![]() Intermittent Fasting - Weight Loss Resources. By Dietitian, Juliette Kellow BSc RDWhen it comes to losing weight, the idea of dieting only every other day may seem like an attractive one. After all, knowing we can indulge in our favourites . Nevertheless, some scientists believe that alternate day fasting doesn’t just help us lose weight. It may also make us healthier, reducing our risk of health problems such as heart disease and cancer, and easing the symptoms of conditions such as asthma. Supporters of this fasting diet even say it can help us live longer. One of the most popular diet books based on the idea of intermittent feasting and fasting is The Alternate- Day Diet, written by plastic surgeon Dr James Johnson. Here’s the lowdown. But some experts believe that eating like this will make you healthier and help you live longer – as well as shifting those pounds. What’s the theory of intermittent fasting? The idea that restricting our calories makes us healthier and increases our life expectancy has been around for decades and forms the basis for a book called The Longevity Diet by Brian Delaney and Lisa Walford. Five-day fasting diet could fight disease, slow aging. By Mitch Leslie Feb. 15, 2017, 2:00 PM. Fasting is all the rage. Self-help books promise it will incinerate. Two new health books reveal how intermittent fasting can help you normalize your weight, prevent many chronic diseases, and increase longevity. An overview of what the Every Other Day diet entails and where to buy the book. If you’re trying out the 5:2 diet, then our under 500 calorie meal plans will get you though those fasting days with delicious and filling recipes - yum! An experienced 5:2 Fast Dieter's tips, thoughts, meals and weight loss story. Wondering if the 5:2 Diet lives up to all the hype? ![]() As far back as the 1. American scientist found that drastically reducing the calories fed to mice helped them to live longer and be healthier. In more recent times, the same thing has been shown in a variety of life forms including fruit flies, roundworms and monkeys. The idea of severely restricting calories every other day – rather than every day – to improve health and life expectancy came in 2. National Institute on Ageing in America. After 2. 0 weeks, mice who were allowed to eat as much as they wanted on one day but not fed the next day, lived longer and had lower levels of glucose and insulin and improved insulin sensitivity compared to mice that were allowed to eat freely all of the time. But more importantly, these levels matched or were even better than those of mice who ate 4. The scientists involved in the study concluded that alternate day fasting was just as likely to improve health and life expectancy as a daily calorie restriction. Is there any evidence that the same thing happens in humans? To date, most research has been carried out in laboratories with animals. There aren’t many human studies that have looked at the link between restricting calories and life expectancy – and even fewer that specifically look at the impact of alternate day fasting on health and longevity. ![]() Those human studies that have been carried out have generally had several limitations – namely that they include only a few participants and have only been carried out over a short period of time. It’s an area that needs a lot more research before any definite conclusions can be drawn. So what’s the link with weight loss? Unsurprisingly, restricting calories – whether it’s all of the time or fasting every other day – usually results in weight loss. The concept of an eating pattern that alternates between periods of fasting followed by periods of eating is sometimes known as Intermittent Fasting. When this pattern follows a 2. Alternate Day Fasting. One small human study published in the 2. ![]() ![]() ![]() American Journal of Clinical Nutrition has shown how alternate day fasting can aid weight loss. In this study, 1. On fasting days they had nothing but calorie- free drinks whilst on feasting days they were allowed to eat whatever they wanted. At the end of the study, the adults had: Lost an average of 2. Lost four percent of their fat mass. This indicates that they didn’t consume two days worth of calories on feasting days to make up for the lack of calories on the day of fasting. ![]() However, most participants felt extremely hungry throughout the study and said they couldn’t sustain this type of eating pattern for long. The scientists behind the study suggested that allowing one small meal on a fasting day might make the