The 5:2 Diet - Fad or Fact? Time to experiment!

More and more I am hearing about a diet called the 5:2 diet – when I first heard about it, I was sceptical at this new fad diet, I even wrote a Facebook status about it, but I will explain my initial scepticism below. I am hearing more about it from different sources and have patients and work colleagues both trying it out, so its made me think... is there something good behind this diet? Is it just a fad, or is it fact?

About the 5:2 diet

So this diet was first made popular by Michael Moseley, who tried out the diet in the documentary, Eat, Fast & Live Longer. After 9 weeks on this diet, he found he lost 20 pounds (9 kilograms), a drop in cholesterol and lower blood sugar results. Pretty amazing stuff, as he didn’t increase exercise or anything else in his life.

The premise of the diet is for 5 days your eat normally, and then ‘fast’ for 2 days – this is not a total fast, but its a low calorie diet – men are limited to 600 calories a day, women 500 calories (a normal recommended amount to eat is 2000 calories per day). The days of fasting do not need to be consecutive.

There have been some studies on this diet type, which not only found weight loss and the cholesterol and blood sugar level improvements, but also improved brain function and even lower potentially cancerous  cells in the blood. This is due to a hormone known as IGF1. This hormone helps with normal growth in childhood, but in adults it can promote abnormal growth, such as cancer cells. By fasting, you are stopping the production of this hormone.  Other studies found that intermittent fasting increases levels of a protein called brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF). BDNF stimulates new brain cells in the hippocampus – the area of the brain responsible for memory. The shrinking of the hippocampus is linked with dementia and Alzheimer’s – so intermittent fasting may play a role in these conditions. BDNF also has been found to be a mild  anti depressant!

Why was I so sceptical?

When I first heard about it, I got told ‘fast for 2 days, eat whatever you like for the other 5 days’ Thats just opening the flood gates, by telling people you can eat whatever you want for 5 days - I know some people that would take definite advantage of this! And as for calorie control – never been a big fan. People may go for lean cuisine, diet foods or low fat foods to make sure that they don’t go over their calorie count. Just because something is low calorie, does not mean its good for you! How about your health? As a naturopath, I work with nutrients, not calories, so this whole calorie counting realm is new to me.  If people are educated that they need to eat REAL foods and enough protein to keep them satiated, then this diet works quite well.

This picture encapsulates my 5:2 diet scepticism perfectly.

Time to experiment!

My husband and I are doing the 5:2 diet to see not only how it feels and what its like to live on a low calorie diet, but also to see what happens to us. My husband loves to run, so he is observing if by fasting he will have more energy to run or less – online forums give both yes and no answers for this. The only way to know is to try it ourselves!

The first fasting week

My husband and I this week have started the 5:2 diet. Keeping in mind about nutrients and to avoid deficiencies, I have been very careful with what we eat. I have been using the calorie king app to help keep us on track as far as calories go and it has been a real education to both of us.

Spring vegetable soup with cumin - my very filling and a tasty 150 calorie fast day lunch!

By the end of the first fasting day, we both found it strange to eat and be hungry 10 minutes later. No food could fill us! The next morning my body felt very clean internally – hard to describe it. We went out to breakfast where this one meal was the more than the whole calorie count of the day before, but the food felt so nourishing and like every molecule of that food was beneficial to the body. A great feeling! 

Possibly my new favourite meal- quinoa crumbed eggs with goats cheese and green bean  & almond salad. This was my post fast day breakfast from The Artful Dodger in Elsternwick. Definitely more calories than I consumed the day before! nom nom nom!

I’m typing this on my 2^nd fasting day – it could be because I’m at home, but I’m finding it a lot easier today. I haven’t hit night time yet though. J

I will write blogs to follow up on the progress of this diet and will include meal ideas in those.

References to the studies mentioned are available upon request – laura.thenaturopath@gmail.com

The Glycemic Index & Load... Whats its all about?

For us in the southern hemisphere, Summer is approaching soon woop woop! This means lots of fun out in the sun and for some of us, shedding the winter kilos and getting our bodies back to looking toned and beach fab!

Without needing to result to fad diets or weight loss products, there are easy changes you can make to your every day life which will make you a healthier, happier person! 

One of these changes is choosing low glycemic index/load foods.

You may have heard ads on TV talk about their low GI range, but don't really understand what its all about. No dramas, Laura the Naturopath is here to answer those questions for you!

So tell me... What is the Glycemic Index (GI)?

The concept of the glycemic index (GI) is defined as the increase in blood glucose levels caused by foods during a 2 hour consumption after consumption. Each food is given a score where the higher the score, the higher the blood glucose levels have peaked.

Research suggests that elevated blood glucose levels can lead to the development of diseases, such as Diabetes Mellitus type 2, cardiovascular disease, high cholesterol levels and obesity. Imagine if all the people with these conditions changed their diet choices... the results would be amazing and leave some doctors out of a job!

What is high GI and low GI?

High GI foods cause a rapid rise in our blood glucose levels, giving you a big energy hit, however this is followed by a quick fall in blood glucose, leaving you even more tired than earlier.

Low GI foods cause a slower and more extended rise, and then decreases more gradually, giving you more energy for longer.

