5:2 Diet Prerequisites

This is my customized way of incorporating the 5:2 diet into my daily routine. Here are the prerequisites. I am planning to start it from next Tuesday i.e. 5/29/2018. I plan to fast on a Tuesday and a Thursday so that I am free to go out on weekends and host friends and family at home and eat normally.

Along with diet incorporating an active life style will help. I am planning to do Pranayama, Surya Namaskarams, fast for two days, consume Omega 3 (this helped me reduce my triglycerides from 250 to 88 back in 2015 or so and it stayed normal since then) and Biotin for a healthy skin and hair.

Below is the list of tasks that need to be complete by next Tuesday to start the program.

1.      Buy the book The Fast Diet and read it

Reading a book gives you in depth knowledge on the process and the testimonials help you      connect with the system and believe in it. Believing something will work at a subconscious level helps a lot in achieving success. The book is very easy to read, you can finish it in a day or two. It gives lot of reasoning and backs up with clinical trials which worked

2.      Create an account on the website https://thefastdiet.co.uk/

There are forums, groups where people invite you to challenges, more material on why this works and how this works, how to fast etc. Lots of information on the site. I started a new topic in the Beginners forum asking for any Indian vegetarians and menu suggestions on fasting days since the book does not have vegetarian options

3.      Get a blood test done if you haven’t done so in the past 3 months to check your problem areas

Usually it is a encouraging to see some drastic changes in your health in a positive way I mean :) Getting a blood test done and checking your profile for any elevations or deficiencies helps as a baseline to start with. If you get a blood test done 6months later or even a year later as part of your physical you will be amazed how all the numbers have improved for good. 

4.      Buy a FitBit if you don’t already have one. The goal is to make 10,000 steps each day

Basically, any pedometer will work. There are several theories on how walking 10,000 steps a day helps improve your health no matter what. It will surprise you how difficult it is to make 10k steps with a desk job and how easy it is at the same time to make up those 10k by going for a walk at the end of the day or first thing in the morning or even going on short bursts in between the day. Taking stairs instead of elevator, parking car far away from the store, getting up often to get a drink of water or coffee will do the trick. 

5.      Install “Move” app on your phone. It gives you reminders to get up from your desk and do simple 1min exercises every 30mins or so

There is a "Move" app in iPhone. I love this app. There are 12 workouts per day. It gives a notification to get up and do 30 squats, 10 pushup, 4 stairs ways, things like that. If you cannot do some of them, do some other activity by default walking up and down the stairs or walking around for couple of minutes and coming back. That keeps your joints from moving instead of locking them due to sitting for long hours. 

6.      If your health conditions allow buy Omega 3 and Biotin tablets to consume everyday

Omega 3 supplement - 3 years ago I had high triglycerides 250 or something. My doctor recommended over the counter Omega-3. As always I did tons of research on this and realized that over the counter does not have enough omega-3 that are needed. You need to consume at least 1000mg to reap the benefits. I found Dr.Tobias Oemga 3 on Amazon to be most useful. It has 1,400 mg Omega-3 Fatty Acids (600 mg DHA, 800 mg EPA) per serving (2 caps). If you can consume take 2 servings per day one at breakfast and one at dinner. I used to take 2 servings a day and my triglycerides came down to 88 and they stayed around that number. Consuming Omega - 3 has lots of health benefits like Asthma, Diabetes, Skin Disorders, some depression related symptoms, reducing hair fall, improving skin tone etc. Full list is available here.

Biotin 10,000mcg - Biotin is Vitamin B7. The health benefits of vitamin B7 or biotin include improved metabolism, tissue maintenance, healthy skin, and weight loss. It also provides relief from heart problems, alopecia, Parkinson’s disease, and helps in maintaining blood sugar levels

7.      Buy a book to record your progress. Kind of Journal. If you prefer jotting down things in your laptop or phone that is fine too. I prefer a physical hard copy of a book.

8.      Jot down your current weight, height, waist measurement, and health concerns.

9.      Come up with meal plans on fast days (The Fast Diet book does not have vegetarian options)