Posted: Dec 17, 2019 / 09:47 AM EST / Updated: Dec 17, 2019 / 11:15 AM EST

In this weeks Healthy Living, we are taking a look at Googles most-searched diet of 2019: intermittent fasting.

Also known as time-restricted eating, intermittent fasting doesnt focus on what you eat but instead when you eat.

The schedule can look a few different ways, some people will fast for a day and eat normally the next, while others fast for two days a week but maintain a normal diet the other five.

The schedule Dr. Deborah Herchelroath follows is fasting each day, restricting eating to six to eight hours a day.

It can give more energy and I also feel like its a healthier way of eating. Theres no science behind three meals a day, and we really shouldnt be snacking throughout the day, so it has taught me to be more aware of the way I eat and when I eat, Herchelroath said.

So the idea of breakfast being the most important meal of the day is actually a myth!

Herchelroath says the standard American diet is linked to insulin resistance and fasting gives our body the benefit of a break. Some research shows fasting can lower cholesterol, decrease insulin in the blood and even help with weight loss.

Restricting your food wont overpower a poor diet. What you eat still matters.

There are two ways to diet. What we eat or when we eat and what he really believes in is putting it together. So, its not like in that six-hour window I can eat cake and cookies and do okay. I still have to be cognizant of what goes in my mouth, Herchelroath said.

For most of the population, intermittent fasting is relatively safe, but Herchelroath suggests first checking with your doctor. Those who are pregnant, have type-one diabetes, chronic illness or who are training for an event should take special consideration.

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Healthy Living: Intermittent Fasting - ABC27