Scientists from the University Hospital of South Manchester found out that you do not need to count calories every day in the quest for the perfect figure; you simply need to limit yourself in food twice a week.
At the same time, such a lifestyle reduces the risk of developing breast cancer in women by 40%, the Telegraph reports.
The researchers conducted an experiment, which involved 100 obese women. They were asked to choose one of the three diets.
The first diet completely excluded carbohydrates like potatoes and bread, and limited the nutritional value of the daily diet to 650 calories. Undoubtedly, the limits were strict, but it was necessary to comply with them only twice a week; on the other days there were no restrictions.
The second group was also banned from carbs, but calories were not restricted. Volunteers also kept the diet only two days out of seven.
The third group had to abandon fatty foods and alcohol, and stick with this regime seven days a week.
After three months, it turned out that women who dieted twice a week, lost an average of 4 kg, while the last group of volunteers – only 2 kg. The difference in the amount of calories in the first two groups did not influence the results significantly. In addition, the volunteers, who followed the rule of “two days” had a 40% decrease in the level of leptin – the hormone associated with breast cancer.
Pamela Goldberg, the chief of an anti-cancer organization, says there are many factors for this disease such as age and heredity, which we can not control. However, normalization of body weight reduces the risk of it. This “broken” principle of dieting is a great alternative to traditional diets; it does not only reduce weight but also cancer risk.
The authors of the study recommend consuming as many vegetables and fruits as possible during these two days. However, the menu made up by them may confuse many: it contains Coke drinks and bananas, which are banned in most traditional diets.
