Diet & Food: My Story

My food life was revolutionalised by adopting the 5/2 or Fast Diet (as it is known in the UK).This approach, which is really a change in the relationship to food and meals is not really a temporary, goal-oriented diet. It is a way of life.For the uninitiated, it suggests that two days per week (it doesn't matter which) you fast for 24 hours. 'Fasting' in this context is consuming less than 500 healthy calories (not sweets/cake, etc.). On the remaining 5 days, there are no restrictions.I have been using this approach to meals and food for over two years. When adhering strictly to it, I lost 1 kilo per week. Once I achieved a healthy weight, I reduced the fasting to 1 day per week.The key thing about this 'diet' isn't the weight loss, but the impact it has on your relationship to food. Once your body and mind adapt to the experience of fasting, you don't feel hunger in the same way. You realise that the feeling of hunger is mostly psychological, not physical. This impacts portion size, frequency of meals and snacks and what you need to eat to feel full. Even on days without restriction you find yourself eating less and healthier.The bonus is that this approach also has other benefits for health and well being associated with cancer risk and heart disease. It is also suggested that brain cells regenerate themselves during fasting.