Hugh Jackman partakes in Intermittent fasting as part of his process to get shredded for the Wolverine roles. This strategy of when to eat your meals has been shown to produce many health benefits.
Your body runs on a circadian rhythm (like a clock) which controls the enzymes that break down various foods. Intermittent fasting is more so a dieting schedule rather than an actual diet. This type of fasting is used for you to intake your calories within a given time window. The goal of intermittent fasting is to eat within a 9-12 hour window. Studies have shown the best results are when you keep that window to 9-10 hours. Having said that, there are different ways to carry out this plan.
First you must start off with how big you want your window to be. This window can range from 8-12 hours. The next step is to determine what time in the day you want this window to take place. Some will start at 8 am and then stop eating from 4-6 pm. Others will skip breakfast and have their window take place from 11 am- 9 pm. It is entirely up to you. Personally, I like to have the window take place within an hour of getting out of bed. Your body's enzymes are most active earlier in the day and slow down late at night. As a result, the food is not getting broken down and absorbed as efficiently at night.
Does coffee count as starting a window? Yes, when you have that first sip of coffee or whatever you eat your clock starts. If you have coffee at 7 am, you can eat until 3-7 pm depending how big you made that window. After that widow closes, the only thing you are allowed is water.
Intermittent fasting helps increase NAD which is used by your mitochondria to create energy. Your body needs energy and the mitochondria produces it. Studies have shown intermittent fasting leads to an increase in lean muscle mass and gets rid of any mitochondria that might have been damaged. Intermittent fasting has also been shown to raise hormone levels, increase metabolic rate and lower insulin levels.