Page 19 - Diet Explained

The idea of intermittent fasting is to fast for short periods and to alternate

between this and periods of eating normally. This might mean that you stop

eating after 4pm, or it might mean that you attempt the ‘5:2 diet’ and fast for

two days of the week consuming only 500-600 calories on those days.

The idea behind this is partly to force a lower calorie intake for the week. At
the same time though, it also forces you to lower your blood sugar signifi-

cantly during those periods, increasing your insulin sensitivity, the function
of your mitochondria and your ability to burn through fats. You’ll also re-

duce your glycogen stores and triglycerides by burning through energy
when your blood sugar is that low.

The biggest problem with this diet is how impractical it is to stick to. It’s also

a rather extreme measure which could potentially upset the hormone bal-

ance for those who have existing problems.

Mediterranean Diet

Remember when fat was the enemy and everyone thought it caused heart

problems?

One of the studies that managed to topple this notion was a survey that

looked at the health of people who ate different diets in different countries.

It was found here that despite eating a high fat diet, people who lived on

the Mediterranean (Italians, French, Greek) all lived longer and had better

heart health than those in the UK and US.

Why?

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