There isn’t a single approach to diet that fits everyone. People require individualized eating plans that would suit their needs. But, with celebrities like Gisele Bündchen, one of the highest-paid Victoria secret models, and Jimmy Kimmel, a renowned executive producer and host of Jimmy Kimmel Live, it seems that the 5/2 fasting diet has earned a place in the spotlight.
Many stars have already added 5/2 fasting to their daily routine. The question is, what does it offer? Is it healthy for the body? What is it doing to your system? This practical guide will answer all your queries.
What Is the 5/2 Diet?
The 5/2 diet is a simple eating pattern or an intermittent fasting regimen. For five days of the week, people can normally eat, without any restrictions on what or how much they eat. On the other two days, they fast.1Eating nothing, and drinking only water
You can select the fasting days as you see fit. The most popular choice is to leave Mondays and Thursdays for fasting.
There are two common variations on 5/2 that deserve special mention: “modified 5/2” and “consecutive 5/2.”
Modified 5/2
Modified 5/2 diet is just like normal 5/2 fasting except on fasting days, you can eat a small amount. According to experts, this regimen allows for a consumption of 20% to 25% of energy needs on fasting days.2600 calories a day for men and 500 for women. Ideally low/no-carb. People stick to a profound energy restriction for 2 days and have plenty of freedom the other 5 days. This style of fasting has the psychological benefit of getting to eat something every day, which can make it easier to stick to. It’s often where people who are new to fasting choose to start. However, it likely does not have the same metabolic benefits as normal 5/2 fasting.
Consecutive 5/2
We mentioned that you can select any two days as your “fasting days” when doing 5/2 fasting. But what if you decide to put them back-to-back, one day right after the other? That’s consecutive 5/2 fasting!
With this diet, two fasting days are combined into a 48+ hour fast. This is a more extreme and difficult version of 5/2 fasting, which is not often recommended to those who haven’t fasted before. But, according to research, it can be better for muscle sparing because the longer continuous fast can cause growth hormone to increase by more than 400%!
As you can see, there are a lot of choices to make in designing a 5/2 fasting plan. A Temper fasting coach can help you design and stick to a fasting plan personalized to your goals and lifestyle. Access to a coach is free when you buy any Citravarin product.
Benefits of 5/2 Fasting
Plenty of studies focus on the benefits of 5/2 fasting. When done properly, this diet can provide the system with numerous beneficial properties and long-term results. The 5/2 diet offers:
● Weight loss – Based on 27 trials, fasting resulted in significant weight reduction effects. It ranged from 0.8% to 13% of the person’s baseline body weight. People lost weight regardless of their overall caloric intake. Their waist circumference was also reduced by 3-8 cm (1.1 – 3.1 inches) among those who practiced the diet for 4 weeks.
● Maintained muscle mass – Maintaining strength is crucial for healthy aging. The older people get, the more muscle loss they experience, which ends up limiting their ability to function normally and independently. Studies show that intermittent fasting can maintain muscle mass, especially when paired with resistance training.
● Reduced triglycerides – Increased triglycerides can boost the odds of heart complications and stroke. The 5/2 diet can decrease their levels by 40% right after a meal. That’s more than enough to keep the system in check.
● Decreased leptin level – This cell-signaling hormone plays a key part in appetite regulation, body weight, and food intake. Data indicates that mean plasma leptin levels after fasting decrease. That’s why the diet can help regulate leptin release.
● Reduced CRP – Elevated CRP is a clear sign of inflammation. It could be caused by many things, like cancer or infection. When the CRP is too high, it means the arteries of the heart are inflamed, and the body is vulnerable to a heart attack. Fasting significantly reduces these levels in people of all ages.
Final Thoughts
The 5/2 fasting is an efficient, practical, and easy way to keep the body in tip-top shape. Although it may seem overwhelming at first, it is easy to get used to. Those who’ve already implemented this fasting regimen have noticed extremely positive results. That’s why it looks like a solid approach for many.
Interested in trying intermittent fasting, but worried about cravings? Check out our summary of Citravarin – the “anti-munchie” cannabinoid.
Additional References
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4516560/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7021351/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7468742/
https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/910018
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/9024254/
https://translational-medicine.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12967-019-2007-z
https://academic.oup.com/jcem/article-abstract/74/4/757/3004645?redirectedFrom=fulltext