Dr. Michael Mosley: "The Fast Diet"
http://thedianerehmshow.org/shows/2013-03-13/dr-michael-mosley-fast-diet
Dr. Michael Mosley, a British physician who developed the two-day-a-week fasting plan, says it not only spurs weight loss, but it can reduce the risk of disease. Diane and her guest discuss the benefits of fasting.
Photo by Kalense Kid (http://www.flickr.com/photos/sharman/4929657439/)
Fasting has always been part of the world's religious practices. Now it's at the center of a popular new diet. The British physician who developed the two-day-a-week fasting plan says it not only spurs weight loss, but it can reduce the risk of disease. Diane and her guest discuss the benefits of fasting.
Guests
Dr. Michael Mosley
physician, science journalist, author
Related Items
Read An Excerpt
Copyright © 2013 by Dr. Michael Mosley and Mimi Spencer from "The FastDiet" published by Atria Books, a division of Simon & Schuster, Inc.
Comments
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I decided that I would try the 5:2 diet starting with the partial fast today (Monday). My breakfast was about 200 calories of hot whole grain cereal plus 5 ounces of skim milk (50 calories). My usual breakfast would be about 50% more cereal plus a glass of orange juice. I probably will replace a little bit of the cereal with some berries when they are in season and sold at my local farmers' market.
By mid afternoon, not having had any lunch, I was starving, so I hope that I will get more used to the partial fast as time goes on. I did have some herbal tea.
For supper, I had about 7 ounces of cod fillet which I steamed with herbs, fresh ginger and scallion (about 175 calories), plus about half a cup of brown rice (a little over 100 calories), plus some steamed broccoli. When I have a fish with higher fat content such as salmon or when I have a boneless, skinless chicken thigh, I will have to adjust the quantity. It is now about 3 hours since supper, and I am getting hungry again.
But the fast diet definitely seems to be one I can do. Knowing that I will eat normally tomorrow definitely helps psychologically. When my wife gets over a bad cold, she plans to join me in the diet. It is a lot easier to cook for two than for one. One thing that makes it easier for the two of us to try the diet is that we both are retired and do not have the stress of a daily job.
Soon, I should know whether this diet works well. I first learned of it when I read an article in the NY Times http://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/03/fashion/england-develops-a-voracious-a... . When I saw that it would be the topic of one of your programs, I decided that it would be worth trying.
Thank you Diane for a program on a very important topic.
It is now Tuesday, the day after my one day partial fast, and I started the day only slightly hungrier than I normally would be. And of course, today is a day to eat normally. I slept normally despite having gone to bed hungry.
Thus, I believe that the 5:2 fast diet will work for me. I thank Dr. Mosley for a diet that makes me very hopeful.
Unfortunately, we constantly see new fad diets, most of which do not work. This diet appears to be one that will work.
Thank you Dr. Moseley for the fascinating book! I look forward to trying your modified "painless" version of intermittent fasting to lose a few pounds I've gained the past winter. One thing I noticed is that you don't really mention whether intermittent fasting has the same the anti-inflammatory effects in the body as longer water-only fasting does.
When I got out of the army (about 10 years ago) I was diagnosed with osteoarthritis - especially in my knees and neck. Also moderately high blood pressure. A few years later, after reading books on fasting by Upton Sinclair and Dr. Joel Fuhrman I decided on a whim to try a few days of water-only fasting. 6 days to be exact. I was a bit hardcore about it (I know I should have done it under a doctor's supervision), but at the end I felt excellent. All inflammation was gone, blood pressure low-normal, plus I could actually "taste" flavors in food. Even now - years later, the arthritis and high blood pressure have not come back.
I really think some researchers should study fasting - for it's effects on inflammatory illnesses. Of course, there is no money to be made in people not eating.
Unless you are prepared to live with this two day a week fasting program the rest of your life, it's worthless. Food choices must be altered permanently and followed through with daily, for proper body weights to be maintained. My guess is the people who try this diet will end up gorging themselves because of the inevitable craving.
