‘I’ve created a diet that features three different options depending on whether your goal is to shape up and lose a few inches, shift a stone, or shed twice that,’ says Dr Michael Mosley
In last’s week’s LIFE, I launched a new, 12-week version of my famous 5:2 diet plan, designed to help you slim down and get healthier by the summer. I’ve created a diet that features three different options depending on whether your goal is to shape up and lose a few inches, shift a stone, or shed twice that.
There’s the classic 5:2, the very fast 5:2 (in which calories are restricted to 800 daily), and finally the simple Mediterranean approach designed to supercharge your health.
To help those embarking on the 5:2 diets, we’ve created some delicious 800-calorie menus: use these and you can expect to lose up to a stone by July.
For everyone else (and for non-fasting days), we’ve suggested healthy additions to the low calorie recipes which, even with the additional calories, should see you looking trimmer in 12 weeks. The secret lies in the health-boosting properties of the Mediterranean diet – which has inspired every recipe included in my plan.
Based on biggest nutrition study ever carried out
The Mediterranean meals I champion are a far cry from the pizzas and pasta favoured by many in parts of southern Europe today. The version of the diet I am about to describe is very much traditional, and refers to the food that would have been eaten by people who lived in the Mediterranean a generation ago. It is also based on one of the biggest and most important nutrition studies ever carried out; the PREDIMED study (Prevención con Dieta Mediterránea).
In this 2013 study, Spanish researchers recruited over 7,400 Spanish overweight, middle-aged men and women and randomly allocated them to either a Mediterranean or a low-fat diet. Both groups were encouraged to eat lots of fresh fruit, vegetables and legumes (such as beans, lentils and peas). They were discouraged from sugary drinks, cakes, sweets or pastries and from eating too much processed meat such as bacon or salami.
Take your lead from my recipes – they are a perfect guide as to how to get the best out of the diet and, whatever your weight-loss goal, live longer, healthier and happier
Crucially, only those allocated to the Mediterranean diet were asked to eat plenty of eggs, nuts and oily fish, use lots of olive oil and encouraged to eat some dark chocolate and enjoy the occasional glass of wine with their evening meal.
In contrast, the low-fat diet group, were told to eat low-fat dairy products and lots of starchy foods such as bread, potatoes, pasta and rice.
The researchers followed the volunteers for just under five years, getting them to fill in food diaries and keeping a check on their health via medical examinations, questionnaires and blood and urine samples. All volunteers were given an ‘M score’, according to how closely they stuck to Mediterranean diet.
Within three years, dramatic differences between the two groups appeared. Not only were those who had a high M score slimmer, but they were also much healthier, slashing their risk of a multitude of diseases. The benefits were astonishing, and included:
- 30 per cent reduced risk of heart attack or stroke
- 58 per cent reduced risk of type two diabetes
- 51 per cent reduced risk of breast cancer for women and a reduced risk of cognitive decline
You can calculate your own ‘M’ score by following the instructions below.
Other than the abundance of vitamins and antioxidants, there is another, crucial reason why this diet is so super-healthy.
As I discovered while researching my latest book, The Clever Guts Diet, eating Mediterranean-style foods also has a dramatic and positive effect on your gut microbiome – the microbes that live in your gut and which are now proven to be so important for our physical and mental wellbeing.
As with any weight-loss plan, always see your doctor before you start. Seek medical advice if you:
- Have a history of eating disorders.
- Are taking prescribed medication.
- Are pregnant or breastfeeding.
- Have a significant medical or mental health condition.
- Don’t go on the diet if you:
- Are under 18.
- Are very lean or underweight (BMI below 21).
- Are recovering from surgery or are generally frail.
By feeding good bacteria such as Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus, you encourage them to thrive which, in turn, boosts your health too. It’s another very good reason to give this tasty style of eating a go.
More recently, a study carried out in Australia found that four times as many patients with depression and anxiety who followed a Med diet were able to come off all medication, compared to a control group. Those who stuck closest to the diet enjoyed the biggest improvement in mood.
Since the publication of these pioneering studies, the popularity of the Med diet has soared, but there is often some confusion as to which foods qualify as Mediterranean and which do not.
