5 Best Intermittent Fasting Books Backed by Science

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Best Books | Intermittent Fasting | Beginners | Cookbook | Diabetics | Women | Menopause

If you want to lose weight and take your health to a new level, buying a book on intermittent fasting is an excellent place to start.

However, finding the right book can be difficult. Many people must read a few books before finding the proper one.

This article will save you that time and nerves. I have found the right intermittent fasting book for you for every common purpose. Based on which criteria were selected, you will find out shortly.

You can buy all books directly on Amazon as eBook or paperback. For this, I use affiliate links, which give me the equivalent of half an espresso for my work if you strike at a book.

Best Intermittent Fasting Books for 2023

For those in a hurry, here are the top 5 intermittent fasting books at a glance:

How to Find the Most Effective Guides?

Most guidebooks drastically restrict your calorie intake to promise you quick results.

But one study shows that 99.5% of 99,791 overweight women and 76,704 overweight men failed to lose weight successfully through a traditional calorie deficit (Fildes et al. 20151).

Restrictive plans are hard to stick to, slow your metabolism, and cause a yo-yo effect (Fothergill et al. 20162).

Furthermore, an extreme calorie restriction can get your hormones out of whack.

That’s why I’ve compiled the best books that don’t rely on renunciation and instead focus on your hormone balance.

Hormones, not calories, are the key to sustainable weight loss and longevity. The fat-storage hormone insulin determines whether you gain or lose weight (Kong et al. 20133).

Because intermittent fasting is the most effective natural means of lowering insulin levels, countless people successfully lose weight (Catenacci et al. 20164).

Hence, the best intermittent fasting books cover three aspects:

  • Knowledge: Processes in your body explained simply
  • Instructions: actionable, science-backed tips
  • Tools: Plans you can use to get started right away

Books that list intermittent fasting methods on 20 pages and then are filled with trendy recipes cannot meet this standard.

For this reason, cookbooks are in their category on this list.

The essential characteristic of an intermittent fasting book is that it helps you reach your target weight and maintain it realistically.

For this reason, an excellent intermittent fasting book must be backed by a real author with experience in the field.

Unfortunately, Amazon is full of intermittent fasting books written by ghostwriters. And the expertise of these writers in fasting is more than questionable.

You can usually recognize ghostwriters by suspicious pseudonyms in the author’s name. Great marketers often list these books. The covers are often great, but the content is garbage.

Therefore, always keep your eyes open for such signs when buying. Checking the author’s page on amazon is a great way to avoid poorly written intermittent fasting books.

Top 5 Intermittent Fasting Books (incl. Bestsellers)

Here are what I consider to be the best intermittent fasting books on Amazon for beginners, diabetics, women, menopause, and cooking.

They convince with a straightforward structure, the necessary knowledge, and valuable tools. Moreover, customer reviews have rated all the following books at least 4.5 out of 5 stars today.

Best Intermittent Fasting Book for Beginners

Intermittent Fasting 101: The Science-Backed Beginner’s Guide to Lose Weight Without Dieting and Working Out – Incl. Meal Plans and 10 Secret Weight Loss Hacks:

As the name suggests, Intermittent Fasting 101 is the best book to start. Ultimately, you should know the primary effects of fasting on your body before you start.

It’s easy to explain why this book has proven itself for beginners, according to customer reviews. It covers everything you need to get started successfully:

  • All the methods, including daily and weekly plans
  • Biggest myths about fasting debunked by science
  • How to avoid annoying beginner mistakes
  • The best tips for a safe and successful start
  • Effective weight loss tricks for the holidays

This customer review on Amazon describes this intermittent fasting book very well:

“This book is informative and an easy read about fasting. Gives you enough knowledge to decide the benefits of fasting, and how to incorporate into your lifestyle. Excellent book for one to decide fasting is the easiest, economic, and best path to a healthy life.”

James K.

There is nothing to add to this. Intermittent Fasting 101 is the best book to dive into intermittent fasting quickly and reliably.

Best Intermittent Fasting Cookbook

The Obesity Code Cookbook: Recipes to Help You Manage Insulin, Lose Weight, and Improve Your Health:

obesity code bookbook
Source: Amazon

The best cookbook on intermittent fasting comes from someone who should know. Dr. Jason Fung is the first medical doctor worldwide to point out insulin’s critical role in weight loss and popularize intermittent fasting.

A cookbook has recently accompanied his global metabolism bestseller: The Obesity Code.

