An easy way to go beyond the guidelines is to get in the habit of an occasional fast.

Fasting is beneficial for weight loss because going without food for even a day immediately lessens the amount of calories you’ll be taking in over the long term.

But there’s more to it than just saving calories. Going on a fast sends a signal of semi-starvation that puts the whole body on alert. It then starts using stored fat, drawing it out of your blood and other places.

So fats stored in the blood, like cholesterol and triglycerides, begin to disappear.

Fasting also cleanses the body, and gives organs a break from constantly metabolizing food. As a result, immunologic response improves, blood pressure goes down, and people report feeling more clear-headed