1.  The human body is capable of weeks without eating. So why do we have to eat every 3-4 hours like most nutritionists would suggest? Some may argue that we can get into catabolic state and lose muscle and get our minds tired. This is certainly not true. Besides my own personal experience, I know so many people that follow this pattern of eating and most of them are above average achievers. One of whom is Dr. Amen Ra, a national weightlifting champion. He eats only one vegan meal a day and states that his goal is anti-aging. My opinion is that he will probably live more then 100 years – with lots of life quality. Greg O’Gallagher also uses intermittent fasting to remain in shape year-round. He sells nutrition and fitness plans based on intermittent fasting… and they work! Another well known character that does this is Wim Hof. He climbed Mount Everest in nothing but shorts, ran a marathon in the desert for 9 hours without drinking any water and has 26 guinness world records for permanence on ice. He too eats once a day. Besides that he speaks speaks 12 languages including fluent sanskrit and now is world widely famous for his stunts. Do you honestly think he needs more food or would these superhuman stunts be actually related to him being able to listen to his own body and know when to eat and not to eat?

Wim Hof

2. It gives your digestive system a break. Think about it… We wake up and one of the first things we do is eat breakfast. A few hours later we snack, then we eat lunch, then we snack, if we exercise we then take protein, then we eat dinner and once again snack before going to sleep. Basically our bodies are in feeding state during the whole day with exception to when we sleep. This is not the way we were meant to live. Cavemen didn’t have a refrigerator in their caves so they could eat every 3-4 hours. Your body is simply not meant to operate in feeding state through out the whole day. It’s an absurd modern day concept, don’t ever mistake this with evolution.

3. Eating 3-4 times daily makes you weaker. This one was interesting… Did you ever notice that after lunch you are always tired? That is because your body is directing so much energy to digest the food you just ate. Imagine now eating 5-9 times a day… the amount of energy that is directed to the digestion. This same energy could be directed elsewhere, but mainly to our brains and muscles. Did you ever hear that painters, artists, writers and overall creative workers in their peek creativity moments often forget to eat… sometimes even for days!? Food would be a distraction to their creative energy. The same thing happens daily in our lives. We are amazingly creative and strong beings, but we are always sabotaging ourselves with so much food, wasted energy, time and health. We are not even hungry sometimes but we stop for breakfast, lunch, dinner etc etc just because it’s “time to eat”. When do we ever listen to our bodies and follow our natural needs? I also mentioned that this energy is directed towards our muscles… could you imagine eating a big big meal and going for a run or workout? Yoga for example is always advised to be practiced in an empty stomach. It gives you more clarity and energy. The same applies to strength training. It’s a myth that we have to eat directly before training strength. If we are eating right and training consistently our bodies are capable to perform with or without food.

4. Most people in this planet are addicted to food. This whole unconscious pattern of eating so many times a day without thinking is an addiction. We don’t even want it and we eat. Or even worse, our bodies ask for it because we are so addicted. Just like cigarettes and other vices. The more you eat regularly, the more your body will become used to this pattern and it will screw the natural biological clock we have.

5. Eating less gives you more time. When we save hours of our day by not eating, we are actually creating time for us. Imagine what can be accomplished with this time in a week, a month a year, 10 years… How many hours a year do we lose on food?

6. It’s the easiest way to lose weight and follow a diet. You can eat the exact meal plan your nutritionist prescribed you. But eat it in few times in big meals. This will leave you more satisfied and it’s easier to be in a diet if you are eating once, twice or 3 times a day instead of more times. The more you are eating in your day, the easier it will be to you have some kind of impulse and step away from your diet or meal plan, since your body is constantly in what is called a feeding state. If you eat less times, your food choices are usually smarter. But i also must mention that you can actually gain weight by doing this. It’s a matter of how much you eat, not how many times you eat. The only difference is that if you eat less times its easier to eat less also. Few big meals > lots of small meals.

