Book Review: The Fast Diet By Dr. Michael Mosley and Mimi Spencer

The Fast Diet: The Simple Secret of Intermittent Fasting: Lose Weight, Stay Healthy, Live Longer by Michael Mosley
My rating: 3 of 5 stars


The Fast Diet by Dr. Michael Mosley and Mimi Spencer is a small book explaining a method of fasting the authors call the 5-2 diet. This diet consists of eating normally for five days of the week and then restricting calories the remaining two days.  This concept is based on what Dr. Mosley learned in his BBC Horizon documentary Eat, Fast, Live Longer.  He tried different forms of fasting to improve his health and eventually created his own 5-2 approach.

The Fast Diet begins by giving an overview of the science behind fasting and all of its benefits such as helping to prevent cancer, diabetes and depression. This chapter is not very detailed as there needs to be more study on how fasting creates these benefits. Many of the studies have been done on mice and there are not many studies done on humans. So much of the advise in the book comes from what they have seen work in animal studies. Both authors then detail why they decided to start the 5-2 fasting method and the kinds of results they hoped to have.

The second part of the book gives the details of the 5-2 feast/fast program in practice. For two days during a 7 day week a fasting individual would eat 600 calories a day for men and 500 calories a day for women. They stress that during these days you need to eat nutrient dense foods since you will be eating a considerable amount less than normal. They emphasize a plant based diet rich in vegetables and fruit. They recommend for best results that you eat breakfast and dinner. It is more effective for a person to fast for a considerable period of time. For best results they recommend not eating for a least 16 hours.

The third part of the book gives you practical tips for dealing with feelings you most likely will have when starting this program. There is also a large section of frequently asked questions about their 5-2 fasting method. This part is very detailed and one of the most helpful parts of the book. The book then gives sample menus for ten fast days at both calorie levels, plus recipes for the food given in the menus. The food is mostly plant based with a small amount of meat. The fast day food is nutritionally sound and nutrient dense and the recipes are simple and quick to make. The book ends with a collection of case studies and glowing comments. These ending comments seem more like an advertisement for the diet's wonderful benefits rather than an honest overview of people's experiences.

This type of plan seems more sustainable then a continuous fast for 3-4 days. It works because participates will naturally eat less on the other five days. Overall they are eating less than they were before they started the program. The book states that you can eating whatever you want on non fasting days which basically gives the green light to eat processed fast food. There is no science stated in this book that says you are hurting your health by eating junk food most of the time which is a big red flag. Since most of the benefits of fasting have only been seen in mice, it is too early to know if  a diet like this is truly a good idea.

Overall, the book seems more like a fad diet than a health eating plan. Fasting can have benefits but trying to promote the diet by hyping up the "eat whatever you want on the other days" feels like a ploy to sell books.

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How To Shop For Fresh Produce At A Farmer's Market

Shopping for fresh produce at your local farmer’s market is the one of the easiest and best ways to not only purchase fresh fruits and vegetables but to support your local farmers. Farmer’s markets can have a variety of fresh produce and flowers plus homemade food from people in the community. This is the freshest, tastiest and least expensive food you can buy when done right. With a little research and planning, you can come back from a farmer’s market with an array of fresh produce.

To find a local farmer’s market check out your local paper or online. Local Harvest lists all of the farmer’s markets from around the country. To pick a place to go to, make a visit the farmer’s market first before buying anything. During this visit, check out what the vendors offer and talk to the farmers. Find out how their fresh produce is grown, such as whether they use conventional or organic farming methods. Some farmer’s market vendors also sell meat, poultry and eggs. Find out how their animals were raised and if they are given any hormones or antibiotics. Also ask if the animals were grass fed or corn fed. The answers to these questions will be important and will help you decide if you will go to that particular farmer/farmers market. Sometimes conventional farmers have an oversupply of crops and need to sell them and use farmers market to get rid of this excess crop – this produce is essentially the same food as in the grocery store. If you are looking for fresh organic produce from local farmers you need to research the farmers.

Once you have decided on a particular market, it is important to begin with a list of items you will need -- just like when shopping at a grocery store. This starts with meal planning for the week. When you are planning meals, keep in mind what fruits and vegetables are in season at the time. Farmer’s markets sell fresh produce in season, meaning that at any given time the only produce available are those foods that ripen during that period. For example, you decide you want to make an apple dish but it is May and asparagus is in season. You will need to plan for this. Search the internet for a handy guide that tells you which fresh produce is in season in your area. If it is spring, you will find many spring vegetables such as asparagus, at the farm stand. If you are going in the fall you will find a variety of fresh fall fruit and vegetables such as apples and pumpkins. Plan meals according to the season and you will not have any trouble finding what you are looking for.

Next, plan to go early, preferably right when they open. You want to get the freshest produce and have as much selection as possible. If you go later in the day you risk losing out on the best fruits and vegetables. Much of the food will spoil from sitting out in the hot sun, and there will only be throwaways left. When you start shopping go to the vendors you picked out when you were doing your research and buy from them. Get as much as you can from your list—if you planned well you should be able to get most of the fresh produce from the farmers market. Also be sure to bring your own bags. Some vendors have bags but some may not. Bring a large reusable bag to make it easier to carry your food home.

Remember that all the food at the market is fresh from the ground or picked that day or the day before. These items are real foods that have not been processed in the way supermarket produce has been. You will need to know how to clean your fresh produce once you get it home. There will be clumps of dirt, some bugs, sand and other inedible material. This is to be expected. Get some good quality organic vegetable soap and wash your root vegetables and fruits. Submerse green in a sink full of water at least twice to clean out the dirt.

Shopping at the right farmer’s market can be a great experience. To find a market close to you visit www.localharvest.org.

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