diet more acceptable. And that’s exactly what the Alternate- Day Diet is based on. Rather than totally fasting on alternate days, the idea is to severely restrict calories to 2. So how do I follow the Alternate Day Fasting diet? On the first day of the diet, you have just one fifth of you normal calorie intake that keeps your weight steady. As a guideline, women need around 2,0. This means on a . However, the heavier you are, the more calories you need just to keep your weight steady. You can get a more accurate picture of how many calories you need for weight maintenance by entering your weight, height and sex into the personal information on Weight Loss Resources database. Then divide this figure by five to calculate the amount of calories you should have on a . These have the advantage of being fortified with nutrients and help to remove the temptation to overeat. On the second day of the diet, you simply eat what you would normally eat. Then on day three, you do the same as on day one – and so on. After two weeks on this regime, you should start eating food rather than meal replacement products on . Ideally, you should stick to 2. However, if you find this too restrictive it’s acceptable to increase to 2. For women that’s around 5. How much weight loss can I expect? The author of the Alternate- Day Diet lost 3. However, on average, you can expect to lose around 1- 2lb a week, with perhaps a few extra pounds in the first week as your body adapts. This is highlighted by a small study of 1. An average weight loss of 1. A drop in body fat from 4. A reduction in blood pressure, total cholesterol and LDL (or . How often should I weigh myself? Only weigh yourself at 6 or 8- day intervals, preferably in the morning after a fast day. This is because you can see a variation of as much as 3- 4lb between a feast and fast day. So is weight loss purely down to an overall calorie reduction? According to the author of the Alternate- Day Diet this isn’t the case. Certainly, a total calorie reduction through fasting aids weight loss. However, this approach is based on the idea that fasting every other day also activates a . The theory goes that when cells are restricted of energy – as is the case when we have a very low calorie intake – they become . This is thought to trigger a chain of events that activates SIRT1, which in turn sets off a process that stops cells from dying. This skinny gene is thought to help make our metabolism more efficient so that we burn fat more effectively and also helps to inhibit fat storage. Plus, SIRT1 has been shown to inhibit substances in our bodies that can cause inflammation. This is important because inflammation is thought to be at the root of many health problems including: heart diseasescancerpremature ageingasthmaarthritis. Alzheimer’s disease. It’s thought this may be the reason why animal research shows that restricting calories improves health. Can anyone follow this diet? It’s always worth checking with your doctor before starting a new diet. However, very low calorie intakes on alternate days may not be suitable for some people, for example, people with diabetes. Eating very little on certain days may also not be suitable if you take certain medications. To be sure, it’s best to see your doctor and discuss the diet. What are the pros of Alternate Day Fasting? Ultimately, this intermittent fasting plan can reduce your overall calorie content to help you lose weight. You may also feel less deprived on a plan like this as you’re dealing with . It also enables you to eat normally at social occasions, taking away the worry about trying to choose low calorie options. This type of eating pattern may also help to prevent metabolism from slowing down, which inevitably occurs when calories are restricted. Your body doesn’t perceive it’s starving – which is what happens with a constant low calorie intake – so the mechanism that kicks in to slow down your metabolism in order to save calories doesn’t get switched on. This type of eating pattern is simply a far more extreme version of what nutritionists and dietitians often recommend – compensating for a day of overindulging with a day of being strict. And the cons of Alternate Day Fasting? There’s always the possibility you may end up bingeing on the . Research with mice found that alternate day fasting didn’t result in weight loss as the rodents simply gorged themselves on the days when they were able to eat, easily compensating for all the calories they had saved by fasting ever other day. This is easier to do than you might