Readers Digest Australia Sampler 2022

Fasting A popular die trend works well for many weight watchers, and the benef its could extend beyond your waistline PHOTO: GETTY IMAGES BY Rozalynn S. Frazier L ike many people who put on extra weight, Jerico C. was surprised when it happened to him. He loved walking, he used to be able to eat what- ever he wanted whenever he wanted and stay relatively thin. But then life happened. A new advertis- ing sales job meant more driving and less walking, and required company dinners and later nights. Two kids left little time to think about healthy eating, and get-togethers with his extended Filipino family meant lots of big meals. “When you welcome anyone into your home, it’s an au- tomatic feast,” he says. When Jerico turned 40, he found 90 kilograms on his 1.82-metre frame. “Given my fam- ily history of heart disease, high cho- lesterol and diabetes, I didn’t want to create any additional risks,” he says. It was around that time that he came across a post on social media by a friend who had dropped about 27 kilograms. How did he do it? Jerico asked. “IF,” said the friend. “If? If what?” Jerico responded. The answer was intermittent fast- ing (IF): fasting completely for certain periods of time and eating most any- thing you want otherwise. That can mean fasting for parts of a day, a day at a time, or two days a week. Jerico The Promise of Intermittent READER’S DIGEST 18 May 2022