OK, so I knew it would be harder as the temperatures dropped!..... and it is - a lovely fresh COLD salad (the main-stay of my summer fasting days) isnt quite as tempting this time of year. So last night, having planned to have a salad for dinner, I went for a bowl of porridge made with water and a few seeds sprinkled on top instead..... just what I needed at that moment and pure heaven - comfort food without the calories! Of course, when you make porridge with water instead of milk, you save around 50 calories and of course, what ever you do, dont add sugar or syrup. If you need a little something to add flavour - try a few slices of fresh banana, fresh strawberries or blueberries.
Now dont get me wrong, when I say its getting harder, I'm still sticking to it 100% - so for those new to my blog - that means eating only 500 calories every other day and eating normally on the days in between. Some of you who live in London may have seen a report in the Evening Standard this week about what they called the DODO diet - 'Day On, Day Off' - which is essentially the same thing.
http://www.standard.co.uk/lifestyle/health/feast-and-famine-the-dodo-diet-8203219.html
It is clearly growing in popularity but the report seemed to indicate that following the 'every other day' pattern was not sustainable and the thrust of the piece was about weight loss rather than the health benefits that the regime can bring such as lowering cholesterol and reducing the risk of cancer, heart disease and diabetes.
I have to say, I have not had any trouble sticking to the one day on, one day off pattern - occasionally Ive swapped a couple of days if Im going out with a friend or visiting family but that works fine. To suggest, as the report does, that people can lose weight by cutting down on just one day per week and eat normally for the rest of the week, really misses the point. It feeds into the growing societal sickness that we can all achieve results with minimal effort or will power. And what results have I achieved in the last two months? Well, some of the longer term benefits are hard to measure as yet, but I have lost 4 inches from around my waist which is a good start!
It is also a myth that we all need to continue to eat at the levels we do to survive! Trying this lifestyle (as I prefer to call it rather than a diet) has really brought home just how much we eat for a variety of reasons other than hunger; boredom, sociability, pressure, comfort, habit, routine, entertainment etc etc ...... I dont believe we should end all parties, social occasions or stop being polite!!.... but thinking about the reasons behind our eating patterns is the first step in transforming the way we think about food. From there we can start to look forward to a healthier future and walking lighter on the earth by reducing our footprint on this globe of ever dwindling natural resources.
Nutrition tip of the day
As it features so highly in my eating regime, I thought it would only be right to go into more detail about the terrific health benefits of my favourite comfort food!
Porridge is a great source of dietary fibre, particularly soluble fibre. Dietary fibre helps to normalise bowel function and helps to reduce constipation and other types of digestive ailments such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).
Soluble fibre acts as a slow release mechanism, giving porridge a low GI (Glycaemic Index) rating, and can reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes.
Porridge can also help in lower cholesterol levels, which helps in fighting heart disease. Researchers have found that oats have a significant cholesterol-lowering effect when added to the diet.
In addition to the benefits above, porridge can assist in a weightloss programme due to its ability to keep you going for longer, due to its low GI rating, already mentioned. So, as a much healthier breakfast choice than many of the sugary and processed cereals, it can help in the fight against obesity.
Finally, its delightfully easy to prepare - I simply put 5 tablespoons of porridge oats into a bowl, add tap water, stick it into the microwave for 1 min 30 secs, stir it, put it back in for another 1 min and bingo - done - just a few finishing touches of a sprinkle of seeds (see my last blog for the amazing health benefits of my daily Omega Sprinkle!), and a few slices of banana or strawberry and thats it - all made while the kettle boils for my cuppa! Simplz as the meercats would say!!
I have to say, I have not had any trouble sticking to the one day on, one day off pattern - occasionally Ive swapped a couple of days if Im going out with a friend or visiting family but that works fine. To suggest, as the report does, that people can lose weight by cutting down on just one day per week and eat normally for the rest of the week, really misses the point. It feeds into the growing societal sickness that we can all achieve results with minimal effort or will power. And what results have I achieved in the last two months? Well, some of the longer term benefits are hard to measure as yet, but I have lost 4 inches from around my waist which is a good start! 
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