Intermittent fasting – widely known as the 5:2 diet – is a new diet concept that has swept the nation in recent months. Based on the concept of eating normally for five days and then fasting for two, it’s an effective lifestyle choice for people looking to keep their weight in check.
And its wide-ranging benefits are starting to come to light — research currently underway indicates the possibility of increased health benefits such as greater metabolic efficiency, improved glycaemic control, improved brain function and increased fat burning.
Dr Kelly Johnston, LighterLife Fast's scientist, explains some of the plus points of intermittent fasting:
- Burn fat – There is evidence that intermittent fasting promotes more fat than muscle loss, making it a highly effective weight-loss diet.
- Boost your mood – Research suggests that fasting may help improve mood states in adults. People who have participated in an intermittent fasting eating plan have found they sleep better, have higher energy and concentration and, as a result, a greater sense of overall wellbeing.
- Prolong health – Aside from the physical benefits of maintaining a healthy weight, 5:2 potentially brings greater benefits for your health. Studies have shown that limiting calorie intake may help protect against a number of chronic lifestyle conditions, so adopting a 5:2 lifestyle may help guard against poor health.
- Repair your body – We all naturally produce a growth hormone called IGF-1 and while it’s great at keeping the body on the go, in later life it can also speed up the ageing process and the onset of age-related diseases.
When we fast, IGF-1 production is inhibited, and our bodies go into ‘repair’ mode, giving cells time to rebuild themselves more effectively. To help ensure you guarantee nutritious food and 100 per cent of your RDS – recommended daily allowances – LighterLife Fast is easy and hassle-free.
Available exclusively at Superdrug stores across the UK and Ireland, the new range starts at £7.99 for a box of four FastpacksTM – which is enough for one day of fasting. The FastpackTM options include savoury meals such as spaghetti bolognese and pasta carbonara, porridge, four delicious shakes – vanilla, strawberry, banana and chocolate and four scrumptious meal bars in nut fudge, crispy peanut, cranberry & raspberry and toffee flavours