Friday, June 18, 2010

The Alternate Day Diet

The alternate day diet is also called intermittent fasting or longevity diet. You eat today normal and tomorrow only very little and the cycle continues. This seems to trigger a „skinny gene“ which encourages the body to burn fat. For the first two weeks you take only 20% of the normal food every alternate day. If you are a calorie counter it is about 500 calories per day. These Down Days and Up Days are easy to manage.

Meal replacement shakes or salads are the best foods in the initial phase. If you want to continue this diet further it is not as restrictive as the first two weeks. You can increase your food intake up to 35% of your normal amount if you want further weight reduction. Once you have reached your desired weight increase the food intake up to 50 to 60% to maintain your weight.

The recommended foods for the Down Days include:

• Meal replacement shakes
• Vegetables
• Fruits
• Legumes
• Whole grain products
• Skinless chicken or turkey
• Fish
• Egg whites

Drink plenty of water every day and do exercises on the Up Days. Control your weight once in a week, normally in the morning after a Down Day.

Dr. Johnson conducted many clinical trials and observed many benefits for our health. They include:

• Weight loss, 8% less weight in eight weeks
• Reduced inflammation
• Improved insulin resistance
• Better cellular energy production
• Maintain normal blood pressure
• Alleviate arthritis
• Help asthma patients
• Anti aging, achieved by controlling the free radicals

This is a good diet to try. If you have eating disorders this diet is not good. Eat normal in Up Days and binge eating must be avoided. The food could be selected in such a way that the body gets all the nutrients needed. For your questions always contact your doctor or nutritionist.

For more information and for a 30 Down Days recipes you can read the book of Dr. Johnson "The Alternate-Day Diet".

3 comments:

  1. Dear Dr. K.P.

    I read your article on 'Alternate Diet'.It was very informative. The diet schedules at times of fasting and then, the in-take to scale it in an increase of 10% more like and the bridging the balancing calories, exercises for an Up filling and then a break on for further calorie burning techniques with your work-out process, and making diet schedules in up and down feedings, are really very nice and practically too, easy to adapt.

    The diet chart you suggested as above, are also very easy for digestion, normal briskness etc.These food items and other ingredients are also available on markets all time and anywhere too.

    Thank you very much for giving such an easy, simple and easy-to-follow suggestions.

    Regards,

    TV Narayanan

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  2. A busy schedule may give you little time to supply your body with the nutrition it depends on. A wide range of meal replacement drinks and supplements can help fulfill your nutrition requirements and provide you with a quick energy boast.

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  3. We must take time to eat well. Eating is a joy in life. So first preference is good and fresh food. The rest are not a must in life...

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