A guy called Jesus once fasted for 40 days and 40 nights, and for centuries before and since, people have used fasting to enhance their spiritual and physical health. Most animals instinctively go off their food when they feel out of sorts, but for most humans the idea of giving up tucker is a hard one to swallow.
What is a fast?
A true fast involves abstaining from all food and drink other than water, and it lasts up to several weeks. However, the latest “next big thing” is the intermittent 5:2 fasting diet, in which you restrict your calorie intake to 25 per cent of your RDI (recommended dietary intake) for two days a week, and eat a normal diet for the remaining days. The fasting days can be consecutive, or not, and you choose when and what you eat, as long as you remain within the calorie allowance. The average Australian adult consumes 2000 calories or 8700kJ a day, so 25 per cent of that would be 500 calories or 2175kJ.
The fat equation
Many people find the 5:2 diet works a treat because other than feeling peckish and possibly irritable on the fasting days, they don’t need to concern themselves with dieting for the rest of the week.
For weight loss the benefit of the 5:2 diet is simply a mathematical equation: Eat less calories than the body requires for its daily metabolic needs, and fat will be burnt to provide the deficit. Happy days.
When it doesn’t work
For people with blood sugar levels that oscillate between too high and too low, not eating for several hours will cause blood sugar levels to plummet, creating hypoglycaemic symptoms, which means that fasting days will be fraught with moodiness, headaches, dizziness, poor concentration and nausea. Also, less disciplined people may be tempted to gorge on the non-fasting days and eat foods such as cakes, chips and pies that are best avoided in any healthy diet.
Is it right for you?
There’s no single fix-all diet that will suit everyone. Personal preference, lifestyle, home and work routine, and genetic predisposition all play their part in what works best for your body. The 5:2 diet might tick all the right boxes for some people who may find losing and maintaining a healthy weight a breeze (they may also experience other benefits, such as reducing their risk of heart disease, diabetes and some cancers). However, this diet isn’t recommended for pregnant or breastfeeding women, children or teenagers and people with diagnosed diabetes. If you suffer from a chronic illness, check with your GP to ensure this diet is OK for you.
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