The FastDay Forum

Morning everyone,

I went to a Patrick Holford seminar on his new ADF gl (low glycemic load) diet last week and just wondered if anyone had any read about it and/or had any views on it.

It seems quite confusing, but it doesn't take much to confuse me, as on alternate fast days (mon/wed/fri) you count both gl's and calories - below 800 calories on the fasting days and 35gl's.

Then on 3 days of the week you stick to his maintainance gl limits - up to 50, then one day a week have a day off with an extra 10 gl's, if you want.

I think I understand what he is saying about low gi foods etc but with regards to fasting he is saying 3 meals and 2 snacks on a fast day which is not what Moseley says ?

In response to the question 'why are 3 meals and 1 snack included, whereas other approaches advocate a maximum of 2 meals with larger gaps", he states "by eating little and more often you reduce the amount of insulin your body has to produce, and its lack of insulin that switches on the skinny gene"

Can you see why I'm confused

Debbie

[carorees]

That doesn't make sense to me either. If the glycaemic load is the same then surely the amount of insulin you produce will be the same just in a different number of bursts? I need to check about the science behind the so called skinny gene (SIRT1 I think) as to whether it is glucose sensitive or what.

Thanks Caroline.

I've got his new book but haven't fully read it all - just the bits that are the complete opposite to MM's 5:2



Debbie

[carorees]

OK so I had a quick look in the scientific literature and discovered a bit a about SIRT1 (the so-called skinny gene). It appears to be activated by fasting and calorie restriction. It is sensitive to nutrients (not insulin, rather it regulates insulin). This study shows that it is the stress of lack of nutrients that activates SIRT1: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/m/pubmed/21 ... %20fasting
Also, PhilT posted about how ADF with zero calories activates SIRT1: viewtopic.php?f=10&t=1389#p10351

So I have say that so far I can't find evidence to support Holford's theory. Does he give references in his book?

I've just had a quick look at references in the back of the book and nothing about frequent meals and insulin etc. just going out to walk the dogs but when I come back I'll have a look through the chapters and see what I can find :

Debbie

I'd be interested to read Caroline's final summary of this but it sounds way way too complicated to fit into my life.

Can't find any references re frequent meals and skinny genes etc.

Only thing I can find is he keeps saying that keeping insulin levels at a minimum is key player in weight loss and this is what his GL diet does by eating 3 meals a day and snacks both on fast and feast days.

He mentions tests done on rats and worms and insulin levels but there is nothing about how often they were fed during the day so I think this is something he has come up with ??