It is recommended to consume low GI foods, as you lower your consumption of unnecessary food and feel fuller for longer!

55 or less: Low GI food

56-69: Medium GI food

70 or greater: High GI food

So, wait... What is the Glycemic Load (GL)?

Many people discuss a low GI diet, but a low GL diet is only now becoming more known. To calculate its GI, each food was given a defined weight of 50g. In reality, we may consume more or less of this amount. The glycemic load equals the glycemic index times the grams of carbohydrates present in each serving of food.

10 or less: Low GL food

11-19: Medium GL food

20 or greater: High GL food

This means a food, such as watermelon has a GI rating of 103, but each serve has a GL of 4.

Watermelon shark: high GI, low GL, 100% awesome looking.

Why do some of the same foods peak at different values?

Some foods are processed differently than others and contain varied amounts of carbohydrates from those made by other companies. It has been found that even the temperature of foods can alter its glycemic index/load.

Tasty low GI / GL meal ideas!

Why not try...

Breakfast:

o    Porridge with crushed nuts and apple or berries

o    Hommus (chickpea paste) on wholegrain toast

Lunch:

o    Rye sandwich with roast turkey breast and salads

o    Fresh lentil soup

Dinner:

o    Grilled salmon with stir-fried vegetables (carrot, capsicum, onion, broccoli) and rice noodles

o    Wholegrain pasta with homemade Bolognese (beef and vegetables)

Snacks:

o   Trail mix of raw almonds, raw cashews, sultanas, dried apples,  dried apricots and goji berries

o   Popcorn cooked in the saucepan – tastes better than microwave popcorn and is a LOT healthier - stay tuned for a blog on this!

o   Hommus dip with carrot and celery sticks, or wholegrain crackers

o   Fresh pieces of fruit

A Word of Warning...

The GI scale does not take into account preservatives, refined products, pesticides or any other nasty stuff that has been added to foods in processing. So if you see a packet of biscuits which claim they are low GI, use your common sense still - check the ingredients. If the majority are numbers or words you have never heard of, put the packet back on the shelf and move on! They may be low GI, but the other ingrredients could make it detrimental to your health!

This all makes sense... so how do I know what are the GI / GL levels of foods?

I've done all the hard work for you already! The link below is a handout which lists many common foods and both their GI and GL rating, plus some simple ways to swap from high GI/GL products to low ones.

Low GI / GL Food Handout 

You are most welcome! :)

Coconut Oil

I thought this would be a good time to bring up cooking oils. It is usually recommended by TV to use olive oil over other oils (vegetable oil, sunflower oil) as it has been shown to reduce cholesterol levels and the risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD). While it is fantastic to put on salads and on foods after cooking, olive oil is not a heat stable oil and loses its health benefits when heated and can convert to trans fats - a harmful by-product which can increase the risk of CVD, obesity, diabetes, cancer and even Alzheimer's. 

Saturated fats are heat stable (solid at room temperature) and are less likely to convert to trans fats. A safe and healthy alternative to use is coconut oil.

What is coconut oil?

Coconut oil is a highly aromatic saturated fat which can be used for cooking. It is mainly used in parts of Asia (such as Malaysia and Vietnam) and India and adds a slight coconut taste to cooking. 

What are the health benefits of coconut oil?

Cholesterol lowering

Coconut oil contains lauric acid, which contains the ability to assist in cholesterol management. There have been mixed results in coconut oils  activity with cholesterol levels: some studies indicate that it lowers LDL cholesterol and oxidation in the body, while others indicate that the negative effects of saturated fats suggest that it should not be consumed regularly. Coconut oil has been found to decrease cholesterol in studies performed in its countries of origin, leading to theories that it may be due to the storage methods or lowered deterioration of the oil.

Anti fungal properties

Coconut has been found to have antimicrobial properties, with studies showing that it has the ability to kill fungal infections including Candida albicans (Thrush). It also has been shown to have moderate anti-inflammatory and pain relief properties in animal studies.

Weight loss / thyroid assistance

Some websites claim that coconut oil may have properties which assist weight management due to an effect up on the thyroid. This property cannot be substantiated, as there has been no research found to backup this claim.

Antioxidant

Coconut oil has been found to lower oxidation effects in the body, making it a good antioxidant. It has been found that extra virgin coconut oil contains more antioxidants, so buy extra virgin (unless you really don't like a coconutty flavour)

What do I look for if I’m going to buy it?

Coconut oil can be found in all good health food stores. Extra virgin Coconut oil is extracted via a wet process, and coconut oil is extracted via a dry process. Buy either virgin or extra virgin - Extra virgin will give you a slight coconut taste, while virgin has no coconut taste.  

Organic coconut oils will not contain genetically-modified coconut or have previous pesticide use, so the healthier option would be to buy an organic brand.

Storage:  Keep your coconut oil jar in a cool place, as it can melt with heat (tip: keep it in the fridge in summertime!).

How to use: Use it just the same as you would butter in a fry pan. Coconut oil will melt pretty quickly and if using extra virgin coconut oil, your kitchen will smell amazing, especially if you cook it up with onions!