What is the 16:8 diet, does the intermittent fasting diet work and what are the weight loss results?
DAILY fasting is believed to be an effective tool for reducing both your weight and blood pressure.
The latest dieting craze said to help shed those pounds is the 16:8 diet – but just what does this entail? We take a closer look.
What is the 16:8 diet?
The 16:8 diet allows you to eat for eight hours of the day, while fasting for the remaining 16 hours.
Known as intermittent fasting, it is believed to be one of most popular dieting plans out there at the moment, and appears to be effective for most dieters.
It helps to keep to a healthy diet for the eight hours you can eat so as to get the most out of the plan.
The diet stems from the book 8 Hour Diet by author David Zinczenko and editor-in-chief of Men’s Health Peter Moore.
They suggest that a longer fasting time between eating gives the body the time it needs to process the food and burn away extra fat stores.
What can I eat on the 16:8 diet?
This diet doesn’t suggest you cram all your food into an eight-hour window.
Instead, it encourages the consumption of balanced foods that can burn fat and boost overall health.
Experts suggest dieters opt for lean meat, eggs, dairy, vegetables, nuts and beans each day during their eight hour window.
For the remaining 16 hours, dieters can consumer water, tea and coffee.
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Does this diet work and what are the benefits?
Studies say the diet will help shed the pounds without causing you to starve yourself.
Researchers found that those who followed the time-restricted eating diet consumed fewer calories, lost weight and had improvements in blood pressure.
On average, participants in the most recent study consumed about 350 fewer calories and lost around three per cent of their body weight.
The diet is also said to benefit those who find themselves overeating at night, with late night dinners and parties a no-no.
It is also said to help reduce the risk of cancer and heart disease, lower cortisol levels (ie. Eliminate stress) and reduce inflammation.