5:2 – A Diet to consider

The intermittent fasting diet popularly known as 5:2 diet is about eating for 5 days of the week and eating one-fourth of a regular in-take on the other 2 two non-consecutive days. Your reduced-calorie days could be Monday and Thursday or Wednesday and Saturday. You could feel more satisfied with the idea of reduced calorie in-take than being restricted to have nothing at all throughout the entire day.

Now the question is what to eat in the remaining 2 days? For example, you may need a light breakfast to get yourself moving while others may feel hungrier after the breakfast. For them, it is advisable to delay their first meal as long as they can. Maintaining your hydration with water and herbal teas will prevent you from headaches and tiredness. Make sure of nutritious options, including fruit, veg, wholegrains and lean protein such as chicken, fish, turkey and dairy foods. Some practice to ease into fasting by first starting to extend the time between their evening meal and the first meal the next day - minimum of 12 hours. This calorie restriction is claimed to be associated with improving in brain function, reducing the risk of stroke, heart attack and cancer, and improving cholesterol levels. 

If you are pregnant and breast-feeding woman as well as diabetic on medication, do REMEMBER to seek medical advice. Don’t be on this diet for two consecutive days. In the first few days, you are likely to feel a little slower and weaker due to hunger. Don’t worry; you will be surprised at how fast this feeling fades if you try to keep yourself busy with some work. If you are not habitual of remaining hungry, a small snack or biscuits will prevent you from fainting. However, if your dizziness continues, do consult your doctor about whether you should carry on. Remember, not everyone is able to tolerate this diet plan.

The bottom line is this diet is effective to help you lose weight and improve your metabolic health, and to many, far easier than the conventional dieting.