Fung runs a clinic combining intermittent fasting and low-carb to reverse Type 2 diabetes. The Obesity Code Cookbook provides the recipes to go with it.

You’ll find a colorful variety of dishes among the 100 beginner-friendly recipes:

  • Salads
  • Vegetables
  • Fish and seafood
  • Meat and poultry
  • Broths and drinks
  • And even breakfast

Accordingly, people who do not fast with the 16/8 method get their money’s worth here. In short, there is something for every woman and man that works.

A customer says about this intermittent fasting cookbook:

“I bought this cookbook a year ago. I love to cook and enjoy international recipes. I started a low carb and intermittent fasting lifestyle. This cookbook has fulfilled all my criteria! This morning, I made the Gruyere cheese custard and added prosciutto and spinach. Excellent! Recipes can be involved but I don’t mind spending the time when outcome is gourmet! Fortunately, I live in SE Louisiana where growing season is long and ingredients are readily available.”

Katherine E. Bryant

Best Intermittent Fasting Book for Diabetics

The Diabetes Code: Prevent and Reverse Type 2 Diabetes Naturally:

diabetes code
Source: Amazon

The next intermittent fasting book also comes from the world-famous diabetes doctor. The Diabetes Code is the follow-up to The Obesity Code. It describes how to cure type 2 diabetes with the crucial lifestyle remedy of intermittent fasting.

Contrary to earlier assumptions, type 2 diabetes is not incurable. I can reverse it the same way it is created: through diet. And that’s what the book teaches.

However, type 2 should not be confused with type 1 diabetes, which is not a lifestyle but an autoimmune disease. Type 1 diabetes, unfortunately, cannot be cured naturally so far.

I love this book because it helps you understand the disease better than most doctors who blindly prescribe insulin, which worsens your type 2 diabetes.

Here you will learn how:

  • The root cause of diabetes
  • How not to treat it
  • How to reverse it naturally

This customer review sums it up:

The author has done a great job of explaining the root cause of diabetes and how to manage/reverse it. Very logical explanations and easy to follow instructions. Highly recommend it to all diabetics.

Pikasayan

In summary, in my experience, it is the best diabetes book on Amazon.

Best Intermittent Fasting Book for Women

Intermittent Fasting 16/8 for Women: Achieve Hormone Harmony to Lose Weight Fast Without Losing Your Mind – Incl. 30-Day Fasting Challenge and Meal Plan:

Intermittent fasting 16/8 for Women book

Our next book is a must-read for women of reproductive age.

Intermittent fasting 16/8 for Women can stand alone by reaching #1 in the following bestselling categories on kindle:

  • Hormones
  • Food
  • Menstruation
  • Biotechnology
  • Health Policy
  • Purify & Detox
  • Cholesterol & Lipometabolism

This intermittent fasting book explains the differences between female and male bodies, the effects of dietary changes on the menstrual cycle, and how you can use them to improve your well-being.

In doing so, it opens up a new science-backed lifestyle specifically for women that includes:

  • How to control your hormones and optimize health
  • How to curb cravings without medication
  • How to eat right during each phase of your cycle
  • How to relieve PMS symptoms with intermittent fasting
  • How fasting, exercise, and stress affect your cycle

The 30-Day Intermittent Fasting Challenge gives indecisive ladies a fun jump-start without all the guesswork.

One customer reviewed this guide on Amazon with the following summary:

“I have been Keto on and off for years and bottom line, what I’m doing isn’t giving me lasting results due to my own poor judgement on occasion. This book mixes science and common information in a nice format. I actually did learn some new info/ techniques with regard to fasting and hormones, which explained some things for me. I experienced every processing emotion from head-nodding in agreement to a few lightbulb moments. Definitely enjoying this as a reference resource!”

T. Fisher

Best Intermittent Fasting Book for Menopause

Wiser Intermittent Fasting for Women Over 50: The Anti-Aging Revolution to Reset Menopause Metabolism, Lose Belly Fat Fast, and Get Toned Without Cravings:

intermittent fasting for women over 50 book

Wiser Intermittent Fasting for Women over 50 is the follow-up of Intermittent Fasting 16/8 for Women. Instead of being geared toward women of reproductive age, this book is tailored toward menopause.

Instead of another strict diet, you’ll learn how menopause changes your health parameters.

This book is currently the only intermittent fasting book for women over 50 that a ghostwriter has not written.

