Intermittent fasting - the truth

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The diet buzz phrase of the moment is intermittent fasting, otherwise known as the 5:2 diet. Fasting is a concept that has been practiced for thousands of years, but until recently it hasn't had much scientific backing. Books on the topic were hugely popular last Christmas and it's easy to see why. Intermittent fasting has a lot more going for it than your run of the mill celeb endorsements. Not only does it improve your weight loss, it also benefits your health. Sounds fool proof, but do you fancy starving yourself twice a week?

What is intermittent fasting?

Not for the faint-hearted, your calories are slashed to about 600 twice a week. According to advocates, long periods without food trigger a skinny gene that burns fat. And one study led by Dr Michelle Harvie found that women on a very low calorie diet (650 calories) for two days a week had a 40% lower breast cancer risk. Although research is positive, it's hard to see how the diet can translate to real life.

A typical day

Fasting days include only one meal , but if skipping breakfast or lunch sends you into a craving frenzy then try a 300 calorie split between breakfast and dinner.
Breakfast 2 slices of wholegrain toast with 1 tbs peanut butter
100g strawberries
Dinner
Turkey stir-fry made with minced turkey, garlic, pepper, chilli, canned tomatoes, onions and a little basmati rice

Benefits of fasting

Experts claim that it helps you to lose weight and also leads to health benefits, like:

• Longer life span
• Improved brain function, including protection from Alzheimer’s
• Protection from disease like cancer and heart disease

Disadvantages of fasting

Intermittent fasting may work in a scientific study environment, but if it doesn’t fit into your daily life the benefits don't matter. Medical opinion agrees that fasting is risky. If you want to fast, you should do so under medical supervision. There are many people, such as pregnant women or diabetics, for whom it is dangerous.
Although studies into intermittent fasting are on-going, possible side effects include:

• Difficulty sleeping
• Bad breath
• Irritability
• Anxiety
• Dehydration
• Sleepiness

Do your own version

Fasting twice a week isn’t for everyone, but you can do your own less drastic version. Step up your metabolism by regularly shifting your calories up or down a gear. Eat a healthy diet 5 days a week, then lower your calories to about 1200 once or twice a week and try to limit yourself to 2 or 3 main meals, with no snacks in between on these days. Yo-yoing between higher and lower calorie can wake up a sluggish metabolism.

Small steps add up

If you are brave enough to try intermittent fasting go ahead, but do you see yourself sticking to it long term? Making small healthy changes to your diet is more effective because they won't turn your life upside down. Replace your chocolate bar with a piece of fruit. Up your exercise, and walk faster for longer and watch your portion sizes. To lose weight and improve your health, you need to look at the overall shape of your lifestyle and not just your food!