A few years ago, my wife, Diana, and I became interested in the research on intermittent fasting for various health benefits, and decided to try it ourselves. Fasting for various lengths of time has been shown by studies to help prevent or treat heart attacks, diabetes, certain cancers, and premature death in animals.
“Intermittent fasting” does not mean the complete avoidance of food and drink. Instead, you markedly reduce your intake of food during certain periods. The benefits can be seen as long as you significantly reduce your total caloric intake during those periods, as found by a 2006 study published in the journal Medical Hypotheses.
We decided many years ago that the three-meals-a-day pattern was just too much food for our needs and I think that is true for most people over 40, 50 or 60.