Very much the ‘diet du jour’ of 2014, the 5:2 Diet’s popularity isn’t likely to dwindle anytime soon.
Originally hailed, as the ‘part-time’ diet that allowed you to eat anything and everything you wanted 5 days a week, all you had to do was to fast twice a week in order to keep yourself trim.
Sounds simple and possibly too good to be true right?
What is the 5:2 Diet?
Fasting isn’t exactly a new concept; cultures have been using it for centuries, predominately within religious practices or as a form of protest. Although it’s history, may not sound like the most logical foundation for a widespread dieting trend, scientists quickly began to pin point some of the benefits of intermittent fasting and before you knew it the ‘The 5:2 Diet’ was born.
Those following the diet are encourage to eat as they would normally 5 days a week and then for 2 days of the week they fast by restricting their calorie intake (500 calories for women and 600 for men). Sadly that doesn’t mean we can spend 5 days enjoying giant bowls of pasta and a pudding at every meal, your still encouraged to stick to recommended amount of calories for your gender, age and activity level on the days that you aren’t fasting.
Not only is the 5:2 believed to aid weight loss, but it’s also thought to have a big impact on your overall health, helping to reduce the risk of heart disease, stroke and high cholesterol levels.
Try The 5:2 if….
5:2 Ingredient and Recipe Ideas…
The 5:2 Diet Inredients To Avoid…
There is no restriction on what you can eat on either the fast or feast days.
On fast days though, some foods that will quickly top up your calories and so are best avoided are:
Who to follow on Instagram
Set to be 2016’s 5:2 figurehead, Elly Pear has just brought out a new cookbook which shows you how to eat well on both feast and fast days. You can follow her instagram @ellypear or just pick yourself up a copy of the cookbook here.