According to the book, once you reach your desired weight, you should be able to maintain it with a partial fast one day per week.
I'm looking forward to Michael Mosley's appearance on Diane Rehm today as I was most impressed with his BBC video documentary: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-19112549
Hello Diane and Doctor,
This topic really interests me since I am a compulsive over eater and food addict. I have been fasting and it really helps. I have been fasting all day and eating just one meal a day is this okay? I have been a member of OA for years, but I often fall off the wagon. This seems to be helping me a great deal. Thanks for your reply.
F or W:
I agree. I believe Fast Diet might have been spelled Fad Diet. But I've come to the conclusion that if something works for someone and they can STICK WITH it the swell. The problem is, most people don't.
Don't buy it and you won't eat it. Buy carrots, celery, apples, grapefruits when you shp, just skip right by that bakery aisle.
I am wondering what he has to say about juice fasting. I did a fast with my husband for 7 days. I have been very sensitive to blood sugar levels since quitting drinking 22 yrs ago. Since the fast I know longer have the major dips or any of the other symptoms. We did not do it for weight loss but for health. I also found many other benefits..... my body seems to have 'reset' itself. Blood work much improved, skin appearance, etc.
In Ukraine, for example, people fast one day a week - this day is called something like "unloading". On that day they would drink yogurt, eat carrots, etc, but eat nothing that has a lot of calories. It has nothing to do with religious fasting, but it is considered good for health. especially after a certain age.
It is great that Dr Mosley popularizes this idea among the English-speaking countries, but for our part of the word this is no news, very basic knowledge that every housewife knows ;))
I've done the hcg diet and it works in a similar way in that you only consume 500 cals a day, as follows:
fresh fruit in AM (oranges/grapefruit/strawberries or apples);
100 grams of protein for lunch or dinner along with green leafy veggies with each meal.
Then you get another fresh fruit (same choices as above) for a snack, which I always had for dessert.
LOTS of water daily, along with green tea, is recommended, along with no alcohol, period. My body LOVES this diet - and responds with big weight loss - and, I'm so much happier and have much more energy. Additionally, because it is a cleansing diet I cleared up all my spring/fall allergies as well as those I had to stone fruits - which was completely unexpected; not to mention my glaucoma pressure eased up as did my sleep apnea.
I completely agree w/Dr. Mosely's diet and cannot wait to get the book and begin the program. It sounds like a perfect way for me and those 'foodies' like me to gain control over eating issues in a safe and sane way!
Hi Steve,
I too have been doing the fasting and feel no hunger at all! You should try to eat protein for breakfast as the grain is making you hungry although it may be healthy. Try to eat a scrambled egg or two or plain Greek yogurt. The grain is the reason that you are hungry!
Has anyone studied anorexic in relation to dementia
I have a question about how to track what you are eating. I have tried apps to track my eating, but found that it was extremely difficult to track any home-made food. The apps included extensive lists of processed foods, but to enter something that we made 'from scratch' was cumbersome and time-consuming. Any suggestions for tracking food intake to measure calories and nutrients, especially for the fasting days?
Thanks -
Dr. Mosley. I love fasting a couple a days a week, but I have noticed, as I have grown older, that I am not able to go to sleep at night with an empty stomach. Do you have any suggestions regarding such?
Thank you.
Bev
Love the show!
Has anyone investigated Dr. Mosley's background to confirm his authenticity? I am boggled on his claims of any danger in a whole food, plant-based diet and suggest he may be on the payroll of the animal flesh industry given his gross mis-information on this topic.
Depressing and distressing that he's been able to get on the DR Show.
Better: why not explore the truth at www.ForksOverKnives.com and also interview Dr. Milton Mills, graduate of the Stanford Medical School, for the truth? (Mills has authored The Comparative Anatomy of Eating which is widely available. Guess what? We're not designed to be eating the flesh of murdered animals . . . )
I'm profoundly disappointed in NPR and WAMU for having such an absurd guest; your airtime is extremely valuable. It ought not be wasted on such tripe.
Thank you.
In a recent pre-diet scan my Britishosity was alarmingly low.
