Look for variety in the Supermarket
A well-fed gut microbiome is associated with countless enhanced health outcomes, physical and mental. Keep diversity in mind with every meal and mouthful, seeking to maximise the bandwidth of your diet.
- Try to eat something every day that you haven't eaten so far that week.
- Eat more of the plant (so beetroot leaves, coriander stalks etc)
- Change the usual colour, so purple carrots, blue poppy seeds, golden beetroot, black raspberries (darker-coloured fruit and veg suggests a higher anthocyanin antioxidant profile and therefore enhanced health benefits).
- And change the record - perhaps choose hemp oil over sunflower oil - and test drive new things when you see them.
Food Principals to live by - from the 5:2 diet's inventor
10) Make sure you fill up on protein and vegetables on your fasting days. Protein is very satiating and you can eat a lot of vegetables for very few calories.
For some recipes and ideas to get you started click here to go to my 5:2 diet page. Alternatively, invest in The 8 week Blood sugar diet recipe book and log on to the website, thebloodsugardiet.com
4) It's important that you increase your physical activity if you want to keep the weight off. This means doing muscle-building exercises, such as press-ups and squats, as well as aerobic exercise such as cycling or speed walking. You should also try to get your pulse racing a couple of times a day (perhaps by running up the stairs) and take every opportunity you can to move more.
3) You will get much more benefit out of intermittent fasting if you switch to a low-carbohydrate Mediterranean diet, both on the days when you are fasting and when you are not. That means more olive oil and nuts, as well as plenty of eggs, oily fish, yoghurt and vegetables.
Ten Essential Tips
8) Empty all the junk food out of the house. Getting rid of temptation means you are far less likely to cheat on fast days, and you are less likely to indulge in mindless eating on other days. Unfortunately willpower is grossly overrated and if you know the treats are close at hand you will almost certainly eat them.
Stop Eating On the Go.
Mindful eating isn't just a fad. It's the foundation of a healthy relationship with food. On a physiological level. mindfulness - eating with presence, free from distractions - allows us to tune into our bodies, to the nuances of our hunger and satiety hormones. This in turn helps with food choices and portion control.
The upshot is a positive feedback loop instilling habits of lightness, engagement, intention. And this, in itself, is a practice of yoga - "yoga chitta vriti nirodaha" or "stilling the mind noise".
We might think yoga is done on a mat, but it can just as well be practised on a plate.
(Source: Mimi Spencer)
6) But do keep an eye on the amount of calories that you are drinking. Smoothies have a reputation for being healthy but by the time you get rid of the fibre you are left with a lot of calories (well over 200 in a small bottle) as well as a big sugar hit. In a recent survey researchers discovered that out of 52 commercial smoothies, 41 had more sugar than Coca-cola and all had more calories..
7) And watch the alcohol. It is another way of consuming calories without noticing. A large (175ml) glass of red wine contains about 120 calories, while a pint of Guiness clocks up at around 170. You don't need to give up entirely, but a couple of days a week without is good for your health as well as your waist.
5) Drink plenty of fluid. A hot drink on an empty stomach is remarkably soothing. If you don't drink enough then you may well develop headaches and constipation when fasting. How much is 'enough'? The magic figure that is often quoted is two litres or eight cups a day. Tea and coffee count.
9) However, be wary of being in a constant state of self-denial. It is fatal to declare too many foods off-limits, as this leads to guilty, rebound overeating.
1) First the good news. You don't need to stick to 600 calories on fast days. Cutting down to 800 calories seems to be almost as effective and for some people much more doable.
2) If you want to do a really fast diet then you should eat 800 calories a day for a couple of weeks, before switching to 5:2. Studies have shown that if you do this you can expect to lose several kilos a week and most people say they soon stop feeling hungry. Contrary to what you have been told, rapid weight loss can be a more effective way to achieve your goals, both in the short and the long term. You must, however ensure that you are getting the right balance of protein and other nutrients.
Only eat to 80% full
As far as nutritional advice goes, a healthy plate ought to contain 50% vegetables and fruits, 25% lean protein and 25% healthy carbohydrates, with good fats in moderation. But, consider also the Japanese concept of "Ma", the intentional empty space on a plate.
This philosophical principle which translates as "pause" or "gap" is fundamental to Japanese art and culture; applied to food plating it helps create a sense of harmony and focus by allowing a little room for contemplation.
Another Japanese principle is "hara hachi bu". This suggests we eat until 80% full, allowing us to recognise the satiety hormone leptin, which takes 20 minutes to kick in. It is one reason why Okinawans are renowned for their good health and longevity.
Eat 2 meals a day - when you are hungry
In midlife our metabolism needs less fuel: the World Health Organisation (WHO) estimates that our basal metabolic rate decreases by 2% every decade; typically, we'll put on a kilo or two for every four years in middle age. So two meals a day makes sense.