15 Months of Intermittent Fasting Didn’t Transform My Life
Lessons learned from the latest biohacking fad
I’ll admit it: The hype over intermittent fasting intoxicated me. As a consumer of all things health and performance, I could not resist the urge to give it a go.
My parents gifted me wonderful genes. I’ve never been overweight in my 48 years. My physicals have only once turned up anything alarming — and that turned out to be a false alarm. So, what was I hoping to gain?
Having kids later in life encouraged me to do everything in my power to stay healthy. And despite my lucky streak of health, I was feeling the effects of getting older. I could feel my memory losing some of its sharpness. I also seemed to lack the mental stamina I once possessed especially in the early morning, my most creative time of day.
I’ve made a habit out of self-experimentation when it comes to health — playing around with everything from vegan to paleo diets, prebiotics, probiotics, exercise routines, sound therapy, and a few other things I’m too embarrassed to mention. Intermittent fasting, therefore, felt like a logical next step.
Most of the available studies on intermittent fasting focus on weight loss. But some studies, according to the NIH, also show the practice may boost neurological…