Traditional accompaniment is food three square meals per day – but on a popular diet plan, some people only eat once.
It’s called the One Meal a Day (OMAD) diet and is a form of intermittent fasting in which allits calories in a single meal, after 23 hours of fasting.
Dr. Jason Fung, a Canadian nephrologist (kidney specialist), is known as an expert on intermittent fasting (IF). He spoke to Fox News Digital about the OMAD diet, which he described as a stricter version of IF.
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Both diets involve “time-restricted eating,” Fung noted — but intermittent fasting allows people to eat twice a day.
If you only eat once a day, the natural tendency is to eat less overall, he said.
The One Meal a Day (OMAD) diet is a form of intermittent fasting in which you eat all the calories of the day in one meal, after a 23-hour fast. (iStock)
According to the expert, the body is in a state of storing calories or burning them.
When a person fasts for an extended period of time, the body begins to use fat for energy, which can actually reduce hunger, Fung said.
Who could benefit from this?
The two main health concerns that can benefit greatly from OMAD and intermittent fasting are weight loss and… type 2 diabetessaid Fung.
“Fasting really affects weight and sugars because that’s how calories are stored – as sugar and fat,” he said.
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Losing weight can potentially reduce the risk of heart disease, stroke and obesity-related cancers, the doctor noted, in addition to relieving back pain, knee pain and pressure on the joints.
‘You can even reverse your situation type 2 diabetes with intermittent fasting,” Fung said, citing previously published studies by the National Institutes of Health and Diabetes Care.
When someone fasts for long periods of time, the body begins to use fat for energy, which can even reduce hunger, an expert said. (iStock)
Fung described how one of his patients, who had had diabetes for 15 years, was able to stop his insulin medications after following the OMAD diet three times a week for a month.
The patient is still not taking insulin and continues to fast regularly, but not as often, he added.
“You can even reverse your type 2 diabetes with intermittent fasting.”
People with hypoglycemia who are not taking antidiabetic medications for type 2 diabetes should still be able to do so follow the OMAD diet if they avoid highly refined carbohydrates, which can cause glucose levels to rise, Fung said.
He recommends whole, natural, unprocessed foods.
“Fasting really affects weight and sugars because that’s how calories are stored – as sugar and fat,” one fasting expert told Fox News Digital. (iStock)
Fern Katzman, a Toronto-based clinical nutritionist, told Fox News Digital that she has seen patients with type 2 diabetes stop taking Metformin, a oral antidiabeticsor not having to bother with it at all after intermittent fasting, or OMAD.
Katzman said people should have a reason to take OMAD, such as to address medical problems or to reduce elevated blood sugar levels after a period of excessive eating or drinking.
“Insulin stimulates desire,” she told Fox News Digital. “After you eat or drink a lot, your insulin spikes, and that makes you hungry.”
Katzman added, “The one thing everyone tells me when they’ve done OMAD is that the cravings stop — and that’s the key to any weight loss program.”
The top two health conditions that can benefit greatly from OMAD and intermittent fasting are weight loss and type 2 diabetes, according to an expert. (iStock)
In addition to losing weight, Katzman said her patients have reported this as well better digestion and reduced bloating on the OMAD diet because “sugar makes yeast and yeast makes you bloat.”
Patients have also noticed immediate improvements in their mood and energy levels while on the diet, she added.
Katzman recommends consuming vegetables, proteins and grains, such as quinoa and small amounts of brown rice.
‘Not for everyone’
Katzman cautioned that OMAD is “not for everyone” – it’s probably not a good choice for people who have an eating disorder or are hypoglycemic, for example.
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Dr. Lisa Young, a registered dietitian nutritionist in Florida, echoed the same concerns, warning that the OMAD diet can trigger people with eating disorders.
“You’re not focusing on your intuitive internal cues of hunger and fullness,” she told Fox News Digital. “You don’t trust yourself.”
For those following the diet, experts recommend sticking to “whole, natural, unprocessed foods.” (iStock)
Young also warned that the diet can “make you feel tired.”
“It can even make you hungrier and cause hypoglycemia (low blood sugar),” she added.
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Dr. Joel Kahn, a holistic cardiologist in Michigan, also does not support the OMAD diet.
The doctor noted that studies from the National Institutes of Health and the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) support that eating just one meal in the evening can result in declining metabolic health, higher blood sugar levels and greater insulin resistance.
“You’re not focusing on your intuitive internal cues of hunger and fullness.”
“Theoretically, if you’re going to do a One Meal a Day diet, you could do it in the morning hours,” Kahn told Fox News Digital.
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The doctor instead recommends the Daniel Diet, which he described as a “faith-based diet” of plants and legumes inspired by the Book of Daniel.
Khan is also a fan of the Prolon 5-day program, a plant-based program fasting-mimicking dietwhich he said could help people reach a younger biological age.
