WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW
To maximise the benefits of stop-go fasting, we answer your most commonly asked questions:
Q When can I eat? A
You can schedule your eight-hour eating block in whenever it suits you. “Most people fast until midday, then start their eating window, which finishes at 8pm that night,” Jaime
Rose says. “This allows you to break up your fast with a filling lunch, afternoon snack to beat the 3pm dip and to enjoy dinner with family or friends.”
Q What can I eat when I’m fasting? A
Clear fluids, such as water or herbal tea, but no foods that contain kilojoules.
Q What can I eat when I’m not fasting? A
Tuck into whatever you want, with no restrictions, as long as you keep your day’s food intake within your eight-hour eating window.
“As you don’t need to cut out food groups, count kilojoules, weigh or measure foods, or skip tasty sauces or dressings, you won’t feel you’re on a diet,” Jaime Rose says.
Q How often should I fast? A
Start with a few days. Then you may move to part-day fasts every day of the week or on five days when you’re at work, with weekends off. “Research shows that even three days of part-day fasting a week has health benefits,” Jaime Rose says. “As well as helping you lose weight, it can reduce cholesterol, blood pressure, blood glucose and insulin levels, as well as protecting your brain as you age.”