The Fast Diet: The secret of intermittent fasting � lose weight, stay healthy, live longer (10 page)

9.
Stay hydrated
. Find no-calorie drinks you like, and then drink them in quantity. Some swear by herbal tea; others prefer a mineral water with bubbles to dance on the tongue, though tap water will do just as well. Plenty of our hydration comes through the food we eat, so you may need to compensate with additional drinks beyond your routine intake (check your urine; it should be plentiful and pale). While there’s no scientific rationale for drinking the recommended eight glasses of water a day, there is good reason to keep the liquids coming in. A dry mouth is the last sign of dehydration, not the first, so act before your body complains, recognising too that a glass of water is a quick way to hush an empty belly, at least temporarily. It will also stop you mistaking thirst for hunger.

10.
Don’t count on weight loss on any given day.
If you have a week when the scales don’t seem to shift, dwell instead upon the health benefits you will certainly be accruing even if you haven’t seen your numbers drop. Remember why you’re doing this: not just the smaller jeans, but the long-term advantages, the widely accepted disease-busting, brain-boosting, life-lengthening benefits of Intermittent Fasting. Think of it as a pension plan for your body.

11.
Be sensible, exercise caution, and if it feels wrong, stop
. It’s vital that this strategy should be practised in a way that’s flexible and forgiving. It’s OK to break the rules if you need to. It’s not a race to the finish, so be kind to yourself and make it fun. Who wants to live longer if life’s an abject misery? You don’t want to grunt and sweat under a weary life. You want to go dancing. Right?

12.
Congratulate yourself
. Every completed fast day means potential weight loss and quantifiable health gain. You’re already winning.

It really doesn’t matter. It’s your life, and you’ll know which days will suit you best. Monday is an obvious choice for many, perhaps because it is more manageable,
psychologically and practically, to gear yourself up at the beginning of a new week, particularly if it follows a sociable weekend. For that reason, fasters might choose to avoid Saturdays and Sundays, when family lunches and brunches, dinner dates and parties make calorie-cutting a chore. Thursday would then make a sensible second fasting day, chiming, if such things appeal, with the teachings of the Prophet Mohammed, who is understood to have fasted on the second and fifth days of the week. But be flexible; don’t force yourself to fast when it feels wrong. If you’re particularly stressed, off-colour, tired or peevish on a day that you have designated a fast, try again another day. Adapt. This is not about one-size-
fits-all
rules; it’s about finding a realistic pattern that works for you. Do, however, aim for a pattern. That way, over time, your fasts will become familiar, a low-key habit you accept and embrace. You may adapt your fasts as your life (and your body) changes shape – but don’t drop too many fast days; there is a danger that you’ll slide back into old habits. Be kind. But be tough.

Fasting for a 24-hour period is practical, coherent and unambiguous, all of which will promise a greater chance of success. It is, however, merely the most convenient way of organising a fast: there’s nothing magical about 24 hours. To save on bother, stick to it, and remind yourself that you’ll be asleep for nearly a third of it.

Most of the studies done to date on humans have involved volunteers fasting on consecutive days; there may be some value in doing back-to-back fasts, but as far as we are aware, there are no studies on humans comparing this approach with split days. We do, however, know what works in practice for many fasters. Michael tried the consecutive system and found it too challenging to be sustainable over time, so he switched to the split version – fasting on Mondays and Thursdays. The weight loss, improvements in glucose, cholesterol and IGF-1 that he saw are all based on this non-consecutive, two-day pattern.

There’s a psychological imperative here too: fast for more than a day at a time, and you may start to feel resentful, bored and beleaguered – precisely the feelings that wreck the best-made diet intentions. A critical part of this plan is that you never feel challenged for long enough to consider quitting. By the time you’ve had enough, breakfast is on the table and another fast has passed.

This will depend largely on your own metabolism, your individual body type, your starting weight, your level of activity and how effectively and honestly you fast. In the first week, you may experience water loss that can account for a significant dip on the scales; with time, your weekly calorie deficit will mean, thanks to the simple law of thermogenics (energy in < energy out = weight loss), that
you will be losing fat. Be judicious: abrupt weight loss is not advised and shouldn’t be your aim. You may, however, anticipate losing around half a stone in eight weeks.

As we’ve seen, foods with a low GI or GL will help keep your blood sugar stable, increasing your chances of a successful day with few calories. Vegetables and legumes are, needless to say, amazing, and you should rely on them on a fast day. Packed with nutrients, their bulk fills you up, they have relatively few calories and they keep your blood sugar low. Carrots are a great snack, particularly with hummus dip, which scores an astonishing GI of 6 and a GL of 0. Fruit is handy too, though some fruits are more fast-friendly than others.

Check the GI count of your chosen fast-day foods online. Diabetes UK has an excellent guide at www.diabetes.org.uk.

Or look at the GI Index from the University of Sydney on www.glycemicindex.com, noting that some foods have an unexpected count. Staples, for instance, are worth scrutinising with an eagle eye:

The biggest surprise regarding the staples is how big an effect baking or mashing potatoes has on blood sugars. On fast days, avoid these starchy basics, and substitute with plenty of greens. Fill your plate. Watch out for fruit too. Some are your fast friends; others will spike your blood sugar and are best left for the days when you are eating freely.

