Daily Fasting Keeps You Lean, Fit, Healthy (Even On a Poor Diet!)

Not eating for most of the 24-hour day might be really good for your health and keep you from becoming obese, according to new research. Fitness scientists from Salk Institute for Biological Studies found that people who increase their "fasting hours" every day can avoid the bad health effects of eating a diet high in fat. In fact, mice who did exactly that were able to avoid becoming obese, getting diabetes, and developing diseased livers -- all normal effects of eating a high-fat diet on a regular basis. More specificially, mice who could only eat during an 8-hour period were much healthier (and leaner) than mice who could eat freely throughout the day, regardless of what they ate. According to one researcher:

"Our findings, however, suggest that regular eating times and fasting for a significant number of hours a day might be beneficial to our health."

Read more: Extended Daily Fasting Overrides Harmful Effects of a High-Fat Diet