So it should be clear why it is the best intermittent fasting book for menopause.

You will even see the same woman on the cover and as the author of different ghostwritten fasting books for women over 50. Watch out for these great marketed but poorly written books.

Wrong diet advice harms hormone balance, promotes aging, fatigues, slows your metabolism, and causes a yo-yo effect. That can’t happen to you with this evidence-based book.

Here you will learn in simple terms:

  • How to rejuvenate body and mind through autophagy
  • Top 10 foods to regulate estrogen naturally
  • How to find the best menopause supplements
  • Top 10 expert tips to burn belly fat after 50
  • Your optimal protein intake for a toned shape
  • Particular hormone yoga exercises for menopause

In short, this book tells you how women can lose weight after 50 in a fun, sustainable, and safe way with a brand-new intermittent fasting lifestyle:

“Everything a woman needs to know about hormones menopause and estrogen is covered in this comprehensive book. I especially LOVE the 30-day challenge.”

Kristie Newton

This book stands out among the flood of intermittent fasting books for women over 50 written by ghostwriters.

Best Guides Are Written by Practicing Authors

Countless books are on the market about intermittent fasting, making it difficult to choose one.

Few know that ghostwriters are responsible for over 95% of diet books. You can recognize fake authors by simple but suspicious pseudonyms as the author’s name.

They often use either non or stock photos for the author’s image.

With the best intermittent fasting books, this cannot happen to you. Behind them are real people who have been fighting through thousands of studies and successfully practicing intermittent fasting.

Therefore, when buying a book, ensure it is based on intermittent fasting and endocrinology studies. You can easily find this out by looking at the sources in the bibliography.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

What is a good book on intermittent fasting?

Intermittent Fasting 101 is a solid book to get you started.

Are there intermittent fasting books I should avoid?

Most intermittent fasting books on Amazon are written by ghostwriters, who you can often spot just by their simple but suspicious author names.

Are intermittent fasting books an effective way to lose weight?

Books are a prime start to successfully losing weight with intermittent fasting.

Studies

1Fildes A, Charlton J, Rudisill C, Littlejohns P, Prevost AT, Gulliford MC. Probability of an Obese Person Attaining Normal Body Weight: Cohort Study Using Electronic Health Records. Am J Public Health. 2015 Sep;105(9):e54-9. doi: 10.2105/AJPH.2015.302773. Epub 2015 Jul 16. PubMed PMID: 26180980; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4539812.

2Fothergill E, Guo J, Howard L, Kerns JC, Knuth ND, Brychta R, Chen KY, Skarulis MC, Walter M, Walter PJ, Hall KD. Persistent metabolic adaptation 6 years after “The Biggest Loser” competition. Obesity (Silver Spring). 2016 Aug;24(8):1612-9. doi: 10.1002/oby.21538. Epub 2016 May 2. PubMed PMID: 27136388; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4989512.

3Kong LC, Wuillemin PH, Bastard JP, Sokolovska N, Gougis S, Fellahi S, Darakhshan F, Bonnefont-Rousselot D, Bittar R, Doré J, Zucker JD, Clément K, Rizkalla S. Insulin resistance and inflammation predict kinetic body weight changes in response to dietary weight loss and maintenance in overweight and obese subjects by using a Bayesian network approach. Am J Clin Nutr. 2013 Dec;98(6):1385-94. doi: 10.3945/ajcn.113.058099. Epub 2013 Oct 30. PubMed PMID: 24172304. 

4Catenacci VA, Pan Z, Ostendorf D, Brannon S, Gozansky WS, Mattson MP, Martin B, MacLean PS, Melanson EL, Troy Donahoo W. A randomized pilot study comparing zero-calorie alternate-day fasting to daily caloric restriction in adults with obesity. Obesity (Silver Spring). 2016 Sep;24(9):1874-83. doi: 10.1002/oby.21581. PubMed PMID: 27569118; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC5042570.

Mag. Stephan Lederer, MSc. is an author and blogger from Austria who writes in-depth content about health and nutrition. His book series on Interval Fasting landed #1 on the bestseller list in the German Amazon marketplace in 15 categories.

Stephan is a true man of science, having earned multiple diplomas and master's degrees in various fields. He has made it his mission to bridge the gap between conventional wisdom and scientific knowledge. He precisely reviews the content and sources of this blog for currency and accuracy.

Click on the links above to visit his author and about me pages.

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