I barely scored a Gilliam on the Python scale. So, seeing there was little danger I might someday become a babbling diet doctor on DRShow I was quickly back on my vegetarian fare, supplemented by a daily 10 ounce Mountain Dew at mid-morning. Mosley rates only a 4.5 on the Gary Null (see WBAI schedule) scale. He should be forced to drive a Tom's truck with the slogan "Don't go 'round hungry," proudly painted on the side.
Diet fads are stupid in a world where half cannot afford rice and beans. Diane is trim and fit, so what's she worried about?)
(Warning: This is the same bozo who shot himself up with HGH and Testosterone on his eternal life PBS doc.)
This diet is like any other "miracle" diet.
Dr. Mosley, according to him, normally eats a poor diet of genetically-modified, chemically preserved, and corn syrup flavored junk foods. His advice is not at all helpful to people who want to live a healthy and quality life.
I'm not a vegetarian, but I do eat a lot of vegetables and I feel better for it, not addicted to some terrible substance.
Please, invite Dr. Terry Wahls http://www.terrywahls.com/ .
She is an expert on healthy eating and lifestyle, not just some quack who wants to sell books.
Beverly: Lunesta. Ask your doctor.
(just kidding-try Doritos with guacamole dip, and double dip)
Are you kidding me? I'm 50 years old, weigh 103lbs, am 54", have a BMI below 18, and now this doctor is saying that my waist size at the belly button should be less than half my height? My waist is 26.5, so I just made is cut by a mere half inch! Good grief! I've had no children and I'm small by frame size, but what if I had had children? What if I had a larger frame (bone) size than what I have?
The other point that was left out was that no one with hypoglycemia should do this diet. I personally would be at risk of passing out. BUT, I will say this, a diet rich in vegetables and fruits (yes, I do crave them) is extremely important. I eat no red meat, no pork. Yet I eat a low-fat sugar-free ice cream sandwich and sugar-free candy every day. Is that so bad when I eat well overall, have a low weight, regularly exercise and don't consume much alcohol?
Lastly, did anyone during the show point out that only the better off in our society could do this diet? Ah, the luxury of fasting! Those living on low incomes can't afford all the fresh whole foods that this diet, or any good nutritious diet, call for.
I wish, Diane and crew, that you had had a countering voice from another doctor who disagrees with the fasting protocol. Now THAT would have been interesting!
Thank you!
totally worthless book for a number of reasons,
the good Dr. seemed to associate a paelo diet w/meat only, while most responsible followers of the paelo include veggies and fruit in a balanced manner
He uses the term 'fast' kinda sorta loosely - refraining from consuming solid foods for 6-8 hrs...perhaps in England, the land of the mid am/ph teas & cakes, but in most places of the world, food is not consumed 5-6 meals a day.
I almost turned off the show when he refused to acknowledge any effect of herbicide, pesticides, gmo's, hormones, etc on the foods we do consume...he is way out of touch w/published studies that show the exact opposite of his opinion...
Finally, this is nothing new...I first heard of fasting, defined by the researcher as a full 24hrs without solid foods, stressing water consumption w/abstinence from caffeinated coffees, teas, sodas - which all act as diuretics AND maintaining your normal daily routine including whatever exercise program....this was published, I believe some 30+ years ago...
I will end w/my disappointment w/NPR and you, Msl Diane Rehm, this blantant shill of a ridiculous author & his opinions has nothing to do w/your normal JOURNALISTIC standards (Journalism as the search for TRUTH and to publish it)
Glad to see a show on fasting. I do this occasionally for spiritual reasons. For me this means only water on the days I fast. I am in my late 50's and I have also found as I have gotten older that it is much harder to fast. I am really not interested in fasting for dietary reasons, but when I do fast, (usually at least a day, sometimes 3-5 days), I always feel much better physically after.
As to the diets, I very much agree with what he says about eating between meals. I work as a computer programmer, which is a very sedentary job, and where I work, we have the food machines plus there is often available free leftover food from some group's luncheon or donuts. About a year and a half ago, with the help of a friend who I report my food to, I virtually stopped eating between meals. I have dropped 30 pounds and am doing better physically. There are still more tweaks I want to make to my diet, but this is a start.
