DR MICHAEL MOSLEY: Why now is the perfect time to try the new Fast 800 Keto book

The Christmas holidays have come and gone, but sadly those extra pounds you put on are probably still hanging around.

Which is why now is the perfect time to try out the new Fast 800 Keto book, packed full of delicious recipes created by my wife, Dr Clare Bailey, and which is being serialised in the Daily Mail from today (see Weekend magazine).

I’ve just had to put myself on this very diet. All those mince pies, alcohol and hearty meals I’d consumed over the festive period did serious damage to my waistline: while I normally weigh 80kg (176lb), I hit 83kg (183lb) and had to loosen my belt. 

Worse, my blood pressure had risen from 125/80 to 135/84, on the borderline of what the NHS considers ‘high’, and my blood sugar levels were 6.2 mmol/l, up from 5.2, putting me into the pre-diabetic range.

I’m delighted to say that not only has it been fun trying all the recipes in Clare’s book, but in just seven days I’ve shed most of that excess weight, while my blood pressure and blood sugar levels are back to normal. I’m also almost back to the usual notch on my belt (I should be there soon). 

Not only should this diet lead to safe and rapid weight loss, but the kinds of health benefits I’ve experienced are well documented: studies show that if you’re overweight or obese, losing 5 per cent of your body weight — which this diet can help you achieve — will significantly reduce blood pressure, blood sugar levels and harmful blood fats, all of which will cut your risk of a heart attack or stroke.

Losing this amount of weight will also lower your risk of cancer, as carrying too much body fat leads to the release of hormones and inflammatory agents that encourage cancer growth.

And here are a few other reasons why you might want to shed those excess inches…

YOU WILL SLEEP BETTER 

A 2014 study by the University of Pennsylvania found that people who lost 5 per cent or more of their body weight got about 20 minutes more sleep — and it was much better-quality sleep

 If you’re anything like me, when you put on weight it not only goes around your belly but also around your neck.

A fat neck means you are more likely to snore (keeping your partner awake) and develop obstructive sleep apnoea — where you stop breathing temporarily while sleeping.

A 2014 study by the University of Pennsylvania found that people who lost 5 per cent or more of their body weight got about 20 minutes more sleep — and it was much better-quality sleep.

IT BOOSTS SEX DRIVE 

When middle-aged, overweight men were put on an 800-calorie-a-day, low-carb diet for eight weeks, they not only lost an average 10kg (22lb) but their sex drive and erectile function improved, reported the Journal of Sexual Medicine in 2011

Not only do people typically feel more confident and desirable when they lose weight, but shedding body fat boosts sex hormones and improves blood flow to our sex organs.

When middle-aged, overweight men were put on an 800-calorie-a-day, low-carb diet for eight weeks, they not only lost an average 10kg (22lb) but their sex drive and erectile function improved, reported the Journal of Sexual Medicine in 2011. These benefits were still there a year later.

IMPROVES MEMORY…

Many of us struggle to remember things, particularly as we get older. Exercise can keep your brain in good shape — but if you’re overweight, then shedding some of those pounds could be particularly helpful for your little grey cells.

In a 2013 study, researchers at Umea University in Sweden asked 20 overweight, post-menopausal women to go on a diet. The women lost on average 8kg (17lb), with those who lost the most experiencing the biggest improvements in memory and brain function.

Exercise can keep your brain in good shape — but if you’re overweight, then shedding some of those pounds could be particularly helpful for your little grey cells

…AND EASES ANXIETY

Although there is a widespread fear that dieting makes people unhappy, if you do it properly then the reverse seems to be true.

A major review of studies involving more than 45,000 people with depression or anxiety found that whether a diet involved losing weight or simply focused on improving the quality of the food eaten, it had a major impact on symptoms. And women experienced the most benefit.

Dr Joseph Firth, a researcher at the University of Manchester who led the study, said that while he wasn’t entirely sure why losing weight has this effect, ‘it could be through reducing inflammation or fatigue, which are linked to diet and impact upon mental health’.

MAY SAVE EYESIGHT

It might surprise you to learn that the most common cause of sight loss in working-age people in the UK is type 2 diabetes.

This is because raised blood sugar levels damage the blood vessels and nerves that are essential for the health of your retina (the ‘seeing’ bit at the back of your eye).

Lots of studies have shown that significant weight loss can more than halve your risk of developing type 2 diabetes and help put the condition in remission if you currently have it.

YOUR SKIN WILL GLOW!

Brisk walking will also get your blood pumping and deliver more oxygen and nutrients to your skin, which in turn should help your skin appear more supple and youthful

Obesity, particularly if it is the result of a typical Western diet, rich in fat and sugar, causes widespread inflammation in the skin, which in turn leads to rough and scaly skin; so ditching those takeaways can help your skin look much smoother.

Brisk walking will also get your blood pumping and deliver more oxygen and nutrients to your skin, which in turn should help your skin appear more supple and youthful.

So even more reason to turn to today’s Weekend magazine and begin your own journey to better health.