Marie Claire South Africa — January 2018

done on animals, and we need more research to see if the

effects are the same in humans,’ says Dr Michelle Harvie,

a research dietitian who has studied calorie restriction for

preventing breast cancer. Still, the science is sufficiently

promising for one researcher, Dr Valter Longo, director of the

Longevity Institute at the University of Southern California,

who adopted a fasting regime himself. ‘Fasting may be an

old concept,’ he says. ‘But now there’s science to back it up.

Twenty years of research proves the body responds in a

range of positive ways.’

We explore the benefits of four modern methods to fast.

THE PART-TIME FAST

What is it?You eat a very low-calorie diet – between 500 and

800 calories – on two days of the week and eat normally the

rest of the time. Best known as the 5:2.

The benefits:‘Intermittent fasting (IF) – like

the famous 5:2 diet – has been studied the

most and it can really work for weight loss if

you stick to it,’ says Michelle. But you could

benefit even if you don’t have kilos to shed.

Research from Harvard Medical School in

America found that IF caused an increase of

SIRT3, a gene that protects your body’s cells

from disease and promotes longevity.

Scientists have found fasting puts stress on

the body, generating small amounts of free

radicals, which makes the body protect itself

(hint: avoid taking antioxidant vitamin

supplements while you’re on an IF diet, as

these gobble up free radicals).

The small print:‘Although most IF diets

allow you to split your two days, our research

shows you lose more fat if you fast on two

consecutive days,’ says Michelle. And forget

eating what you want on non-fasting days.

‘You still need a healthy, balanced diet on the

other days or you won’t lose weight,’ says

nutritionist Rob Hobson.

THE SMART FAST

What is it?Time-restricted fasting – or ‘smart

fasting’, as Rob calls it – involves restricting

your food to a window of time between 12

and 18 hours each day. The 16:8 diet is the

best-known version – you eat only between

11am and 7pm, for instance. ‘You can skip

either breakfast or dinner, but breakfast is the

easiest to avoid,’ says Stephanie. ‘First thing,

your liver releases stores of sugar into the

blood stream to give you some energy, so

you don’t need to eat immediately.’

The benefits:‘Smart fasting gives your gut a

rest, allowing it to renew, which boosts liver

function and lowers levels of the proteins

linked to Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s,’ says

Stephanie. ‘Research at King’s College London

has shown it increases levels of beneficial

microbes that feed on the mucus lining of the

gut, improving the way you absorb nutrients

into your bloodstream.’ Rob adds: ‘This is the

easiest type of fasting for most, so it may be the more

realistic way to reap the benefits.’

The small print:‘Our bodies don’t deal efficiently with carbs

and fat at night, so lunch should be your heaviest meal, with

a light dinner in the evening,’ says Michelle ‘Also, if you’re

missing a meal every day, it can be hard to eat enough fruit

and veg,’ says Stephanie. She advises cramming lots into a

smoothie in the afternoon to boost your portion count.

THE BIG FAST

What is it?Valter discovered that cycles of going without

food for a few days each month – known as periodic fasting

• could have impressive health benefits. He devised a plan
  called the Fasting Mimicking Diet (FMD), which tricks your
  body into thinking it’s not getting food for five days, although
  you’re actually eating about 800 calories,
  mostly in the form of nuts, olives and
  vegetable soups.
  The benefits:Periodic fasting triggers
  immune system regeneration, shifting stem
  cells from dormancy to a state of self-renewal
  and basically creating a new, more efficient
  immune system, slashing your risk of illness.
  These fasting cycles also lower levels of
  IGF-1, a growth factor hormone linked to
  ageing and cancer, and reduce levels of
  C-reactive protein, which indicates
  inflammation.
  The small print:For most people, prolonged
  fasting may be difficult to fit into daily life.
  Exercising is out on fasting days – in one of
  Vater’s studies, those who tried it felt faint.
  Don’t try this without consulting your GP or
  if your BMI is below 19.

JUICE FASTING
What is it?You drink only three or four
juices (mainly vegetable) for anything from
one day a week to ten days. Advocate Jason
Vale, aka the Juice Master, has even devised
a 5:2 juicing plan, where you drink juices
for two days, eat clean for three days and
relax things at the weekend.
The benefits:According to Jason, the
juicing days give your digestive system and
liver a break, allowing the gut lining to
repair so it can absorb nutrients more
efficiently. Juicing also floods your body
with phytonutrients.
The small print:There’s less solid science
behind this type of fasting. ‘It probably isn’t
harmful to do it occasionally if you want to,’
says Michelle. ‘But if you follow it for more
than a few days, you’ll start to lose muscle,
which you need for metabolism.’ Stephanie’s
not a fan: ‘Juices are high in sugar, which is
linked to inflammation and fat storage.’
Thinking of giving fasting a try? Make
sure you weigh up the pros and cons, and
run any new diet plan past your doctor first
PHOTOGRAPH to ensure it’s right for you.mc

THE LICENSING PROJECT

WORDS

SYNDICATED VIA TIMEINCUKCONTENT.COM

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JAN/FEB 2018 MARIECLAIRE.CO.ZA 109

THINKING

ABOUT

FASTING?

Here’s what you need

to know to be safe:

NEVER FAST IF YOU ARE

ALREADY UNDERWEIGHT

OR UNWELL, and speak to

your doctor before

undertaking any new diet

or fasting regime.

CONSIDER YOUR

LIFESTYLE. ‘If you have a

chronic condition, or you’re

very stressed, postpone a

fast until things are calmer,

and then only fast under

supervision by a trained

nutritionist,’ says Stephanie.

CHANGE YOUR

RELATIONSHIP WITH

HUNGER. ‘We’re designed

to experience hunger

sometimes,’ says Stephanie,

who advises not to panic

when your stomach feels

empty. ‘Try to see it

as lightness, rather

than emptiness.’

BEAT LOW BLOOD

SUGAR. ‘If you get the

shakes or fatigue, that’s

because there’s a delay in

your body switching from

burning glucose to burning

stored fat,’ says Stephanie.

‘Help it get into the rhythm of

fat-burning by eating more

fatty foods. Bulletproof coffee

(that’s black coffee with a

tablespoon of grass-fed

butter or ghee) is great to

have in the morning.’