-
Health, Food & Diet
- Sugar content in alcohol - best & worst
- Coconut oil: the science
- Guilt free snacks
- 5 Post workout recipes
- 5 Common healthy eating mistakes
- Teatox – Whats it all about?
- After School Snacks for Kids
- Summer Fruits – What’s Hot, What’s Not
- The Professional Athlete Diet
- What is a Cleanse Diet?
- Losing Weight Without a Fad Diet
- Cheat Days: Worth it?
- Light Milk: Healthier than Full Cream?
- Protein Shakes – Do they really work?
- All About the IIFYM Diet
- 8 Superfoods You’ve Never Heard Of
- 5 Surprising Facts About Coffee
- The Changes Your Body Goes through When you Quit Sugar
- The Truth About Soft Drinks
- Does Detoxing Actually Work?
- Natural Alternatives to Sugar
- Replacing Artificial Sugars with Natural Energy
- Sugar in Caffeinated Drinks
- Diets 101 – The Bloodtype Diet
- Delicious Sugar Free Recipes
- The Low-Down on Artificial Sweeteners
- The Health Benefits of Smoothies
- The Aztec Diet
- Breaking Sugar Addiction
- Organic vs Non Organic Foods
- Spices of a Sunburnt Country
- 7 Healthy Kids Lunchbox Snacks
- The Great Weight Debate
- Sneaking Vegetables into your Children’s Food
- Fast or Feast? The Guide to the 5:2 Diet
- Nutrition tips for the everyday cyclist
- Creative, Fun (and healthy!) Christmas food ideas for kids
- Medical Spotlight: Heart Disease
- What's for Breakfast
- Coconut Oil – why you should make the switch
- Healthy Fast Food Options
- Salt – Friend or Foe?
- Changes to your body during pregnancy
- Spotlight on Sugar – how much sugar is in your favourite drinks?
- Five Surprising Facts about Food and Nutrition
- The Secret Sugar Hidden in Your Favourite Foods
- Are saturated fats and cholesterol really the bad guys?
- 5 Foods to Help Fight Pain
- The Importance of Potassium and Sodium
- Nutritional Truths About Sushi
- Slim Shakes and Diet Pills
- What are Macrobiotics?
- The Ketogenic Diet and Epilepsy
- Winter Foods To Keep You Warm
- What’s in season for Winter?
- Feeding fitness: Eating and exercise tips for breastfeeding mums
- Breast Milk versus Formula
- Foods that Speed Up the Ageing Process
- Beat the Winter Blues
- The Raw Food Diet
- Severe Nut Allergies: The Signs
- How to Make a Better Lunch Box for Kids
- Foods and Asthma
- Kids and Food Allergies
- The Lowdown on Homeopathy
- What is involved in traditional Chinese medicine?
- What is Ayurveda? And Why Do It?
- Diets 101: Mediterranean v Sonoma Diets
- Autumn Foods – What’s in Season?
- 5 Bad Habits Healthy People Have
- 5 Under-Appreciated Foods With Surprising Health Benefits
- Happy Valentines Day, Every Day! The Benefits of Chocolate
- Diets 101: Jenny Craig vs Weight Watchers
- Spice up your Life
- 5 Simple Fixes for Bad Eating Habits
- 5 Ways To Teach Your Kids About Healthy Food
- Don’t worry – Eat happy! 5 mood enhancing foods
- What’s in Season for Summer?
- The Fruit Superhero
- How to beat the bulge this festive season
- The best snack ideas that leave you guilt free
- Dairy – Good or bad for your health?
- What’s in Season for Spring?
- Is fasting good for you?
- Diets 101 – Atkins and Dukan Diets
- 15 reasons why it is smart to shop at local markets
- Why is fish oil good for you?
- Five foods for a healthy brain
- Recipe for the perfect breakfast shake
- Minimize the Effects of Alcohol on Your Health
- Diets 101 – Paleo & Ferris
- Die Diet Die!
- Eating Out – Restaurant Junkies
- 4 healthy habits you can build in just a few weeks
- 7 Nutritional Beliefs That Are Wrong
- 3 Kids Snacks To Replace The Happy Meal
- Monday’s medical myth: chocolate causes acne
- Monday’s medical myth: food additives cause childhood behavioural disorders
- More Than Meats The Eye
- Weight-loss TV, patience is not its virtue
- All About Eczema
- 10 Ideas on How to Stay Healthy in a Stressful Work Environment
-
Sports & Fitness
- Crossfit – What’s all the hype about?
- This Year’s Hottest Fitness Trends
- How to Choose a Good Gym
- 5 Ways to Work Different Parts of Your Body
- Exercising in Cold Weather
- HIIT – Train Smarter, Not Harder!
- The Importance of Correct Form in the Gym
- Strength Training: More than simply lifting weights
- Why Men should try Women’s Workouts
- Clean Out your Gym Bag
- Alternative Forms of Cardio
- The Health Benefits of Snow Sports
- Barre – Fusing Yoga, Pilates and Ballet
- Keeping Fit with the Kids in Tow
- The Great Weight Debate
- Body Weight Workouts
- Maximise the Benefits of Cycling Training
- Nutrition tips for the everyday cyclist
- Deskercise! Your 7 Step Office Workout Guide
- How to improve your cycling
- Work the Twerk
- The Health Benefits of Playing Cricket
- Kickboxing your way to fitness!
- Let’s Dance: Shake Up Your Fitness Routine
- Fitness Myths Debunked
- Training for a Triathlon – Where to Start
- Trampolining: Not just for kids!
- Physical Culture: Let’s Get Physical
- How to Buy the Perfect Pair of Running Shoes
- Hiking, Climbing & Bushwalking Tips
- Gym bag essentials
- Assisting Recovery when Injured
- Learn to Love Your Body
- Pole Dancing for Fitness & Confidence
- Yoga for Pecs, or Peace?
