The acronym OMAD for One Meal A Day is a very popular hashtag on social networks since American singer Bruce Springsteen declared in the Times to eat only one meal a day to stay slim and in shape. This rather radical diet is currently in fashion. But is it good for your health to eat only once a day? Elements of response.
Who popularized the OMAD diet?
The diet OWN pour One Meal A Day is the new trendy diet among the stars. Singer Bruce Springsteen, who celebrated his 75th birthday in September 2024, promoted it in the columns of the Times.
Last March, Chris Martin, the leader of the group Coldplay, had already mentioned this diet in a podcast and declared that he had managed to maintain his healthy weight by taking inspiration from Bruce Springsteen and his particular diet, consisting of only one meal per day.
The Boss confirmed these statements in the Times, specifying however that he eats “a little fruit” in the morning, before fasting until dinner time.
What is the OMAD diet?
As its name suggests, the OMAD diet consists of eat only one meal a dayit doesn’t matter if it’s breakfast, lunch or dinner. Whether you choose to eat in the morning, at midday or in the evening, this diet is a form of extreme fasting since we stop eating for approximately 23 hours.
Regarding the composition of the menus, followers of this diet do not give any precise instructions. It is possible to eat whatever you want during this single meal.
The principle of One Meal A Day is to ingest the calories needed for the day in a single meal. Regarding drinks, it is recommended to hydrate throughout the day, prioritizing calorie-free drinks such as water, unsweetened tea and coffee.
What are the advantages of the OMAD diet?
Followers of the OMAD diet highlight several benefits:
• very rapid weight loss.
• a detox effect obtained by putting the digestive system to rest.
• great simplicity in following this diet.
• a boost of energy and great mental clarity.
It’s no wonder that the One Meal A Day method helps lose weight quickly because fasting triggers a process in the body called “ketosis”. Our body begins to burn fats instead of carbohydrates to produce energy, as in the ketogenic diet which has been so popular in recent years…
What are the risks of the OMAD diet?
Despite the benefits of the OMAD diet listed previously, nutritionists do not recommend this form of extreme fasting. In fact, its slimming effects are not neither sustainable nor good for health.
In the long term, this diet has more disadvantages so many advantages:
• It carries a risk of nutrient deficiency and a risk of dehydration.
• It can cause drowsiness and irritability.
• It promotes the yoyo effect: as soon as we return to a normal diet or when we have cravings, we gain weight very quickly and perhaps even more kilos than before.
• It can promote eating disorders, particularly among young people and adolescents.
The main difficulty of the OMAD method is tolerating hunger. Cravings are inevitable and can ultimately push you to snack or even binge eat!
In some people, this drastic diet can cause persistent fatigue and worsen underlying pathologies. This is why it is advisable to take certain precautions and consult a nutritionist before starting.
What are the alternatives to the OMAD diet?
For people who want to experiment with fasting in order to lose weight or do a short-term detox treatment, it is preferable to practice intermittent fasting.
Intermittent fasting involves extending the overnight fast to 16 hours, skipping either breakfast or dinner. However, you should know that the effectiveness of this diet on weight loss and on health in general is not the subject of any scientific consensus.
For people who want to keep their weight in good shape and take care of their health with a less restrictive method, it is also possible to turn to the low glycemic index diet.
Glycemic load (also called glycemic index or GI) is the rate at which sugar is absorbed into the bloodstream after eating a food. By favoring low GI foods such as whole starches, green vegetables and oilseeds, we avoid not only blood sugar peaks but also cravings, fatigue and weight gain.
To conclude, remember that it is recommended that everyone adopt a balanced diet as much as possible and make peace with the contents of their plate. In order to achieve this, it is essential to stay tuned to your feelings of hunger and satiety and, if you cannot achieve this on your own, to seek help from a nutritionist doctor.
Plus d’information :
Quiz on this article: Which singer is a follower of the OMAD diet?
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