CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — If you're looking to shed a few pounds, listen up.
A new health trend is changing how some people balance their meals.
We spoke with a local dietitian who tells us more about how it works.
Intermittent fasting, known as IF, is a popular lifestyle trend. It does not specify which foods you should eat, but when you should eat them.
"Intermittent fasting is giving you that advantage because you are putting your body in a fat-burning mode,” said local dietitian John Powell said.
Besides losing fat, IF also increases endorphins and enables the body to create more energy from stored fat, which is also the first thing to burn during the fasting period.
Intermittent fasting is not a diet, but a schedule of how to plan your meals each day.
A popular approach is the 16-8 method. This means you fast for 16 hours of your day, then eat lunch and dinner between the remaining eight.
What about people that say, breakfast is the most important meal of the day?
“You know, the importance of that is about that much,” Powell said, barely spreading his fingers.
This may sound difficult, but Powell says it's really just in your head.
"Your body will pang a signal to your brain that it needs food and the increase of ‘I'm starving' is not really so,” Powell said. “That’s the mental part.”
Intermittent fasting can be beneficial, but always make sure to consult with a physician first.