- Feeding fitness: Eating and exercise tips for breastfeeding mums
- 5 Bad Habits Healthy People Have
- How to Make a Visit to the Pool Fun
- How to Prevent Stitches During Your Run
- Take Off Your Shoes! The Pleasures of Running Barefoot
- Breathing and Anxiety
- 6 Ideas on How to Carry Items Whilst Running
- Exercise at home
- How to beat tHow to beat the bulge this festive seasonhe bulge this festive season
- Brrrr it’s cold outside! Indoor sports to try this Winter
- Snow Sports
- Martial Arts – Good for Everyone!
- No More Exercise Excuses
- Tips to get your kids moving
- What is a bike fit and why get one?
- Pre-race preparation
- Pregnancy and Exercise: Is it safe?Pregnancy and Exercise: Is it safe?
- Finding motivation to get fit
- Keeping work healthy
- Rise to the challenge
- 5 Ways to Train like an Olympic Athlete
- 4 healthy habits you can build in just a few weeks
- How can I get addicted to exercise?
- What Kind of Yoga Class Should I Choose?
- 3 Reasons To Stand Up At Work
- Work Hard… Recover Harder
-
Parenting & children
- 17 Bright Ideas for Vintage Games & Sports
- Sleep Series: Bed Wetting and Other Problems
- Kids Sleep Series: Changing Sleep Patterns with Age
- Choosing an Obstetrician
- What Activity is Best for My Child?
- Keeping Fit with the Kids in Tow
- The Benefits of Prenatal Yoga
- Medical Spotlight: fertility, infertility and technology
- Sleep in Toddlers and Young Children
- Sleep in Infants
- What I wish my mum had told me growing up
- Can Having a Pet Promote Better Health for Your Family?
- How to Help Your Toddler Learn to Ride a Bike
- The Importance of Family Rituals
- Yoga for Kids
- First Time Dads – What to Expect
- Music for Kids
- First Time Mums – What to Expect
- How to Make a Visit to the Pool Fun
- How to de-stress as a Mum
- Pregnancy and Exercise: Is it safe?
- Pain: The Body Speaks!
-
Health insurance
- How to Select a Health Insurance Provider
- What Private Health Insurance is Right for Me?
- Uncomplexicate
- Choosing a Healthcare Professional
- Simplifying out of pocket expenses
- What to Expect When Going to Hospital
- Your handy checklist to Private Health Insurance
- First Time Mums – What to Expect
- The Costs of Pregnancy
- Private Health Insurance Explained
- Healthcare: Public vs Private
- I’m young and healthy, why do I need health insurance?
- Osteo vs. Chiro: What’s the Difference?
- Getting Health Insurance for the first time
- Australian Health Insurance: The top 10 things you need to know
Fast or Feast? The Guide to the 5:2 Diet
The 5:2 diet has been billed as the ultimate food lover’s diet: a way to have your cake and eat it, at least most days per week. Celebrities including Liv Tyler, Ben Affleck, Beyoncé and Christie Turlington are rumoured to have tried the diet, also known as “intermittent fasting”.
The diet, which sounds too good to be true, became a global sensation after Dr Michael Mosley tried it with surprising success on the BBC documentary Eat, Fast and Live Longer. All you have to do is restrict your food intake to 500 calories for two non-consecutive days, and five days of enjoying whatever you like.
Fasting is an ancient practice but not without its critics, so should you give intermittent fasting a try? The UK’s National Health Service has investigated the 5:2 diet, and believes it can be safe and effective if carried out sensibly. But it does caution that as with any new diet, there’s still limited research into it. So here are 5 DOs and 2 DON’Ts to make it work for you:
DO – Drink water
Even when you’re not eating, your kidneys and digestive system will still be working, so stay hydrated. We get a lot of our daily water intake from food, so when you reduce food, it’s wise to increase water consumption. You can also drink black, unsweetened tea and coffee, though it’s good to try and give your body a caffeine break as well.
DO – Ban sugar
Many items marketed as “low-fat” also contain sugar, which will quickly push you past your daily limits. Make sure foods like yoghurts are low-fat and sugar-free.
DO – Focus on salads
You can eat a surprising amount of salad vegetables for 200 calories, but you do have to avoid sweet and oily salad dressings. A squeeze of fresh lemon juice is a good substitute, and freshly cracked black pepper.
DO – Fill up on soups
“Zero point” soups do have some calories, but very few. A big bowl of vegetable-based soup is a great way to feel nourished, take in fluids, and sate hunger.
DO – Fish supper
Fish is extremely nutritious and when grilled, quite modest in calories. Grilled fish is also a great, high-protein way to start the day, and a lower carb option than cereal.
DON’T – Go processed
There are many calorie-counted snacks and ready meals available, but avoid these. A big part of the 5:2 diet is teaching you to get back to fresh whole foods and develop healthier tastes and habits overall.
DON’T – Neglect exercise
There’s no reason to laze about even if you’re fasting. Even if you don’t feel like the gym, take a gentle walk. Exercise gives a big boost to any weight loss plan, and is important for your overall fitness.
These are healthy suggestions for any eating plan, and hopefully you’ll find some of them spill over into your eating days as well. There are also lots of recipe suggestions online. But the most important thing is to get into a pattern that suits you, doesn’t leave you feeling faint or headachey, and – critical for every diet – feels sustainable.
If you feel the 5:2 isn’t working, you want to get past a plateau or you’d like faster results, you can try 4:3. Once you’re happy with your weight, reduce to 6:1 for ongoing maintenance. As with any new health plan, you should consult with your GP first.