think, too. For example, with this diet, a woman who normally needs 2,0. However, having a chicken korma with pilau rice, a naan bread, a couple of poppadoms with chutney and two large glasses of wine alone contains around 2,3. Add this to a normal 4. And there’s the potential for us to end up with an unhealthy diet that’s lacking in nutrients, particularly if you don’t follow the principles of healthy eating on the days when we can eat. Finally, there’s the very real problem of dealing with extreme hunger on fasting days. Juliette’s verdict. The idea of eating what you want every other day certainly sounds attractive – but of course it comes with payback – and that’s practically starving yourself on the alternate days! Nevertheless, this type of eating pattern may work for some. Effectively, it’s simply a new way to help you take in potentially fewer calories than you burn up so that you use up your fat stores and lose weight as a result. However, for the plan to really work, it’s crucial that on the days when you do eat, you don’t go mad and gorge yourself. Spend these days eating biscuits, cakes, fried food, sugary drinks, crisps and chocolate and you won’t get the benefits of the fasting days. It’s also important to make sure that the foods you do eat are packed with nutrients to help top up intakes of protein, vitamins , minerals and fibre – the downside of eating roughly half as much as normal means you’re likely to miss out on half the nutrients you’d normally get. Everything You Need To Know From Recipes To Food Swaps. If it's good enough for Jennifer Aniston then it's good enough for us. Your definitive guide to the 5: 2 diet from recipes, tips, tricks and low calorie food swaps. What is the 5 2 diet? The 5: 2 diet plan is simple. For two non- consecutive days a week you must limit yourself to 5. Though, you may be disappointed to hear (like we were) that . Celebrity fans of the 5: 2 diet include Miranda Kerr and Jennifer Aniston apparently. Yes, the diet secrets of the rich and famous never cease to amaze us. How does the 5 2 diet work? The 5: 2 diet is essentially a fancy name for intermittent fasting. Fasting is seen as a more effective way to lose weight because by cutting down on your calorie intake intermittently, rather than all at once, your body goes into . This repair mode causes the body to restore damaged cells, which uses more energy, whereas starvation mode causes your body to store fat. What are the benefits of the 5 2 diet? We asked nutritionists, health writers and experts what they thought about the diet. Here are there 5: 2 reviews: 1. Your cognitive function may be improved, which can help to prevent conditions like Alzheimer’s and dementia. Felicity Cloake, Guardian columnist and award- winning food writer says: . After all, I can always have that cake tomorrow!’3. Fasting for short periods may help to give your digestive system a rest. Angela Dowden, author of The 5: 2 Diet Cookbook, says: . Also it really does seem to help re- educate your eating habits, which is key to sustained weight loss.’5. Initial studies suggest intermittent fasting may have the ability to increase lifespan. Dr Sarah Schenker, author of The Fast Diet Recipe Book, says: . It may reduce your risk of developing chronic diseases such as Type 2 diabetes. Kate Harrison, author of The Ultimate 5: 2 Diet Recipe Book, says: . Plus, it’ll save you money – and, of course, you can still enjoy your favourite dishes, so 5: 2 means never having to feel guilty about food again.’9. Fasting is believed to reduce the levels of IGF- 1 in the blood (a growth hormone which seems to lead to accelerated ageing and can cause cell divisions like those found in cancer). What are the cons of the 5 2 diet? After fasting, you may find yourself overeating. Emma Woolf, Times columnist, as seen on Channel 4’s Supersize Vs Superskinny, says: ? What’s right with it, more like. It’s unbalanced and unhealthy, alternating fasting with feasting. It’s the ultimate all- or- nothing cycle of hungry days and high- calorie days. Extreme dieting triggers over- eating, and causes mood swings. Like every other miracle diet it’s unsustainable over the long- term.’3. Side effects may include difficulty sleeping (which can be countered by trying these yoga moves to help you sleep), bad breath, dehydration and anxiety. Fiona Nave, registered paediatric dietitian/nutritionist, says: . There are short- term health risks to consider. People could find they get dizzy, feel sick and could even pass out. And if someone was diabetic, for example, it could be