WomensHealth
  • News
  • Health
  • Fitness
  • Sex & Love
  • Food
  • Lifestyle
  • Weight Loss
  • Women In Sport
  • Podcasts
  • Subscribe
  • Video
WomensHealth
  • News
  • Health
  • Fitness
  • Sex & Love
  • Food
  • Lifestyle
  • Weight Loss
  • Women In Sport
  • Podcasts
  • Subscribe
  • Video
This Simple, Effective Ab Workout Will Shred Your Six-Pack
Watch 0:23

This Simple, Effective Ab Workout Will Shred Your Six-Pack

{headline}

{headline}

Rosie Huntington-Whiteley Eats Her Last Meal At 4pm Each Day

Rosie Huntington-Whiteley Eats Her Last Meal At 4pm Each Day

'I Tried Alternate Day Fasting And Lost 48kg In A Year'

'I Tried Alternate Day Fasting And Lost 48kg In A Year'

Eating Dinner Super Early Is The Key To Lasting Weight Loss

Eating Dinner Super Early Is The Key To Lasting Weight Loss

Research Just Linked Poor Gut Health To The Spread Of This Cancer

Research Just Linked Poor Gut Health To The Spread Of This Cancer

{headline}

{headline}

Everything You Need To Know About The OMAD Diet For Weight Loss

Everything You Need To Know About The OMAD Diet For Weight Loss

This Is Exactly How Much Fibre You Should Be Eating Daily

This Is Exactly How Much Fibre You Should Be Eating Daily

Intermittent Fasting Is Most Likely to Benefit These 5 Types of People

Intermittent Fasting Is Most Likely to Benefit These 5 Types of People

{headline}

{headline}

'I Blended Keto And Intermittent Fasting And Lost 33kg'

'I Blended Keto And Intermittent Fasting And Lost 33kg'

Exactly What Happens To Your Body When You Skip A Meal, According To Dieticians

Exactly What Happens To Your Body When You Skip A Meal, According To Dieticians

Everything You Need To Know About The Lectin-Free Diet

Everything You Need To Know About The Lectin-Free Diet

‘Alternate Day Fasting’ Is Just As Beneficial For Weight Loss As Going Low-Cal

‘Alternate Day Fasting’ Is Just As Beneficial For Weight Loss As Going Low-Cal

4 Things That Could Be Causing Your Gut Issues

4 Things That Could Be Causing Your Gut Issues

Crash Diets Can Damage Your Heart Health In As Little As A Week

Crash Diets Can Damage Your Heart Health In As Little As A Week

If You’re Going To Do One Thing To Boost Your Metabolism Make This It

If You’re Going To Do One Thing To Boost Your Metabolism Make This It

  1. Home
  2. Health

The Diet That Will Fix Your Gut Health Once And For All

Fermented foods not required. - by Lucy Bode
  • 06 Mar 2019
The Diet That Will Fix Your Gut Health Once And For All
Getty

Let’s face it: the gut health world is kind of confusing. What should we be eating? What probiotic is best? How often should we drink kombucha? The list of dos and don’ts goes on and on (and on and on.)

But there’s one piece of advice that experts agree on: the timing our of meals is just as important as the meals themselves.

Researchers out of the University of Southern California have established the role of fasting in healing and managing chronic digestive diseases. They suggest that something called the fasting-mimicking diet - a program developed by Dr Valter Longo, the author of The Longevity Diet - could be the key to reducing inflammation and reversing symptoms of IBS, Chrons and colitis.

RELATED: This Relationship Habit Could Be Wreaking Havoc With Your Gut Health

belly
Getty

So, what is FMD, exactly?

Well, unlike other restrictive eating plans (such as 16:8), FMD doesn’t require you to go for long periods without food. Instead, researchers had mice reduce their caloric intake by half for a day, then cut this down further to 10 per cent of what they’d normally consume for three days thereafter. This stretch of time was considered the “fasting” period, and, when repeated regularly, the mice reaped the digestive benefits.

