Review: Eat five, Fast two
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 05 26, 2013
Ravi Kishore has again put before the health conscious public a little book that is a solid idea for maintaining and improving health. For many the very word `fasting' will seem a negative: `how can I work and function when I don't eat anything?' And that is precisely why this book is for beginners. Advanced heath supporters will know the facts about controlled fasting, but this book is written for those who want to improve their health without fad diets or pills or a hefty list of gymnastics.Rather than being a `typical' fast, where nothing is eaten all day, the 5:2 plan advises users to limit caloric intake on fasting days. Before stating on this plan Kishore advises us to keep a diary of our normal caloric intake - foods we like - and then choose recipes we love that have less than 200 calories per serving. But before actually taking us through the mechanics of the 5:2 intermittent dieting plan he carefully discusses (in laymen terms) the physiology and chemistry of the concept. He explains that this new format of eating obeys the laws of nutrition: he briefly explains the science behind the concept (insulin/blood glucose levels, increased fatty acid oxidation etc), that intermittent fasting improves glucose tolerance meaning cells become more sensitive to insulin and that some of the many benefits of altering the manner in which we pump food into our system supports the immune system, retards aging process, provides body detoxification, and promotes weight loss reducing fat mass while maintaining muscle mass, and other positive benefits.Then Kishore takes us through the process. Rather than being a `typical' fast, where nothing is eaten all day, the 5:2 plan advises users to limit caloric intake on fasting days. On 5 days in the week we eat a regular (albeit newly informed diet by means of a very good list of the number of calories in common foods we see and eat everyday) and on 2 days we reduce calorie intake to 600 calories/day for men and 500 calories/day for women. `Don't starve your self - the goal is to take a short break from eating to allow natural genetic and hormonal responses to kick in at the cellular level'Once we understand the process (and there is much more information in the book than outlined here) Kishore offers recipes for each meal that keep the calorie intake on fasting days to 600 or 500 per day. The recipes look flavorful and satisfying so that not following them would be unthinkable! This is a very solid (scientifically) program and an easy and near painless way to maintain a healthy body and likely lose weight. And there are no drugs or special equipment or exercise plans to complicate the process. This is a solid little book by a young man who cares about his and our health. Grady Harp, May 13