Welcome back to Bestie!
We know you’re a warrior in many ways, life is hard but you’re on the right track if
you’re watching today’s video, because we’re gonna tell you all about the warrior
diet!
What is it?
Does it involve fasting?
Should I consult my doctor before trying it?
Will it help me lose weight?
What other benefits does it offer?
We’re gonna answer all these questions and more in today’s video where we talk about
the pros and cons of the warrior diet.
Let’s start with what the Warrior diet is:
The Warrior diet was created back in 2001 by a man named Ori Hofmekler, when he was
serving with the Israeli Special Forces.
He based this diet on his observations of life as a soldier combined with studying the
warrior societies of Sparta and Rome.
He believes that humans naturally consumed food in a very different way before the industrial
revolution.
He also believes that this type of lifestyle can help you regain energy and lose weight.
Don’t worry you don’t have to go out into the woods and hunt down your dinner.
In fact, there’s no hunting involved!
The warrior diet basically means that you fast, or eat very few calories throughout
the day and then eat a huge meal at dinner time.
You’re also expected to work out a bunch during the day whenever you’re not eating.
As Ori Holmekler explains, it’s called the “warrior” diet because it’s loosely
modeled after the lifestyle of an ancient warrior.
They would likely eat very little during the day when out hunting and then reap the rewards
of their hard work at night by feasting on whatever they captured.
Plus there would’ve been a lot of movement and physically demanding work during the day,
too, which is where the working out aspect comes into play.
Sound intriguing?
Let’s dig in a little deeper.
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THE PROS
#1 This Diet Requires Fasting This can be seen as a pro or con depending
on your opinion of fasting.
Fasting is a popular weight loss method used by health conscious individuals who are committed
to a strict, healthy lifestyle.
Fasting is exactly what it sounds like, you go for a predetermined amount of time without
eating to reduce your overall calorie intake during the day.
There are many health benefits linked to fasting, including weight loss, major benefits for
insulin resistance and reduction in blood sugar levels, reducing oxidative stress and
inflammation, and many more.
If you are already used to fasting, the warrior diet might work for you.
The warrior diet claims that It will improve the way you feel, perform and look.
Stressing your body with reduced food intake which kicks in your survival instincts.
However this particular claim is solely based on the experiences of the creator of this
diet, Ori Holmekler, and not really based on scientific evidence.
Not to mention, this fasting period is not for the faint of heart.
The diet encourages people to consume a very small amount of food for 20 hours.
Foods like hard boiled eggs, raw fruits and vegetables and tons of water, or no calorie
fluids.
Drinking lots of water is definitely a bonus as we’re told countless times to drink more
water during the day and without food, you would be drinking a lot of water.
#2 It Can Help You Lose Weight Fasting and losing weight go hand in hand,
and the Warrior diet is basically an extreme form of fasting.
If you go 20 hours a day only consuming a very small amount of food, it’s extremely
likely you’ll shed some pounds.
One study that had participants fast for 20 hours (just like the warrior diet recommends)
found that people who ate larger meals in the night experienced more weight loss than
those who ingested the same amount of calories throughout the day.
Those who ate only one meal per day showed signs of significantly reduced fat mass and
greater muscle mass.
Another study also said that fasting is much more effective at promoting weight loss than
nothing at all.
But this same study also found that those who reduced their calories during the day
and those who choose fasting had no significant weight loss differences.
The important thing to keep track of is the calories eaten rather than the amount of time
passed without consuming calories.
#3 It Can Help With Inflammation Inflammation is one bad word when it comes
to your health.
Inflammation caused by oxidative stress increases the risk of many diseases like diabetes, heart
disease and even cancer.
Studies show that fasting is an effective way to reduce inflammation in the body and
lower these risks.
Since the warrior diet is a ramped up form of fasting this would ring true for this diet
as well.
#4 It Might improve Brain Health Fasting has been shown to help improve brain
function and so the warrior diet might be able to do the same.
One animal study found that fasting reduced inflammation, like we discussed in our last
point, which reduces markers of the brain that negatively affect memory and learning
and might also protect against Alzheimer’s disease.
Keep in mind more human studies need to be conducted in order to really know the benefits
of fasting and of the warrior diet on the brain.
We have lots of great videos and if you want to know more about fasting why not check out
our video “This Is What Happens If You Don’t Eat For A Day”.
Ok, those are some great health benefits, but let’s come down from cloud 9, and talk
about…
THE CONS
#1 It’s Not Science Based While we just discussed a bunch of health
benefits of fasting, the warrior diet itself, isn’t based on science.
It’s based on the experiences of the founder, Ori Holmekler, which is some cause for alarm.
If this diet works for you, that’s a bonus but it won’t work for everyone.
#2 It’s Not Great For Someone With Diabetes This diet can really mess with your blood
sugar levels.
Sure, it can bring them down but depending on what you’re eating throughout the day,
it can cause them to spike, too.
Especially if you’re binging on a massive meal at the end of the day.
When you’re hungry it’s hard to make good food choices which brings us to the next con.
#3 You Might Binge On Unhealthy Foods While this diet encourages you to eat unprocessed
foods, when you’re starving, what do you normally reach for?
Something that’s fast and easy.
We’re willing to bet that if it’s not fast food, it’s something you can make in
a hurry.
If you haven’t eaten all day you’re likely to binge on all sorts of high fat, high calorie
foods.
It’s much easier to make healthy choices when you can properly plan your meals that
include lots of vegetables that leave you feeling satisfied, rather than stuffed.
#4 It’s Hard This diet is super extreme, and sticking to
it, will be difficult.
You’re limited to just a four hour window in which you can eat.
If your friends are all going out for a meal, any meal, you’ll be expected to just drink
water the whole time.
Since you can only eat in the late hours of the evening this diet doesn’t fit in well
with most lifestyles.
Plus if you fall off the wagon, which is likely since this diet is very hard to stick to...
#5 You Might Gain Weight Your body will go into crisis mode if you’re
not giving it what it needs.
Going more than 10 hours without eating will change how your body works and will ultimately
slow down your metabolism to conserve energy and calories.
When and if you stop following this diet, your body will need time to recover, and if
you start eating 3 meals a day again you’re likely to gain more weight back.
Your body might also gain weight differently than before.
#6 It Could Encourage Disordered Eating The warrior diet puts the person under a lot
of stress to undereat, and then overeat all in the same day.
Although the creator of this diet would have us believe that we can all stop eating when
we feel full, that isn’t always the case and it puts many of us at risk of binge eating.
This can then lead to feelings of regret, shame and can negatively impact your wellbeing.
#7 The Side Effects We know you’re strong, resourceful and your
own version of a warrior, but let’s face it, there are no actual warriors running around
today.
The only warrior you should be concerned about is the yoga pose.
We have modern conveniences, and this kind of diet doesn’t fit into most lifestyles.
Not to mention the side effects like dizziness, low energy, anxiety, insomnia, extreme hunger,
irritability, weight gain and more.
Like we mentioned before this diet is not based on science but rather someone’s experiences.
It’s also extremely hard to get all your proper nutrients and vitamins in one or two
meals.
So will you try the warrior diet?
Do you fast already?
Let us know in the comments below, we’d love to hear from you.