Let’s see if the OMAD diet is safe.
What is OMAD diet?
You heard about intermittent fasting, where you concentrate all your daily eating within a small time window. One-Meal-A-Day (OMAD) diet takes this to the extreme and concentrates all your daily eating within one single meal. You just have to eat once a day. That’s it.
How to implement OMAD?
Implementing OMAD is preferably done by first trying out intermittent fasting. See if you can get 10 hours of not eating in a 24-hour interval. Then increase that interval to 12 hours, then 14 hours, and so on until you reach at least 22-23 hours. At that point, you’re pretty much eating once a day, which is exactly the objective of the one meal a day diet.
What are the benefits?
It’s quite similar to how our ancestors ate. Think about it, they didn’t have readily available food. There was no supermarket, the concept of a food store was still a long way.
In addition to weight loss, it improves health and longevity due to a process called autophagy. Autophagy is essentially a cell regeneration process. It happens at the cellular level and is shown in multiple studies to play a crucial role in the regulation of lifespan.
What are the downsides?
Some studies show it might lead to a slight loss in muscle mass and that it has no additional benefits when compared to a 16-hour intermittent fasting diet.
If you’re not careful with the macronutrient spread in your meal, and you eat too many carbohydrates, you risk decreasing your insulin sensitivity. A lower insulin sensitivity can lead to a multitude of health issues such as diabetes, heart disease as well as an overall worse mood.
Is it for me?
It works great if you are a volume eater. That means you like to eat large quantities of food at one time. You get the benefits of intermitent fasting while also reaching satiety by eating a large amount of food during your daily meal. If you are already intermittent fasting, you can give it a try and see if it works for you.
Is OMAD diet safe?
It definitely isn’t for everybody. If you have concerns about your current health and how it may be affected by fasting for 24 hours, always consult your doctor.
