Manage diabetes and lose weight with Dr Michael Mosley’s diet

Many of us may struggle with dieting, and the immense range of healthy eating advice online can leave us feeling too confused to know where to start.

But the late Dr Michael Mosley, who was a much-loved regular on our TV screens, recommended a diet that is said to reverse diabetes as well as helping you lose weight, reports Surrey Live.

Focussing on health, particularly weight loss and exercise, Dr Mosley inspired millions before he sadly passed away last year. The TV doctor would often recommend intermittent fasting, which is where you eat significantly fewer calories on certain days.

Dr Mosley started the Fast 800 Diet, also known as the 5:2 diet, in an attempt to lower his blood pressure, lose weight, and reverse his type-2 diabetes. It helped him lose nearly 9kg in 12 weeks and did indeed reverse his diabetes.

The Fast 800 said on Instagram: “Our co-founder Dr Michael Mosley is best known for creating the 5:2 diet, with which he lost nearly 20 pounds (9kg) in 12 weeks and reversed his diabetes. ⁠

“On the 5:2 diet you intermittent fast two days of the week eating 800 calories, the rest of the week you eat without calorie restrictions, simply following a med-style diet, and sensible portions.”

Speaking on the Fast Diet website, Dr Mosley had previously said: “Since you are only fasting for two days of your choice each week, and eating normally on the other five days, there is always something new and tasty on the near horizon.

“In short, it’s easy to comply with a regime that only asks you to restrict your calorie intake occasionally. It recalibrates the diet equation, and stacks the odds in your favour.

“Bear in mind that the programme is designed as a well-signposted path towards a longer, healthier life; weight loss is simply a happy adjunct to all of that.”

What is intermittent fasting?

Dr Mosley is responsible for the surge in popularity for intermittent fasting.

Niamh Hennessy, lead dietician at the Cromwell Hospital, said: “The idea behind intermittent fasting is that it gives your body a break from digesting food. This can potentially lead you to have less calories than if you were eating more regularly.

“Also, eating less often can have positive effects on your blood sugar levels which can be useful if you have prediabetes or type two diabetes.

“Intermittent fasting may also trigger a process called autophagy. This is where your body works to remove damaged cells from your body.

“Your body does this when it doesn’t have to focus on digesting food. There is some evidence to show that autophagy can reduce your risk of cancer and other chronic diseases, but more evidence is needed.”

When asked if it leads to weight loss, she said: “It might do. In several short-term studies, people did lose weight when they tried intermittent fasting. This is because you would likely be having less calories overall.

“But for some people, intermittent fasting can lead to overeating. This is because when you go without eating for a while your body makes more of the hunger hormone ghrelin.

“This can lead you to eat lots when you break your fast. So, eating healthily and being aware of how many calories you have is still important if you choose to try IF.”

The dietician said that intermittent fasting is safe for adults according to studies, although more research is needed in this field. A 2016 study said there was no evidence that it was harmful, and that “almost any intermittent fasting regimen can result in some weight loss”.

The study showed that 11 of 13 reviews concluded that intermittent fasting resulted in weight loss.

Three other studies resulted in reductions in glucose and insulin concentrations, and “modified alternate day fasting regimens result in reduced weight”.

However, the study also stated: “Research to date has not demonstrated that alternate day fasting regimens produce superior weight loss in comparison to standard, continuous calorie restriction weight loss plans.”

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Source: bing.com