Intermittent fasting involves a repeated pattern of eating and fasting that focuses on when you eat rather than what you eat. As an eating routine that doesn't require micro-managing calories, sticking to very specific meal plans, or swearing off your favorite comfort foods (feel free to gaze lovingly at your carton of ice cream here), intermittent fasting is a popular way of promoting healthy habits and achieving certain health goals without turning your whole life upside down.