Michael Mosley's 5:2 diet is a popular weight loss method used by people across the world.
The nutrition expert, who is also behind the Fast 800, based the diet on intermittent fasting. This allows you to reduce the amount you eat for short period of time, making the method more sustainable in the long run.
The diet guru explains that using the 5:2 diet can help you lose weight steadily, introducing the method to the world for the first time during a BBC documentary "Eat, Fast and Live Longer" back in 2012. Testing the diet during the documentary, Dr Mosley found that it reduced his chances of heart disease and cancer by reducing the fat content of his body.
But what is the 5:2 diet, what does it involve and what are the benefits? Here is everything the experts say.
What is the 5:2 diet?
The 5:2 diet is an intermittent fasting diet that can help enable weight loss. According to experts, the diet can help you shed pounds gradually and improve overall health.
To follow the diet, you are required to schedule two days per week as 800-calorie "fasting days", following a healthy, balance Mediterranean style diet for the other five days of the week. During these given day there is no calorie restriction but you should use sensible portion control.
Who is the 5:2 diet for?
According to the Dr Mosley and his team, intermittent fasting as well as incorporating a Mediterranean-style diet can be a great way for slow, steady weight loss and overall weight management.
The method has been shown to improve insulin sensitivity and reduce blood pressure but also provides more food freedom out with the two fasting days which can make the diet easier to stick to.
How does the 5:2 diet work for weight loss?
During the two fasting days, your body will enter the state of ketosis which will help achieve a better response to insulin and help lose visceral fat.
In turn, this will make it easier for you to eat more 'sensible' portions and avoid snacking during the other days of the week.
According to The Fast 800 website, fasting for two days out of seven also gives you a chance to experience the other benefits of fasting, which include:
- Clearing out of old or damaged cells (autophagy);
- Tissue regeneration through the action of switched-on stem cells;
- Reduction in cancer risk, through a fall in levels of a body chemical called IGF-1;
- An increase in metabolic rate, caused by a rise in noradrenaline and human growth hormone
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