e.g. interval training or light endurance training. This further improves the absorption of sugar into the mitochondria - our power stations - and the production of ATP, the main energy store in our cells.