By If you haven’t tried it, you must after reading this!
Wouldn’t it be wonderful to lose weight and simultaneously eliminate toxins from your body? These toxins I mention aren’t only the result of the food we eat and the environment around us — it’s the oxidative stress within our bodies that increases ageing and disease while decreasing our quality of life as we age. Research from Skidmore College (under the instructions of Arciero) conducted a study comparing the results of two diets. One is called a healthy heart diet, and the other is a protein pacing diet. Researchers wanted to compare their effects on obese men and women through a 12-week weight loss program. The heart-healthy diet is a traditional way to diet for weight loss, and the researchers wanted to compare it with PCR (Protein-Pacing Caloric Restriction Diet) for its efficiency. The (PCR) Protein-Pacing Caloric Restriction Diet consisted of caloric restriction, with four to six meals per day, including only 20–25 grams of protein. In addition, all participants also engaged in Intermittent fasting. The results concluded that the Protein-Pacing Caloric Restriction Diet was as effective as the Heart-healthy diet. The 12-week PCR diet reduced body weight by 10 per cent, oxidative stress by 25 per cent, and arterial stiffness by 12 per cent. “The heart-healthy diet has proven health benefits, but its’ important to continue to research and identify additional dietary strategies that might help improve individual and public health,” says Arciero. I couldn’t agree more.
What toxicity has to do with dieting, and you need to be aware of
What people may not realise is that toxicity can hinder weight loss results. Weight loss releases toxins in the blood, harming dieters’ health. Our environment has several toxins, which accumulate and become stored in fatty tissue. When weight loss occurs, fat breaks down the toxins and discharges them into the bloodstream.
Scientists have previously voiced their concerns because this process produces oxidative stress and can lead to severe conditions, including;
- Hormone disruption
- Reproductive problems
- Heart disease
- Cancer
- Alzheimer’s and even
- Parkinson’s disease.
It seems pretty scary to me — and you can only guess that the more you diet, the more likely you have toxins circulating into your blood. But, the great news is that the PCR diet does not increase your chances of disease — rather, it detoxifies and reduces oxidative stress in your body. So, this is a welcome relief for those who have dieted extensively. Finally, you can undo the damage. You could benefit from this diet even if you are not overweight or obese. The maintenance results were terrific as the researchers continued comparing these two diets for 12 months. The PCR diet surpassed the standard heart-healthy diet for weight loss and maintenance during that period. Meanwhile, maintaining a reduction in blood vessel stiffness and subjects continued to eliminate toxins. Arciero says, “We have scientific evidence that the quality of your diet matters. So we favourably impact the detoxification process through this diet, release oxidative stress levels, reduce blood vessel stiffness, and enhance weight loss. That’s an important public health message.”
Key take away
Here I will break down each group’s calories and nutritional breakdown to understand what occurred to achieve these results.
- Men consumed 1,500 calories, and women 1,200.
- 30 per cent from lean protein
- 45 per cent from unrefined carbs
- 25 per cent from fats
- Participants followed an intermittent/fasting cleanse one day per week consisting of 300 to 450 calories from antioxidant-rich plant foods.
Participants were only required to fast once per week to attain the results specified in this study — which is achievable for anyone. Considering their calorie range was relatively low, we should alter our own according to the energy we expend. Athletes will require more calories than someone who is sedentary. However, the same careful planning should be given to anyone that doesn’t need or want to lose weight, instead to maintain better health and possibly the current weight you are now. I have always praised fasting and have been fasting every day for the last three years. Sometimes I deviate due to a particular function event, but I always feel better when I skip dinner. Some people skip breakfast as it’s a lot easier. Whatever suits your lifestyle is the right plan. So, if you don’t have any underlying health issues, why not try this lifestyle plan yourself. Furthermore, if you have any concerns, please see your doctor first. I run my fasting through this particular app, which contains recipes and workouts and helps me keep in check when it’s time to fast again and start eating more. I highly recommend it, and the link is here gain. This is an affiliate link, and a commission percentage does come to me — although I don’t recommend anything, I do not try. View the research paper here if you want more details about this study.
Please sign up via my link if you want to read more articles like this or start writing your own. I’d love to see you on the other side. ???????? Sign up here for your medium subscription. I get a portion of your monthly fee at no extra cost to you, and it will go a long way in supporting me as a writer.
If you want to express gratitude with coffee, send the love via this link.