FOOD
What is the 5:2 Diet and Should You Try It?
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With intermittent fasting becoming more and more popular, many people are trying a relatively new diet – the 5:2 Diet – as a means to lose weight. But what exactly is the 5:2 Diet and could it work for you?
According to Good Housekeeping, the 5:2 Diet “is a form of fasting where followers eat about 25% of their recommended calorie needs (about 500-600 calories) on two scheduled fasting days and then eat normally the other five days that week. People generally intersperse their fasting days (like planning them for Mondays and Thursdays) so they’re not back-to-back.”
Some people choose to consume zero calories on their two fasting days, Good Housekeeping reports, while others follow more of a Keto diet on their non-fasting days.
So could it work for you? According to Healthline, many people find this way of eating easier than following a calorie-restricted diet because it is more of a lifestyle change, rather than focusing on counting calories and portion control.
While there have been very few studies on the 5:2 Diet, Healthline reports studies on intermittent fasting show impressive health benefits such as reduction in insulin levels, asthma, seasonal allergies, heart arrhythmias, menopausal hot flashes, decreased inflammation and more.