7. Being on a fasted state is actually one of the biggest spiritual experiences one may have. A friend of mine recommended that i did a fast for 7 days, just on this juice made of lemon, ginger, water and a little bit of maple syrup (also known as Master cleanse) This friend told me that fasting was a big spiritual experience. And it couldn’t be more true. When we experience a long period without food and put ourselves in the position of observer of our own minds we actually  become more mindful. This takes us away from our own minds a takes us into a more conscious state, where we observe our thoughts, emotions and sensations in a much deeper level. In fact, by eating only once or twice daily i get to be much more in touch with my mind-body-soul. I think and act clearer. I become less impulsive, and actually get to choose consciously if I want to follow an impulse or not. It’s a position of power.

Greg O’Gallagher

By now you may be thinking this is all very wonderful, (or stupid.. i respect it) but you may think this is not appropriate for you or not easy… you may be right!

First thing I must mention about adopting this eating pattern is that there is an adaptation phase. Since our bodies are so addicted to food by the way we have been eating since we were born, it doesn’t understand at first when you stop feeding it so constantly. So obviously it will “feel hungry” it may cause headaches and cry for food. Just like any other abstinence from vices we may have. Food, cigarettes, alcohol etc etc. Killing a pattern is hard, but it does pay off!

I didn’t start off the bat just by eating once a day. I actually started with intermittent fasting. Eating my first meal only 8 hours after i woke up. Basically fasting for 14-16h and eating only in a 8 hour window. It’s good to go gradually into less and less meals. Currently i dropped the once a day thing and I simply listen to my body.

Intermittent fasting is a tip that i give to people that want to get in shape. It’s the best way to lose weight because it’s easier to eat in a caloric deficit if you are eating few times a day, since your meals are big and you will actually be satisfied. If you are torturing yourself with 6-9 small meals it’s much harder.

Nutritionists or doctors may say this is unhealthy. My only answer to them is that a few years ago doctors were making holes into people’s skulls so that this would alleviate their headaches. It was a common practice between doctors. Now doctors prescribe aspirins to headaches and pills to lose weight. I see that most doctors only view the body as a mechanical system and they don’t usually challenge common sense too much. Consciousness has deep impact on our health too. Fasting is a direct tool to work alongside with consciousness, providing us with a good state to understand better what we really are. My opinion is that we should learn to listen to our own bodies more, It knows what’s better of our health then any doctor alive.

Now these are the results I personally experienced with intermittent fasting:

1. Better digestion. When you give your digestive system a break it works better. The answer is not necessarily green juices or digestive foods like papaya (like common beliefs dictate). It makes sense that a detox should include less or no food, right?

2. Productivity boost. Since i don’t need to stop for lunch, breakfast and various snacks my day contains more time thus i become more productive.

3. Mindfulness. I experience a degree of connection with my mind and body nowadays that is beautifully pleasant. The sensation of being an observer of your own mind and understanding it’s ways to distract us from our true purpose is priceless. One of the main distractions the mind creates is food. It’s constantly hungry, constantly anxious – at least it was for me. Now i know the difference between actually needing nutrients and simply having a food impulse.

4. Lost body fat more easily. Not only by the amount of time without eating, but  because now it is so much easier to follow a nutrition plan. When you decide to eat less meals a day you simply condition yourself to make smarter food choices.

5. More energy and strength since my body doesn’t have to use energy to digest food so many times a day. This energy is directed to other areas of the body like brain and muscles. I lift heavier and certainly feel less mental fatigue throughout my days.

6. I became more creative. By observing our minds and catching its thoughts and impulses we clear mental space and allow ourselves to think outside the box. This is something much better experienced then explained. It is wonderful.

7. Better absorption of the nutrients I eat. I feel satisfied and energized more easily. When we fast for a long time, our body absorbs more of the first meal we ingest so I use this strategically to my advantage, helping me create energy and muscle in a smart way by choosing correctly to eat my first power meal right after my workout. This way the body optimizes absorption and better fuels my muscles and brain.
In short:

Listen to your bodies. Don’t be fooled by short term impulses. Connect deeply… Thrive!