The Top 5 Benefits of Intermittent Fasting

Posted: December 4, 2023 | By: Shanon Peckham

benefits of intermittent fasting

Looking for a new meal plan to support better health in 2024? We’ve got a really easy one for you – and no, you don’t have to give up cheese, meat, or even dessert to do it! Intermittent Fasting (IF) is a really flexible, nonintrusive eating schedule you can pursue at your own pace without sacrificing your wallet, lifestyle, or unique health needs.

Today, we’ll take a deep dive into the main potential health benefits of this trendy diet and show you why intermittent fasting is at the top of our to-do list for 2024! Here’s the TLDR version:

Benefits of Intermittent Fasting

1 Overall Health

When it comes to longevity, this diet is on your side! Research has shown that intermittent fasting supports brain health, heart health, and many other key systems in our bodies. According to several studies, IF can help regulate blood pressure, boost memory, and generate neurons, all of which promote good overall health.^1,2 On the cellular level, fasting gives our bodies more time to clean up dead or damaged cells. This process, called autophagy, may help slow cell aging and prevent diseases like cancer.^3,4 Intermittent fasting has also been demonstrated to reduce inflammation and prevent oxidative stress, which may help prevent chronic diseases over the long term.^4,5

2 Blood Sugar Regulation

Did you know that intermittent fasting may be able to help you better regulate your blood sugar levels? The science behind it is pretty simple: when you stop eating, your body needs less insulin to help process food, so your insulin and blood sugar levels decrease.⁶ When you embrace fasting over endless snacking (though we know how tempting the latter may be), your blood sugar will be lower and you’ll feel better! Other research has shown that fasting can even help with insulin resistance, which is vital for those who are at higher risk for developing type 2 diabetes or other diabetes-related complications like cardiovascular disease.^7,8,9

3 Weight Loss

Most people are familiar with intermittent fasting as a trendy way to shed extra pounds, and it has proven to be an effective weight-loss strategy for many. According to a review of over 40 human studies of IF, the average amount of body fat lost while fasting was 13%!¹⁰ This is due, in part, to the process we described above; at the same time as your blood sugar and insulin levels fall, your body begins to convert stored fat into energy and helps you burn calories.⁶ The other reason IF seems to work so well for weight loss is because you spend less time snacking late at night, which has been shown to encourage weight gain.^1,6

4 Better Sleep and Energy

Ready for an energy boost during the day and better sleep at night? You may experience both with intermittent fasting. When you start eating meals earlier and cut off late-night snacking, you may be surprised how much easier it is to sleep. According to Sleep Foundation, avoiding food within two to four hours of bedtime should help you avert unwanted overnight interruptions, like acid reflux.^11,12,13 When paired with a healthy diet, intermittent fasting may also give you a natural energy boost during the day. This is because the body produces more ketones during fasting periods, which enables you to produce more energy.²

5 Save Money!

We’re all looking for more ways to save money, but cutting corners on health is definitely not an option. Thankfully, intermittent fasting – unlike more expensive fasting diets, such as juice fasting – doesn’t come with a big price tag. No overpriced meal kits or wasteful subscriptions, just the eating time frames and your menu of choice. In fact, because you’ll spend less time eating overall, you should save money on extra groceries in the long run. As Dr. Wallach taught us, the better nutrition you get during your meal window, the fewer cravings you’ll have,¹⁴ which means fewer snacks to buy too! Sounds like a win-win to us.

Getting Started

To help you get started, we’ve put together a special new nutritional program to help you reach your 2024 health goals! Youngevity’s YFast program combines intermittent fasting with nutritional supplements and a balanced diet for a meal plan that is loaded with potential health benefits. Choose from one of our three programs(Beginner, Standard, Pro)! Before you get started, we recommend checking in with your doctor to make sure fasting is right for you.