Eating the whole fruit will keep you feeling full for longer.
Strawberries, without sugar, are extraordinarily low GI/GL and also low calorie (no wonder many fasters eat a bowl for breakfast). The striking thing to note is the high sugar impact of raisins and dates. Avoid them on fast days. For more on calorie levels, refer to the Counter on page 185.

The term ‘super-food’ is more of a marketing ploy than a scientific construct, and clinical nutritionists are loath to use the description. All plants produce a huge range of phytochemicals that can have a beneficial role in the body: eat them on a fast day or, indeed, on any day you please. The following foods taste good and they’re generally low in calories – making them ideal fast-day companions:

• FRUIT:
  As the labs of the world continue in their quest for new anti-obesity marvels, the latest to emerge is the humble tangerine. Citrus fruits in general, and tangerines in particular, contain high concentrations of nobiletin, a compound that ‘protects from obesity and atherosclerosis’ – in lab mice at least.
  ³⁰
  If you like tangerines, eat them, perhaps spending time meditatively peeling away the pith. The same group of researchers previously found that grapefruit, rich in a compound called naringenin, encourages the liver to burn fat rather than store it.
  ³¹
  Grapefruit also contains
  compounds such as liminoids and lycopene (thought to have anti-cancer properties),
  ³²
  and clocks in at only 39 calories per half, making it a good fast-day food. (You should, however, be aware that grapefruit interacts with a number of common medicines, so if you are taking medication such as statins, consult your doctor.) Alternatively, you could always throw in a watermelon smile (30 calories per 100g) or an apple (around 50 calories per 100g) for flavour, crunch and pectin, a soluble fibre that can’t be absorbed by the body but is useful in fat digestion.
  ³³
  Apples are the ultimate convenience food, though they are quite high in calories; eat the whole thing, skin, pips and core – you’ll probably want to if it’s one of your fast day treats. Tomatoes also contain lycopene, which may help guard against cancer
  ³⁴
  and stroke.
  ³⁵
  A handful of cherry tomatoes or strawberries (low GI, low GL) could be your best bet to get you through a tummy rumble unscathed. Check for calorie traps before you eat (see the Calorie Counter on page 185)
  
 

• BERRIES:
  Blueberries are high in antioxidant polyphenols and phytonutrients. New research has found that these bold little berries may also be able to break down fat cells in the body and prevent new ones from forming.
  ³⁶
  Pretty impressive, eh? Even if you don’t buy the science, blueberries remain a handy source of vitamin C. Once you’re berry savvy, you may want to
  cruise your local healthfood store for other super-foods: goji, acai, aloe, hemp seeds, chia seeds and spirulina (a nutrient-rich blue-green alga). All curious, all good
  
 

• VEGETABLES:
  Again, aim for a broad variety – different colours, textures, tastes, shapes. Steamed broccoli contains a whole world of nutrients (including vitamin K). Green beans love a little lemon and garlic. Fennel is great if shaved (invest in a mandolin), perhaps teamed with orange segments and a squeeze of the juice. Edamame are a good source of low-fat protein and omega 3 fatty acids. Starchy veg, of course, tend to have a higher GL and calorific value, though they are satiating. Proceed with caution and don’t add butter
  
 

• LEAVES:
  It goes without saying that green leafy veg are your fast-day friends. Spinach, kale, chard, mustard greens, salad leaves… a veritable vit fest, and agreeably low in calories. Pep things up with chilli flakes, ginger, cumin, pepper, lemon juice, garlic. Garlic, by the way, contains allicin, the active ingredient that lends it pungency and is also thought to protect cells and reduce fatty deposits,
  ³⁷
  so be liberal and carry (sugarless) mints
  
 

• HERBS AND SPICES:
  Low-cal, high-impact, no brainer. Pickles may work for you too – cornichons, jalapenos,
  onions (watch the GI values) – or mustard; anything, really, that brings a bolt of fire or flavour to your plate
  
 

• NUTS:
  We’ve established that nuts are a fast-day favourite: filling and low GI. Almonds, though calorific, are high in protein and fibre which makes them brilliantly satiating; pistachios too (better yet, they take ages to crack and eat). Cashews and coconut flakes will help animate a salad. But count wisely: nut calories soon clock up
  
 

• SEEDS:
  Sunflower seeds contain good fats, together with iron, zinc, potassium, vitamins E and B1, magnesium and selenium – all that goodness in a tiny little packet
  
 

• SOUP:
  Scientists at Penn State University have found that soup is a great appetite suppressant.
  ³⁸
  Go for a light broth, a miso soup, a kicky pho; choose carrot and coriander over a creamy chowder
  
 

• CEREALS:
  Oats are a standby low GL staple, but mix it up; you could experiment with bulgar, couscous or quinoa – it’s high in protein and fibre, easy to cook and a good source of iron
  
 

• DAIRY:
  Milk products, though full of protein and calcium, can also be high in fat. Opt for low-fat
  alternatives – and save the cheese board for tomorrow. Fat-free or low-fat yoghurt will bring protein, potassium (and, if you want them, pro-biotics) along to the party, and, like nuts, it will help you feel fuller longer. But beware; it can also be high in sugar.