I've been doing Intermittent Fasting (IF) Since last October.
I have lost 30lbs, while gaining muscle mass. (Traditional wisdom is that you can't gain muscle while loosing weight. That may be true - but your body can also switch from gain mode to fat burn mode in a matter of hours so alternating between the two effectively lets you do both when you look at it over a broader period)
The pattern I follow is No Food on Tuesdays and Thursdays - and then I eat how I want the rest of the time.
A few of my favorite things about this.
1) for weight loss it works, it works. IT WORKS!
2) It's simple (I do NO calories other than tea and coffee, no calorie counting or gray areas. Tuesday and Thursday I simply do not eat)
3) I save money on the fast days, (which I happily spend on higher quality food on the eat days.)
4) Once you adjust to it, you feel really good on the fast days. I look forward to them. You have a very clear headed, steady energy - perfect for reading.
5) stomach (organ) tightens up, so you feel full sooner on eating days
6) you enjoy the food on the eating days more - and don't feel guilty eating what you like. Often I think about what I want to eat the next day for a whole day - so when I get it, I really enjoy it. "The five flavors dull the taste."
7) I have gained general control of my hunger. Actual hunger is a slight feeling in the gut, the shakiness and overly demanding urge I used to call "hunger" was actually carb withdrawal.
I really did not appreciate Dr. Mosley poo pooing the importance of an organic diet as well as pointing to studies suggesting presticides may provide some health benefit. Diet books are created to make money. People need to stop looking for some magic answer for being healthy. Instead, they should engage in simple excercise at least 20 minutes a day, stay away from junk food, and stay away from chemicals. And if they need to lose weight, they should excercise more.
I listened with much interest to Dr Mosley until to the point he irresponsibly claimed GMOs, herbicides and pesticides were not a problem, and that a little poison was good for people. In fact, organic food is real and nutritious, as he should know. This is unlike industrial-raised, chemical-treated, antibiotic and hormone-laden foods grown for mass and speed, not health. One may be able to loose weight on the Fast Diet but if people aren't eating nutritiously it's of little value to their health.
When I moved to a Muslim country, I was fascinated by the idea of a billion people all fasting together, so I fasted, too. (It was not allowed for anyone to eat, drink or smoke in public from dawn to sunset anyway.) I ended up becoming Muslim and have always fasted Ramadan, even when pregnant or breastfeeding. There are exceptions made for women who are pregnant or breastfeeding if it will harm them or their babies, but the norm is that woman fast unless there's some complication. I see many people with diabetes fast, too, although they would also be excused. My children started fasting well before puberty, sometimes at 6 or 7 - by their choice; I sent food to school with them, and they didn't eat it. They were fine. We do make sure to drink plenty of fluids in the evening and when we eat a meal before dawn.
It is easier, though when you have a spiritual basis and when everyone in your family, school, office and community are also fasting and break their fast together.
As the doctor mentioned, in Islam, optional fasting is encouraged on Mondays and Thursdays and on certain other days during the year. I've found that it's very easy for me to go without food if I'm fasting, although I don't normally have much will power when it comes to food...
Otherwise, the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) told someone who wanted to fast every day that the most he should do was the 'fast of Prophet David', which is fasting every other day.
First, it's well known that physicians in traditional programs do NOT receive substantial education in nutrition and diet therapy.
Second, I would suggest that interested listeners investigate a well-balanced program such as Weight Watchers, which teaches a sustainable, lifelong plan with real foods and home preparation.
Third, a vegetarian/vegan diet has been undisputably proven to maximize health benefits. for example, Eastern Orthodox Christians have traditionally fasted from animal products (and consumed smaller portions) on Wednesdays and Fridays of every week, in addition to periods prior to a major religious feast (Easter -- Holy Pascha).
A BALANCED approach is key. Please consult your health care provider consider these elements when thinking about this physician's plan.