If you’ve heard of intermittent fasting and wondered what it’s all about, this book will help! It’s a good read for those curious about the science, those who just want a game plan, and everyone in between.

Gin Stephens has written two previous books about Intermittent Fasting: Delay, Don’t Deny and Feast without Fear. In Fast, Feast, Repeat she takes an in-depth, updated look at the science of intermittent fasting (the health plan with a side effect of weight loss) and how to customize it for any goal or body type. She covers the studies around metabolism, weight loss, nutrition, and fat burning, and she describes the many different ways of doing an Intermittent Fast. You can fast every day for 16 hours, and eat for 8, or you could narrow your “eating window” farther, and fast for more like 20 hours each day and eat for 4 – this is called Time Restricted Eating. There’s also Alternate Day Fasting, where a day of fasting (in some way) is followed by a day of eating normally. Stephens works hard to include many customizing options, alongside a number of testimonials from her fellow intermittent fasters.

The best thing about this book is Stephens’ honest self-description in the beginning of the book: she makes it clear she is not a scientist or dietitian, but a former teacher who’s used to taking scientific studies and translating them to a general audience, breaking down complicated science into digestible, understandable chunks. Throughout the text she encourages the reader to go and read the studies she references and draw their own conclusions. This gives her more credibility as she gives her recommendations and explanations – including her repeated reminders that intermittent fasting is a lifestyle, not a diet, which means “you have the rest of your life to get it right.” It also helps to counterbalance what would otherwise be a pretty aggressive sales pitch; Stephens clearly believes whole-heartedly in the power of the intermittent fast to vastly improve your health. She also understands that not everyone will read cover to cover, and regularly tells the reader which chapter to skip to to find the information they need, which is appreciated in a book packed with information of many types.

If you like to stay up to date on new nutritional discoveries and healthy lifestyles, or if you’re looking for a more achievable and less restrictive eating plan, I do recommend you try reading this book, if only for the encouragement, support, and enthusiasm Stephens offers to every reader striving to improve their health.