Interested in a diet that allows you to eat whatever you want, but still helps you lose around 6 pounds a month? It is possible, according to one small study. The catch? You'll have to fast every other day. Dr. Krista A. Varady of the University of Illinois at Chicago and her colleagues had 16 obese adults alternate days of eating normally with with days of eating only 25 percent of the calories required to maintain their weight for eight weeks, and the results were pretty impressive. Not only did the dieters lose an average of 12 pounds over the eight-week period, they also reduced their overall cholesterol by 21 percent.

Varady attributes the positive results to an overall change in eating habits; "I think it's probably because their stomachs kind of shrunk," she told Reuters. Still, don't give up on food just yet -- further research is needed as the study was relatively small. What's more, it's not clear whether this is a weight-loss approach that can be maintained in the long run.

But even if fasting does work, is it healthy? It can be and many leading researchers believe it's actually good for you. If you can handle it, that is -- dealing with a grumbling tummy all day and going to bed hungry aren't all that much fun. Nonetheless, if you're interested in fasting, make sure you speak to your doctor first.

Can't handle fasting? Take some dieting tips from Liz Hurley.

When there's a big event looming on the horizon, one where you have to don a tight-ish dress and look your absolute best, you might think that fasting is a good way to drop a few in time for the big day. OK, I could never do this -- not eat anything at all for a day or more -- but you might consider fasting. Would you? Could you? More importantly, should you?

According to leading researchers, fasting is not only healthy, it's good for you. Mark P. Mattson of the National Institute on Aging, says, "In normal health subjects, moderate fasting -- maybe one day a week or cutting back on calories a couple of days a week -- will have health benefits for most anybody." OK, so that's good to know, but one has to consider the logistics of fasting -- in other words, can you do it? As Ruth Frechman, a registered dietitian, points out, "you're hungry, fatigued, irritable. Fasting is not very comfortable. People try to cut back one day and the next day they're starving and they overeat."

Do you fast? Why? How? Please share.

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We've all been there -- doing the old crash diet days before a big event, determined to make up for our sins in the last few months by erasing them with near-fasting eating habits. So I guess we can commiserate with Britney Spears amid reports that she's frantically trying to slim dow in preparation for her upcoming live performance on the popular British talent show X Factor. It will be her first time on British TV in five years.

"She goes to bed hungry and is dieting so hard she's suffering from insomnia, anxiety, flushes and shakes," says a friend close to the singer. "Her father and the people around her are trying to get her to eat more, but Britney is determined not to be criticised for having any extra bulk."

Fair enough, I guess, considering the fury she raised when she performed last year with a bit of extra padding. Still, I hope she's dieting healthfully.

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Travelling this summer? Anticipating jet lag? You might be surprised to hear that new research suggests that a great way to cure jet lag is by skipping meals

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Woody Harrelson is no stranger to fasting -- he completed a 38-day green juice a couple of years ago (he tried to make it to 40 days, but was tempted away from it when some friends offered him homemade Indian food). He really enjoyed the experience, and "definitely felt my electro-magnetic field expanding." And so, he's doing it again, but bigger.

The actor plans to go to a remote island and drink only water for 40 days. It's not for weight loss for a movie role or anything like that -- he just wants to experience it. Woody said, "I've always wanted to do it. I know it's going to be really hard. But can you imagine it? Eating nothing for 40 days? Swimming and surfing every day in a remote place? Where does the mind go?"

I'm kind of wondering where the mind went, but that's just me. I recognize that there may be some benefits to fasting, but 40 days on nothing but water just can't be healthy for one's body.

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It's too late to try this trick for the holiday weekend, but some scientists at Harvard Medical School think that they may have discovered a "cure" for jet lag.

Normally, sleeping and eating times are dictated by our circadian rhythms, a kind of biological schedule that is at least partially triggered by daylight. When we travel by airplane to destinations that are far out of our time zone, it takes days or even over a week to catch up. Problem is, few vacations last much longer than that.

When the Harvard scientists worked with mice, however, they found that when food was scarce, a second sort of biological rhythm overrode circadian rhythms, which makes sense because if you sleep through dinner, you aren't going to survive long in the wild. It hasn't been tested in humans yet, but these researchers think that if you fast before your next long airplane ride -- at least 16 hours with no food -- you'll beat jet lag a lot faster than your fellow passengers. Worth a try? What do you think?

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We hear the same old, same old all the time. Eat a healthy diet and get enough exercise and your health will improve. What we don't hear all the time are these eleven odd but simple ways to improve your health, from Dumb Little Man.

Some I can attest to. Using a neti pot has greatly improved my sinus health, reduced my allergic rhinitis and has saved me a headache or two. And there is nothing like deep breathing for relaxation, focus and cleansing.

Others were good reminders, like dry skin brushing. I haven't done this for years, but in the past have done this to help my lymphatic system flow properly. I'm making it a point to dig up my natural bristle body brush and get brushing again.

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Life Fitness is a process of continuous growth: physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually. Need motivation
and guidance to facilitate positive changes in your life? Ask Life Fit Expert Laura

Dear Laura:

What do you think about fasting? I have been on all sorts of "diet" programs and really can't seem to lose weight. I am thinking about fasting...the kind where you don't eat at all for a few days. Or is there a better alternative?

Signed,

Debbie G., Atlanta, Ga.

Dear Debbie,

When many people think of fasting they might correlate it with not eating any food at all. When in reality there are all sorts of ways that people fast. Heck, I have even heard of the "air" diet. Um, something that I probably wouldn't want to do since I actually enjoy eating!