A comparison group of mice were fed a water-only diet for 48 hours, however, at the end of the experiment, the researchers noted no change to their gut health. The point? Even in small doses, nutrients go a long way.

“It is really remarkable, that in the past 100 years of research into calorie restriction, no one recognised the importance of re-feeding,” Longo said of the findings. “Restriction is like a demolition where you take the building down. But you have to rebuild it. If you don’t do that, there’s no benefit. You are left with an empty lot, and what have you achieved?”

In short: if you’re struggling with a chronic condition it might be worth reassessing the food in your diet, but also the timing of it too.

smoothie
Getty Images

RELATED: This Groundbreaking Test Can Tell You How Good Your Gut Health Is

  • Health
  • Diet Plans
  • Diet
  • Nutrition
  • Intermittent Fasting
  • Gut Health
Lucy Bode
Lucy Bode
Lucy is Women Health’s digital editor, social media specialist and the go-to girl for all things holistic wellness. Her background as a journalist and passion for food, fitness and integrative medicine has led her to write for some of Australia’s leading publications over the course of her career.

Subscribe Now-

Subscribe Now
Subscribe Now

Subscribe Now-

Subscribe Now
Subscribe Now

Recommended to you

This Simple, Effective Ab Workout Will Shred Your Six-Pack
Watch 0:23

This Simple, Effective Ab Workout Will Shred Your Six-Pack

{headline}

{headline}

Rosie Huntington-Whiteley Eats Her Last Meal At 4pm Each Day

Rosie Huntington-Whiteley Eats Her Last Meal At 4pm Each Day

'I Tried Alternate Day Fasting And Lost 48kg In A Year'

'I Tried Alternate Day Fasting And Lost 48kg In A Year'

Eating Dinner Super Early Is The Key To Lasting Weight Loss

Eating Dinner Super Early Is The Key To Lasting Weight Loss

Research Just Linked Poor Gut Health To The Spread Of This Cancer

Research Just Linked Poor Gut Health To The Spread Of This Cancer

{headline}

{headline}

Everything You Need To Know About The OMAD Diet For Weight Loss

Everything You Need To Know About The OMAD Diet For Weight Loss

This Is Exactly How Much Fibre You Should Be Eating Daily

This Is Exactly How Much Fibre You Should Be Eating Daily

Intermittent Fasting Is Most Likely to Benefit These 5 Types of People

Intermittent Fasting Is Most Likely to Benefit These 5 Types of People

{headline}

{headline}

'I Blended Keto And Intermittent Fasting And Lost 33kg'

'I Blended Keto And Intermittent Fasting And Lost 33kg'

Exactly What Happens To Your Body When You Skip A Meal, According To Dieticians

Exactly What Happens To Your Body When You Skip A Meal, According To Dieticians

Everything You Need To Know About The Lectin-Free Diet

Everything You Need To Know About The Lectin-Free Diet

‘Alternate Day Fasting’ Is Just As Beneficial For Weight Loss As Going Low-Cal

‘Alternate Day Fasting’ Is Just As Beneficial For Weight Loss As Going Low-Cal

4 Things That Could Be Causing Your Gut Issues

4 Things That Could Be Causing Your Gut Issues

Crash Diets Can Damage Your Heart Health In As Little As A Week

Crash Diets Can Damage Your Heart Health In As Little As A Week

If You’re Going To Do One Thing To Boost Your Metabolism Make This It

If You’re Going To Do One Thing To Boost Your Metabolism Make This It

WomensHealth
  • Contact Us
  • About Paragon Media
  • Terms of Use
  • Privacy Statement
  • Contact Paragon Media
  • Contact Us
  • About Paragon Media
  • Terms of Use
  • Privacy Statement
  • Contact Paragon Media

Brands

Our Network

  • Paragon Media Pty Ltd
  • Men’s Health
© 2021 Are Media PTY LTD
Get more from

Magazine Subscription Offer

Subscribe Now-

Shop This Offer
Subscribe Now