In later years there has been some focus on the so-called 5:2 diet, inter alias that one fasts for two days, then eat away for the next five, and then the cycle repeats. The effectiveness of this 5:2 method may be questionable, and here is why:

The first two to three days of a fast is the hardest part in a fasting scheme, possibly with recurring hunger pangs. By the way, those pangs are people’s greatest fear when considering a fast, but it only last about ten minutes and is nothing to worry about. Rest assured that after the two first days, fasting is easy as the hunger will be all gone. A “longing” for food takes over, yes, but the hunger is gone. 

Returning to the 5:2 diet, there is the fact that in the first phase of a fast, the body will collect excess (stored) energy from your muscles, while after two-three days it will switch to body fat as fuel for survival. This is the key point of fast-guru Arnold Ehret’s theories; that removing the body fat will also remove much of the poison in the body, simply because this poison is stored in the fat reservoirs. By removing this poison, all health problems will be gone! Arnold Ehret’s theories are convincing, and his books are recommended, see links this blog. In any case, the 5:2 diet is not in compliance with his theories.

Further to this, if the number of fasting days are prolonged beyond approximately five or six days, it is normal to experience euphoric-like conditions with happiness, joy, alertness, a quick brain, lack of need to sleep, eagerness of all kinds, etc. By stopping after two days, as in the 5:2 diet, all this is never experienced.

And why do this self-torture of a two-day fast every week, with the same hunger pangs recurring?  I suggest it is a far better way to fast for more days, but not that often, respecting the fact that fasting isn’t something you do just to get thinner, but to “refurbish” that great trinity of Mind, Body & Spirit.

Please note the word “Body” in order to understand that you will also get thinner, which could be nice. The optimal outcome of a fast can be achieved by seeking a balance in this trinity fundamental to your very constitution. In other words, there is a level of sophistication involved in fasting that goes beyond the context of the 5:2 diet.

Diet and fasting are two different things, and I suggest the 5:2 should be categorized as a diet.