Yes the intermittent fasting continues and is becoming a routine and I now neither dread or look forward to the fasting days, they feel pretty normal......and the novelty value only lasts for so long. However, I am still feeling the results which is what keeps me going - as the title of today's post suggests - I'm feeling so much lighter!!. I don't mean in weight necessarily, although I have lost an inch or so all over and I'm pretty sure I have lost a few pounds (I haven't weighed myself as I don't own any scales), but I feel lighter inside...my internal systems feel calmer and there seem to be fewer sugar crashes.
One of my top tips to include is celery - a wonderful vegetable which is full of fibre, contains a little sodium, (which you need when fasting because you tend to take on more fluids) and is really filling. The best part is it only contains 7 calories per 100g !! That is approximately 1 large stick. There are some who believe that you burn more calories digesting it than the body consumes from it.... that may be true - not sure I can prove that one, but nice to think it might be true!!
In addition to the fasting, I have cut pretty much all processed food out of my diet (with the odd exception such as breadsticks), and all added sugar - and only eat fresh fish and chicken and fresh vegetables and fruits. This is something which I've lived by for a number of years now but Im trying to refine it further. The majority of processed foods are packed full of fat, salt and sugar and should be avoided.
Of course another benefit I've noticed is the reduced shopping bill!! ....Although I am eating a little on the fasting days, I think my shopping bill has cut in half as I'm not eating as much as I used to on the normal days either. It's a no brainer - saving money, losing weight, feeling better, looking better and....I'm hoping for longer term results of improving my cholesterol levels, glucose levels etc and reducing my risk of diabetes, heart disease and cancer. T
ime will tell!
Nutrition tip for today....
For all you athletes out there (or amateur cyclists, jogists or gymists), the news is that there is a magical new drink on the market which is better at re hydrating you after exercise than any of those expensive and colourful isotonic drinks..... What is it? Drum roll please...... Skimmed milk!! Yes apparently a drop if the white stuff has exactly the right amount of fluid, carbohydrate, protein, sodium and fat to rehydrate the body much better than water or specialist sports drinks. It has to do with how the sodium helps the body retain the fluid for longer and the fat delays the digestion... Thus enabling the absorption of lots of useful nutrients before it passes through. It also has the right proportions of carbohydrate to protein for recovery, 3:1.
Water is OK but can be harmful if drunk in too high quantities as it flushes good minerals etc out of the body quickly.
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