Michael Mosley on Channel 4: Episode One Recap

Did you watch Dr Michael Mosley on Channel 4? The TV show, 21 Day Body Turnaround, is helping five volunteers all aiming to turn their health around in just 21 days, with the help of Dr Mosley. Each volunteer, like so many around the globe, has found difficulty prioritising their health, and exercise, throughout the lockdown. The first of three episodes showed us the incredible impact that intermittent fasting, reducing your sugar intake, HIIT and gut health can have on your health.

If you’re looking to improve your health, and get your wellbeing back on track, here are some great places to start: 

Intermittent fasting

Intermittent fasting is a scientifically proven method of not only losing weight but improving your insulin response and promoting autophagy (the process in which your body clears out damaged cells to make room for new ones).

There are multiple methods of practising intermittent fasting, two of which we follow on The Fast 800:

• The New 5:2 is a form of intermittent fasting. With this approach, you reduce your calorie intake to 800 calories for two (fasting) days each week and follow the principles of a Mediterranean-style diet, with sensible portions, for the remaining five days
• Time restricted eating (TRE) is another type of intermittent fasting where you only consume food and drink containing calories within a certain window, therefore cycling between periods of eating and fasting. Popular methods are 12:12, 14:10 and 16:8. We recommend 12:12 and 14:10 as they are the most sustainable long-term. TRE can be practised alongside any of the approaches of The Fast 800.

The body needs to devote a certain amount of time to repair. Critically, this cannot take place while we are also digesting food. It’s like expecting a mechanic to repair your car while you are still driving it. The first thing the body needs to do is clear out old and damaged cells in order to build new cells. All of this only takes place several hours after you stop eating.

If you’re looking to practice intermittent fasting to improve your overall health, The Fast 800 products have been bespoke formulated to support fasting. Our multivitamin has 23 vitamins and minerals, handpicked by Dr Michael Mosley, to safeguard your health on fasting days. 

Our top articles on intermittent fasting:

Reduce your sugar intake

When watching Michael Mosley on Channel 4, it’s clear that sugar is a major problem in the 21st century with the rise of low-fat diets that promote products laden in sugar and additives. Unbeknown to many, sugar is hidden in foods where you’d least expect it and the more sugar you consume, the more likely you are to suffer from increased cravings, blood sugar spikes and potentially chronic health conditionals, such as type 2 diabetes.

Luckily, reducing your sugar intake, and cutting back on snacking habits throughout the day, is easily achievable with a few practical tips:

• Nourish your body with a Mediterranean-style diet high in protein, healthy fats and fibre. Healthy fats, such as full fat dairy and olive oil, keep you fuller for longer and away from the snack cupboard!
• If you do crave something sweet, The Fast 800 shakes are a great option as they are made up completely of natural ingredients with no added sugar. The shakes have a high fibre content, due to flax seed, almond and coconut flour yet are low in calories (just 200 per serve) to support fasting days.
• Drink plenty of water and herbal tea throughout the day. Drinking plenty of fluids will not only keep you hydrated but curb hunger and cravings between your meals.

Useful articles to help you limit your sugar intake:

Prioritise Your Gut Health

Improving your gut can have serious impacts on your health; your gut has the potential to improve your mental wellbeing, metabolic health and help you to lose weight.

Diets high in sugar, and processed foods, can create an imbalance of bacteria in your gut by feeding the less desirable bacteria that naturally reside there in small quantities. These less desirable bacteria want to be fed by more sugar to proliferate, which leads to further imbalance and incessant sugar cravings. On top of this, having too much sugar in the gut can lead to inflammation, which can develop into a vast array of chronic diseases.

Ways you can rebalance your gut bacteria are:

• feeding it with whole foods that follow the principles of a Mediterranean-style diet;
• increasing your fibre intake; and,
• adding fermented foods to your diet to restore the homeostasis of your gut microbiome.

Further tips and tricks for improving your gut health:

Plan a realistic exercise routine

Exercise doesn’t need to take hours out of your day, nor does it require a gym and expensive equipment. The latest science recognises high intensity interval training (HIIT) to be one of the most effective methods of improving your cardiovascular health and boosting weight loss, all in quick 20 minute sessions that will take little time away from your day.

Researchers have recognised that, unlike normal intensity workouts, HIIT directly targets visceral fat, burning away the fatty deposits that can lead to insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes.

Dr Mosley showed his volunteers, and the nation, that HIIT, combined with intermittent fasting and a quality Mediterranean-style diet, offers amazing results for both the brain and the body.

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