BBC Good Food Magazine

Your guide to intermittent fasting

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Intermittent fasting refers to an eating plan that involves switching between periods of fasting and periods of eating on a timed schedule. Its popularity has increased as more reports suggest it may be a way to manage weight and prevent certain health conditions or potentially put them into remission.

In recent years, media attention on fasting diets such as 5:2 have made this form of dieting a popular choice.

How to follow an intermittent fasting plan

Some popular intermittent fasting eating patterns include:

• Time-restricted eating – you select an eating window and refrain from eating outside of this. For example, the 16:8 diet involves fasting for 16 hours per day and eating within

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