Take your lead from my recipes – they are a perfect guide as to how to get the best out of the diet and, whatever your weight-loss goal, live longer, healthier and happier.
The Do’s and Don’ts
- DO eat fresh, lean meat and fish such as mackerel, pork, chicken, turkey and lamb
- DO stick to whole grain carbohydrates; quinoa, whole rye, bulgar wheat and pearl barley
- DO snack on unsalted nuts such as walnuts, almonds, and cashews
- DO opt for full-fat dairy such as yogurt
- DO eat legumes including chickpeas and lentils
- DON’T count spuds as veg
- DON’T opt for tropical fruit such as melon, grapes, pineapple and bananas
- DON’T be tempted by processed meat like ham, bacon, sausage and salami
- DON’T choose white bread, or pasta over wholegrain, rye or wholemeal varieties.
What you need to know about the NEW 5:2 diet…
My new diet will help you lose a significant amount of weight as easily as possible, without sacrificing delicious foods.
Based on a Mediterranean diet rich in fish, olive oil, nuts, yogurt, eggs and wholegrains – proven to be one of the
Healthiest ways to eat – the programme could help you shift a stone in just 12 weeks.
The NEW 5:2 applies similar science-based rules to the original 5:2, I pioneered – with a Mediterranean twist. It involves eating a healthy diet five days a week, then cutting your calories down to about 800 for the remaining two ‘fast’ days.
Also known as the Fast Dietor ‘intermittent fasting’, eating this way is proven to reduce body fat significantly and helps to prevent a range of age-related diseases. It might seem restrictive, but you’ll be surprised how far 800 calories goes if you choose the right foods.
My recipes can be made in two ways: either high calorie for five non-fasting days, or lowcalorie for the remaining two.
What’s more, they are all nutritious, delicious and will keep you satisfyingly full.
IF YOU’RE LOOKING TO SHIFT UP TO TWO STONE
For those with a significant amount of weight to lose, use the stricter version of my new 5:2. It involves eating 800 calories a day, every day, therefore opting for the low-calorie version of my recipes. This diet is not for everyone – a list of serious exemptions are listed below left.
Before embarking, I strongly recommend visiting my website thebloodsugardiet.com, for lots of helpful advice about how to maintain the diet. Ask yourself how you are feeling mentally and physically throughout, and only if you are feeling good should you continue. Keeping well is your top priority.
AND FOR EVERYONE ELSE
Don’t worry if you don’t want to lose weight, this diet can also tone you up in time for summer. Choose the higher-calorie version of these recipes, and follow a few, basic Med diet rules: avoid starchy carbohydrates such as pasta and potatoes and opt for wholegrains such as quinoa or bulgur (cracked wheat) instead; eat plenty of legumes such as lentils and chickpeas; avoid sugary treats and limit alcohol to an average of one small glass of wine daily.
Are you a Med diet master? Take my M Test to find out
Answer the following questions, giving yourself a point each time you answer ‘yes’. Add up your points to calculate your score: Ten or above is classed as ‘good’.
1: Do you use olive oil as your main cooking fat and dressing?
2: Do you eat two or more portions of vegetables a day? (one serving = half a large bag of raw spinach)
3: Do you eat two or more portions of non-tropical fruit a day?
4: Do you eat less than one serving of processed meat a day? (one serving = 1 1/2 sausages)
5: Do you eat full-fat yogurt at least three times a week?
6: Do you eat three or more servings of legumes a week? (one serving = 1/3 tin of chickpeas)
7: Do you eat three or more servings of whole grains a week? (one serving = 3/4 of a cup of bulgar wheat)
8: Do you eat oily fish, prawns or shellfish three or more times a week?
9: Do you eat sweet treats like cakes, biscuits, etc less than three times a week?
10: Do you eat a serving (a handful) of nuts three or more times a week?
11: Do you cook with garlic, onions and tomatoes at least three times a week?
12: Do you drink an average of seven glasses of wine a week or less?
13: Do you eat at the table at least twice a day?
14: Do you drink sweet, fizzy beverages no more than once a week?
