Humans have actually been fasting for a long time, and its estimated that the practice has existed for thousands of years. Sometimes it was done out of necessity, when there simply wasn't any food available. There were not grocery stores like there are today, and food was scarce and access to it was unpredictable. In other instances, it was done for religious reasons. Various religions, including Islam, Christianity and Buddhism, mandate some form of fasting. Humans and other animals also often instinctively fast when sick. Clearly, there is nothing unnatural about fasting, and our bodies are very well equipped to handle extended periods of not eating. That being said, there are ways to do it that ensure healthy, natural results, rather than resisting and refusing our body the things it needs to function properly. When fasted, we get significant reductions in blood sugar and insulin levels, as well as a drastic increase in human growth hormone. Many people do intermittent fasting in order to lose weight, as it is a very simple and effective way to restrict calories and burn fat. Others do it for the metabolic health benefits, as it can improve various different risk factors and health markers. Our body, when fueled with what it needs to function, responds positively to fasting because we don’t give it excess amounts of food that it is then forced to store beyond its desire.

Your body does not need to be eating all day, no matter what time, and on the schedule your hunger dictates. The thought of skipping out breakfast or late night snacks is tough to swallow because they are so ingrained in our diets. If you skip breakfast for a week while beginning a process of intermittent fasting, you will feel a change in your body, and at first, it will be quite negative. Give it time; the science behind fasting is there and your body will catch on.