If you’re looking for one of the simplest, most effective ways to improve your health, boost your immune system, and lose stubborn weight, I want you to seriously consider intermittent fasting.

I know—that might sound counterintuitive. We’ve been told our entire lives that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Eating a big breakfast is as American as apple pie. But the science tells a different story.

What we eat, when we eat, and how much we eat all have a profound impact on our health. And one of the most powerful tools available to you doesn’t involve adding anything to your routine—it involves giving your body a break from food.

Fasting Is Nothing New

Fasting has been used for centuries. From the ancient Greeks to Hippocrates to Gandhi, fasting has been advocated for supporting the immune system and achieving dramatic positive health changes. What’s new is the growing body of modern research that explains why it works so well.

Fasting and Your Immune System

A landmark 2014 study by Valter Longo at the University of Southern California showed that fasting lowered white blood cell counts, which in turn triggered the immune system to start producing new white blood cells. White blood cells—also called lymphocytes—are a key component of your body’s immune defense.

The study found that fasting for three days or longer—drinking only water and consuming fewer than 200 calories per day—can truly “reset” and strengthen the immune system.

“When you starve, the system tries to save energy, and one of the things it can do to save energy is to recycle a lot of the immune cells that are not needed, especially those that may be damaged.” — Valter Longo, USC

During each cycle of fasting, this depletion of white blood cells triggers stem cell-based regeneration of new immune system cells. A related study published in Cell Stem Cell confirmed that cycles of prolonged fasting not only protect against immune system damage but actually help induce immune system regeneration, shifting stem cells from a dormant state to a state of self-renewal.

Now, a three-day fast isn’t practical for most people. The good news? You don’t have to go that far.

Intermittent Fasting: The Practical Alternative

As reported in a widely cited New England Journal of Medicine review, researchers Rafael de Cabo and Mark Mattson examined multiple fasting strategies and found that intermittent fasting—short-term, daily fasting—provides many of the same health benefits as extended multi-day fasting.

That’s huge. It means you can get powerful results without going days without food.

The Health Benefits of Intermittent Fasting

The research-backed benefits of intermittent fasting are extensive:

Two major inflammatory cytokines—Interleukin-6 and Tumor Necrosis Factor Alpha—are both reduced during fasting. This matters because chronic inflammation is at the root of nearly every modern disease, from heart disease to fibromyalgia to autoimmune conditions.

The Human Growth Hormone Advantage

Here’s something most people don’t know: intermittent fasting can increase your human growth hormone (HGH) levels by 1,300–2,000%. HGH naturally declines as we age, and it plays a vital role in maintaining, building, and repairing healthy tissue in the brain and other organs.

Higher HGH levels help speed up healing after injury, repair muscle tissue after exercise, build lean muscle mass, boost your metabolism, and burn fat more efficiently.

Why IF Makes You a Better Fat Burner

It takes the average person 8–12 hours to burn through the sugars stored in the body. If you’re eating every two to three hours, your body never gets the chance to tap into fat stores for fuel. You stay stuck in sugar-burning mode.

Regular intermittent fasting trains your body to become an efficient fat burner. That stubborn belly fat, that cellulite that won’t budge—IF gives your body the metabolic window it needs to actually access and burn those fat stores.

How to Do Intermittent Fasting

The protocol is straightforward: eat all of your daily calories within a 6–8 hour window, then fast for the remaining 16–18 hours.

For example, skip breakfast and eat your first meal at noon. Finish your last meal by 8 p.m. That’s it. You’re fasting from 8 p.m. to noon the next day—16 hours. And remember, you’ll be asleep for 7–9 of those hours, so it’s easier than it sounds.

During the 16–18 hours of fasting, your body can devote extra energy to repairing tissue, building muscle, burning fat instead of sugar for fuel, and allowing your digestive system to rest and repair itself rather than constantly processing food.

My Recommended Protocol

I recommend intermittent fasting daily or at least 3–4 days a week. Personally, I follow an IF schedule Monday through Thursday and allow more flexibility on weekends for family time.

Use IF to boost your immune system, increase your metabolism, help with losing or maintaining weight, reduce inflammation, improve mental clarity, support detoxification, and increase human growth hormone production.

A Note for Those With Adrenal Fatigue

If you’re dealing with adrenal fatigue, eating something to break the fast in the morning can be important. However, even periodic IF can have a powerful healing effect on all tissues, including the adrenal glands. Listen to your body and ease into it.

Ready to Get Started?

This is one of the simplest, most accessible health changes you can make. Try IF for a few days a week and see how you feel. If you need to lose weight, this is a great place to start.

If you want to accelerate your results—many of my patients lose about half a pound a day—check out the full diet protocol my patients use at 2TransformHealth.com.

Recommended Supplements

These are the products I recommend to complement your fasting protocol and overall immune health:

Vitamin D3 – One of the most potent immune-boosting supplements available. Most people are deficient.

Digestive Enzymes – For bloating, gas, heartburn, and IBS support—especially helpful when you’re adjusting your eating window.

Inflammation Support – My formula for reducing systemic inflammation and supporting recovery.

Free Resources & Support

To your good health, Dr. Rodger Murphree

Feeling off lately? It could be your hormones.

3pm crashes every day. Unexpected weight gain. Unpredictable cycles. When symptoms start piling up, your hormones and metabolic health are often part of the story.

Allara helps women understand what's really going on with comprehensive hormone and metabolic testing. Their advanced testing goes beyond the basics to measure key markers like insulin, thyroid function, reproductive hormones, and metabolic health. Whether you already have a diagnosis or are still searching for answers, Allara's care team uses your results to create a personalized treatment plan with expert medical and nutrition guidance.

They treat a wide range of women’s health conditions, including PCOS, fertility challenges, weight management, perimenopause, thyroid conditions, and more.

With Allara, you get clarity, expert support, and a personalized care plan all for as little as $0 with insurance. This isn’t about quick fixes. It’s about understanding your body and addressing the root causes.

Get started with Allara