All Glossary Terms
Nutrition
Intermittent Fasting (IF)
An eating pattern that cycles between periods of fasting and eating.
Intermittent fasting restricts eating to specific time windows rather than limiting foods. Common protocols include 16:8 (16-hour fast, 8-hour eating window) and 5:2 (normal eating 5 days, restricted 2 days). IF can help with calorie control and may have metabolic benefits, but is not inherently superior to continuous dieting.
Examples
- 16:8: eat in 8-hour window daily
- 5:2: 500-600 calories on 2 fast days
- Skipping breakfast as simple IF