But here is what I know from personal experience having conducted many workshops on health, fitness and nutrition. People I met who have been on the "metabolic roller coaster" by going for hours without eating and then gorging themselves once a day, end up having slower metabolic rates. Why? Because your body is quite intelligent. If you deprive it of fuel, your body says "Hey...you know, if you are going to starve, I want to survive, so I will slow my metabolic rate down or the rate I burn calories. Cool? Oh, by the way, if you start eating normally again, I will still have a slower metabolism...and you will end up gaining back your weight and more!"

I do like the concept of fasting and "cleansing" or detoxing. But not for long periods of time. I would rather see you go on a "mono diet" for a day, such as eating watermelon all day, for one day only. Your kidneys will ultimately thank you for the cleanse! Oh, if you are diabetic and need to eat a well-balanced diet each and every day, eating watermelon is probably not the best thing to do! I do believe there is something to letting your internal organs rest, such as your liver, kidneys and bowels! They play an integral pary of your health. I usually encourage others, if they are on some sort of self-prescribed food program that they only really need to eat every four to six hours! In that time you may hear a rumbling stomach, but, you know...your stomach may get a chance to "wake up"!! And it will help you not to eat so much in the future if you actually deprive it of being full all the time! What a concept!

Here is what I propose overall. If you want to lose weight, you need to get serious. Serious about your workouts by doing interval training cardiovascularly, 4 to 5 times per week for 15 to 20 minutes at a time. Or by walking or running for at least thirty minutes. I personally love the Eliptical trainer and change up the levels from easy to very difficult like in interval training. Working out with weights three to five times per week will build your muscle, which in turn will crank up your metabolism. Next, eat three balanced meals per day that include lean protein, lots of steamed or fresh green veggies and a few fresh fruits, plus a good complex, nutritious carbohydrate such as lentils or black beans. Oh and let's not forget the "good fat!" Consume olive oil and either flax oil or fish oil/omega 3 fatty acids.They are so good for your overall health, assist in balancing hormones and reducing inflammation. Avoid refined products such as white bread, soft drinks, cookies, chips and more. Like I said previously, if you still have the "hankering" to fast, why not go on a "mono diet" of watermelon all day long? And if you really don't want to eat for an entire day, drink herbal teas with lemon or lime, rest, don't overexert yourself and take it easy!

Do I support starving yourself for days at a time? No. One or two days? Yes. But I really would prefer for you to just eat sensibly, drink plenty of water, throw olive oil on your salad at least once a day and work out! Hope this helps! Most importantly, check with your primary health care provider about not eating and how it might effect you!

Healthfully Yours!

Laura Lewis

Send your questions to me, Laura Lewis for this column! Life fit is all about fitness, nutrition as well as mental, emotional and spiritual issues! I would love to hear from you! LL

While fasting isn't usually recommended for losing weight, a recent study found that regular fasting may actually help the heart. When scientists reviewed the records of 4,500 men and women -- 90% of them Mormons -- they found that those who fasted regularly were over a third less likely to develop coronary heart disease.

Though the research is certainly interesting, health experts aren't recommending that people start fasting for their heart. No one is sure why fasting seemed to help the participants in the study -- whether it was just a marker of a healthy lifestyle, of eating less overall, or if something different is going on. There's also concern that people with certain conditions, like diabetes, may have complications if they begin going long periods without food.

Brian recently wrote about a study that found that restricting calories can lead to a longer life. This study seems to complement that research, but it might be some time before we understand what it really means.

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I saw a poster the other day advertising the 30-hour Famine charity event. If you haven't heard of it, you're supposed to fast for 30-hours to raise money for impoverished countries, and also to learn what it's like to go hungry like so many men, women and children in our world are forced to do everyday.

My first impression of this is that it must be unhealthy and/or completely impossible because come on, that's more than an entire day and night without food. How do you sleep or even function when you're starving? Yeah, I know people do it all the time but not well-fed North Americans like us who are plagued with an overabundance of food. But that's the point of the exercise -- to make you realize how good you have it.

Anyway, back to the health issue. I did some research and found this advice from WebMD on fasting. The question: is it healthy? The answer: Occasionally fasting for religious practices, longevity and even detoxification won't do you much harm, but there's not much evident that it does you any good either. One thing they do know is that fasting is not an effective weight-loss tool and can be quite dangerous if you're not careful.

Have you ever done a fast?

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The claims of juice fast diets are hard to resist, and I admit to having tried one or two over the years. But are the claims true? Even when fortified with extra vitamins and nutrients, can having nothing but juice and water for days on end really be a good idea?

According to doctors, not really. If you're perfectly healthy a short-term juice fast won't hurt you, but other than helping you temporarily shed some water it won't really help you either. And if you stay on a juice fast for an extended period of time your body will use muscle, and eventually vital organs like your heart and your brain, to fill in the nutritional gaps.

Wow, that's scary. I don't want to weigh less because my brain got smaller.

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You've overindulged over the holiday and you just have to get into that slinky black dress by New Year's...what do you do? According to this article, fasting has become a trendy way to shed pounds quickly. But is it safe?

The consensus seems to be that, for a a few days, fasting is harmless, as long as you drink plenty of fluids. After a week, the body -- which needs protein -- will start to break down muscle to get much needed amino acids. What about the most important muscle, your heart? Yep, your body will go after that too, and long term fasting can lead to heart damage.

Is it worth it? Does fasting really work? Obviously, going on an ultra low or no calorie diet for a few days will result in weight loss. However, most of it will be fluid and what comes off quickly, goes right back on just as fast. Better, in my opinion, to go the old fashioned route of cutting back on junk and exercising more.

As for the rumor that fasting "cleanses" the body of impurities, this article debunks that myth. Your liver, kidneys, lungs, and skin already have that job, and do it well.

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