How we eat can change our hormonal balance in such a way that we become more muscular and our bodies hold less fat. Intermittent Fasting protocols are unsurpassed in their effectiveness for developing a lean and sculpted body (as depicted in the photos below) and for re-setting your long-term body weight at a lower and healthier level. Intermittent Fasting is a method of implementing ongoing and scheduled calorie restriction or 'detoxification' sessions to stimulate fat burning and to improve general health and weight maintenance. The calorie restriction or 'detox' spells are referred to as ''fasts'' - although they need not necessarily involve total abstinence from food. The main aim of Intermittent Fasting is to induce what is often referred to as a 'ketogenic state' (during 'ketogenesis' the body is fuelled almost entirely by fat-burning). In The Handbook of Intermittent Fasting Idai Makaya explains how and why the practice works and presents practical guidelines and protocols - based on clinical research and his own personal experiences - for using all the known and fully proven Intermittent Fasting regimes (for fat-burning, weight loss, improved health and maximum muscle definition). Two basic methods of 'fasting' or 'detox' can be used - Water Fasting (which involves total abstinence from all food and only the drinking of water during calorie restriction periods) or Juice/Fruit Fasting (using specified low-calorie, low GI, fresh fruit sources during calorie restriction periods). Both methods are applicable to the concept of Intermittent Fasting and both methods are equally effective, when used correctly.
Why should we do this?
Intermittent Fasting involves short, planned spells of focused calorie restriction  (sometimes called 'detox' sessions) to train the body to run only on fat and to simultaneously preserve muscle tissue. Short fasting spells - far from being detrimental to health, muscular development and appetite regulation - actually improve all those parameters by optimising hormonal balance. This handbook explains the science behind these findings. There are two basic 'pillars' of Intermittent Fasting - Alternate Day Fasting (fasting every other day) and Daily Fasting (fasting every day) - but a wide spectrum of alternatives and 'hybrids' of these two main methods exists. Most of these 'hybrid' methods are equally effective, but not all of them suit everyone. For this reason, the Handbook of Intermittent Fasting shows you how to vary the different methods to achieve your own health, diet and weight loss goals (in the practical ways which will suit you as an individual). The Handbook of Intermittent Fasting covers every available protocol known for the development of an effective Intermittent Fasting program because a single and dogmatic approach to diet and health will never suit everyone. So a range of workable and practical Intermittent Fasting options are provided to suit a variety of circumstances. Although the concept of Intermittent Fasting is not actually new in itself (the American physical culturalist Bernarr Macfadden first popularised it in the West during the late 19th century) it's still not very well known either. However, general fasting has featured in various forms among the Eastern Yogis for centuries and Intermittent Fasting has actually been extensively used by a range of well known international personalities - from singers and musicians to world record breaking athletes (see article here). For example, the international football player Nicolas Anelka (see Daily Mail article) and the renowned musician Sir Cliff Richard (see BBC article) both say they have followed versions of Intermittent Fasting for decades. The Handbook of Intermittent Fasting provides simple explanations on how to make the different Intermittent Fasting protocols practical and convenient. Ideas are provided to help people understand and overcome the mental barriers and misconceptions that many of us currently have in relation to bodybuilding and muscle-preservation, fat-burning, general exercise, eating or diet schedules - and any practices involving fasting.
The images below show comparisons of Idai Makaya's body over a year-long experiment - to demonstrate the effects of using the various Intermittent Fasting protocols covered in The Handbook of Intermittent Fasting to regulate body fat and to improve general health and aesthetics. Weight was purposely gained over a period of 4 months and lost again over another 4 months - and fat was then kept off for a full year (Image 2. and Image 4. were taken on the author's 35th and 36th birthdays, respectively). The images plainly and visually demonstrate the short and long-term effectiveness of this practice for weight loss and also for weight maintenance & enhanced muscle definition. The main aesthetic changes shown in the last two images (Image 3. and Image 4.) relate to an intensification of exercise - to demonstrate that even after long-term Intermittent Fasting (and despite very low fat levels) improvements in muscularity are readily attainable on an Intermittent Fasting diet.
1.  Low levels of muscle definition, due to a layer of fat covering the muscles.
2.  Fat layer removed and muscle definition more clearly visible. Waist considerably narrower.
3.  Weight loss maintained and muscle definition enhanced further.
4. Exercise intensity increased - resulting in additional muscle growth.
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