In intermittent fasting the intake of a liquid diet, comprised of water and some natural or artificial supplements, to sustain life in times of hunger. It is used to assist someone trying to lose weight, or trying to boost health by improving diet and nutrition. During the fast one should strictly avoid any solid foods, as well as liquids, such as tea, coffee, soda, and fruit juices. Though it is called intermittent, it can also be continuous, lasting from a few days to a week. Intensive fasting may last up to a month. Intermittent fasting is often done with a special meal plan designed specifically for the purpose.

Intensive intermittent fasting may be done by anyone, regardless of physical condition, age, sex, or type of disease. Most people believe that fasting is for those persons who are malnourished, or extremely poor dieters. However, this isn’t always true. Even in cases where the body needs food to survive, the body can always get the nutrition from other sources, such as the stored energy of the body or what the body could get from the foods you eat. So really, intermittent fasting may be beneficial to everyone, even if you are a heavy eater and don’t always feel hungry during the day.

If you find yourself eating very little for a short period of time during the day, it is important to determine the cause of this situation. The most common cause is using a ” starvation ” diet. If you starve yourself for a time frame longer than your body’s capacity to recover, your body will start to use reserves of stored fat and sugar for its energy needs. This can result in serious weight loss, dehydration, electrolyte imbalance, weakness, tremors, increased risk of cancer and heart disease, fatigue, and slowed healing. If you have any of these symptoms after starting an intermittent fasting diet, it is best to stop immediately, and consult with a doctor before continuing.