For those who know me in real world, know that I am not a picky eater. I love trying new foods and trying new recipes. I would make the weirdest combinations of food that ended up tasting both good and sustained me until my next meal when I was broke. I found the exercise fad intermittent fasting while scrolling through YouTube videos and I wanted to see what it was about. It was not easy because when I saw something delicious I couldn't eat it if I was in my fasting time. Intermittent fasting is when you fast for a certain amount of time and then you eat food during a time window.
Being a "foodie" has its perks and its downfalls. I have a strong love for comfort food of any style dish because that is how I grew up. I was active and had to compete with two boys who have no limit for food. Intermittent fasting is technically an eating pattern that boosts certain things in your body when done right. There have been some studies on this "eating pattern" and they point out that it does help with certain health issues but those who often promote like to exaggerate the effects (hello marketing). I have to say that if you choose to do this eating pattern please read some studies behind it in order to make sure you do it in a way where you eat foods that will sustain you.
The top three ways to do this eating pattern are the 16/8 method, eat-stop-eat, and the 5:2 diet. The 16/8 method is the most popular due to the amount of food you can consume. Be careful with these eating habits because there are some studies done on mice that they overeat on the days that they didn't fast. According to US National Library of Medicine Caloric restriction, undernutrition without malnutrition, is the only experimental approach consistently shown to prolong survival in animal models. This is why you need to research the heck out of something before you attempt it.
When you fast some cool things happen. According to Healthline it helps with your Human Growth Hormone, Insulin, Cellular repair and Gene expression. The increase in your Human Growth Hormone can help with fat loss and muscle gain. Insulin sensitivity improves while your insulin decreases making body fat accessible. Old and dysfunctional proteins within cells are cleaned out with cellular repair. Gene expression is related to expanded lifetime and protection against diseases.
If you are going to attempt this eating habit while being a foodie, be warned that it is not easy. It is a rewarding experience because of the benefits of it and it teaches you things about yourself. If you find something that helps your health, then stick to it. You may have to figure out ways to include them into your lifestyle but it is worth it in the end.