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Sticking to a healthy diet can be difficult at the best of times, but even more when life gets busy and stressful. Michael Mosley, a psychiatrist and the man behind the globally-recognized 5:2 diet, has recently launched a new app, the Fast 800, which creates a balanced weight management program that aims to help you feel energized throughout the day. It promises to make eating and living healthily that much easier.
“There are at least 700 low-carbohydrate recipes on the app, and you can choose from different cuisines, vegetarian, lots of meat or less of it–there’s so much to choose from,” Mosley tells me over the phone. “It’s designed to maximize the chances that you will successfully stick to a healthy program, so we also included some behavioral components, too.” As well as a 12-week resistance-based exercise course, stress reduction tools, and tips to help with your sleep, you can also request support from a psychologist or exercise physiologist to help you along, or tap into the wider community of users via the app.
Here, Mosley shares his top tips on how to quickly improve your day-to-day.
Follow a Mediterranean diet (and lifestyle)
“There was a huge 5,000-person randomized control trial done a few years ago in Spain, and participants either went on a Mediterranean or low-fat diet–they had to stop the trial early because those on the Mediterranean diet were doing so much better,” Mosley says. “They were 30 percent less likely to have a heart attack and half as likely to develop type two diabetes, plus they also had a much lower risk of cognitive decline.”
The basic components of the diet include oily fish, which contains three fatty acids that are good for your brain and heart; olive oil, which contains the anti-inflammatory oleic acid; and oily nuts, like almonds and pecans, which are full of fiber and good fats. “They’re a great snack, but also really good for the heart,” says Mosley. “Then obviously there’s fruit and vegetables, but the combination of nuts and olive oil is particularly beneficial.”
Eat around the kitchen table
Mosley laments the fact that a relatively large portion of the population doesn’t have a kitchen table–which can often mean that the social aspect of eating gets lost. “Socializing is a good thing–enjoy your food, sit around the table and chat. These are huge parts of a healthy diet and help you to savor your food and eat slower, increasing satiety.” Big, communal meals around the table are also typical of the Mediterranean lifestyle.
Fill a third of your plate with vegetables
“Try to fill about a third of your plate with non-starchy vegetables–greens in any form are really good, but there are so many health benefits in broccoli. In our recipes, we say do not count greens as calories. Instead, pile your plate with them.” Other good green, non-starchy vegetables include spinach, lettuce, watercress, sugar snap peas, asparagus, cabbage, and celery.
Drink a large glass of water with every meal
“I have a seven-a-day rule, which is to try and go to the loo seven times a day to pass urine–if you drink lots of water, then you’ll cut some of your cravings and feel hydrated. This rule means you don’t have to worry about whether you’re drinking one or two liters, either.”
Up your protein intake
Aim to eat at least 20 grams of protein at every meal. “Start your day with a savory breakfast–think eggs, omelettes, or tofu,” recommends Mosley. “I think the national recommendations for protein consumption–45 and 60 grams for women and men respectively–are too low, particularly for women who have gone through menopause, when they do not absorb or process protein as effectively as they did before. There is now quite a lot of evidence that one of the drivers of weight gain after menopause is a lack of protein in the diet, because most women continue eating as they did before it.”