That’s why when he said he fasts from January until June, we weren’t all that surprised. But what does this mean, exactly? It doesn’t mean he goes without food completely, although he did make sure to inform us that humans can go up to 60 days on water alone. Instead, from January 1 until June 1, he doesn’t eat breakfast or lunch, and all of his calories for the day are consumed between 6 and 8 p.m. He’s been doing this for the last 10 years and plans to make 2018 the 11th. Come June, he still doesn’t eat breakfast, but he does start adding in a half cup of nuts and a salad at lunch. At the end of the summer, he adds berries to the list, to cycle with the seasons. Just like lectins, at first this seems extreme. But once he explains his reasoning, it’s hard not to feel on board—or at least intrigued enough to hear more. We can’t say we’ll be abandoning our inflammation-fighting daily 12-hour fast for a two-hour eating window five months out of the year, but we do have a newfound appreciation for the way our ancestors lived and how far we can stretch the therapeutic properties of fasting. If you’re intrigued by fasting—but not ready to fast for five months of the year—here are some beginner plans to get you started.