extremely dangerous.’5. Restricting food can lead to nutrient deficiencies if your body doesn’t get all the essential minerals and nutrients it needs. Alan Aragon, Men’s Health advisory board member, says: . This diet is not suitable for pregnant women, Type 1 diabetics, children or people recovering from surgery. Fasting can leave you with less energy, which can affect your ability to function with daily tasks. There is concern that the 5: 2 diet can encourage eating disorders among vulnerable people. How to do the 5 2 diet. We asked Kate Harrison, author of The Ultimate 5: 2 Diet Recipe Book (Easy, Calorie Counted Fast Day Meals You’ll Love) for some top tips, tricks and swaps so you can make this much- talked about diet work for you. Here’s what she had to say: Maximum flavour for minimum calories. Fast days and carbs don’t mix. A sugary croissant will eat up most of your daily allowance and leave you famished by eleven o’clock, focus instead on vegetables, salad and small servings of lean meat, fish, eggs or tofu. Why not jazz them up with herbs, spices and flavourings? Chilli flakes or curry pastes in soups, stews or baked beans; flavoured vinegars or lemon juice to dress salads, and fresh herbs as a topping for most dishes. Soups are also a great bet because they’ve been proven to fill you up for longer than the same ingredients served on a plate! Experiment with meal times. We’re always told that breakfast is the most important meal of the day – but many of us on 5: 2 find that the later we eat, the less hungry we feel so experiment with meal times to see what suits you best. Swapping three meals for two or even one gives you more calories per meal. Try brunch at 1. 2 and supper at 6, or a bigger meal with your partner at 7pm. There’s some evidence that leaving longer between meals has bigger healthy benefits. If you like . Pick what’s fresh and cheap at the supermarket or market stall – those overripe tomatoes will be delicious roasted with balsamic vinegar and herbs. In winter, root veg like parsnip and butternut squash are delicious in soup or roasted and served with low- fat feta. Halved peppers can be stuffed with cream cheese, veggies or tuna, then grilled. You can even bake an egg in one. Fast low calorie food swaps: . These 5: 2 diet recipes were taken from The Ultimate 5: 2 Diet Recipe Book (Easy, Calorie Counted Fast Day Meals You’ll Love), by Kate Harrison, . Preheat the oven to 1. Line a 1. 2- hole muffin tin with paper cases. Mix together the oats (keeping a tablespoon aside for the topping), flours, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, salt and sugar. Mix together the mashed bananas, egg and oil and then pour into the dry oat and flour mix and fold together. Spoon into the prepared muffin cases and scatter the top of each muffin with the reserved oats and the seeds. Bake for 2. 0–2. 5 minutes, until brown and slightly springy to touch. One- tray baked Cod Proven. Heat the oven to 2. Place the chopped peppers, courgette and onion in a shallow baking dish. Spray with a little 1- cal cooking spray, season well with salt and pepper and roast for 1. Place the cod fillets on top, season and spray with 1- cal cooking spray. Scatter the tomatoes, olives and lemon zest around the fish, and squeeze over the lemon juice. Sprinkle with the herbs, season again, and bake for 8–1. Scatter with the olives and serve immediately. Spicy Mexican Bean Burgers. Serves: 4. Calories per serving: 2. Preparation time: 2. Cooking time: 2. 0 minutes. Ingredients: 1- cal cooking spray. Spray a non- stick frying pan with a little 1- cal cooking spray. Add the onion and spring onions, season with salt and pepper and fry over a low heat for about 5 minutes, until softened but not coloured. Add the garlic, chilli and Cajun spice, then fry for 2–3 minutes. Tip into a bowl, add the beans and roughly mash. Leave to cool slightly, then add the egg, breadcrumbs, coriander and lime juice. Season well, then mix to combine. Gently stir in the crumbled feta. Wet your hands lightly, then shape the mixture into 4 large patties. Chill in the fridge for 2. Preheat the grill to medium. Spray a little more cooking spray in a grillproof frying pan and heat over a medium heat. Add the burgers and fry for 3–4 minutes on each side, until golden brown. Top each burger with a slice of halloumi, then cook under the grill for 3–4 minutes, until the cheese is bubbling and melted. Serve in toasted buns topped with guacamole, rocket leaves and sliced tomatoes, if desired.
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