Is it healthy to only eat once a day?

Bruce Springsteen celebrated his 75th birthday in September and the famous singer Born in the USAcurrently on a world tour, proclaims to anyone who wants him that he is “at the best of his form”. The reason for this tireless energy is found, among other things, in his particular diet. The American singer is said to be a follower of the dietOne meal a day» (OMAD), or “one meal a day” in French, which, as its name suggests, consists of eating only once a day. It was Coldplay frontman Chris Martin who spilled the beans last March in the podcast Conan O’Brien Needs a Friend stating that he managed to maintain his slim figure by taking inspiration from Bruce Springsteen. The latter recently confirmed these statements in the columns of Times specifying however to eat “a little fruit in the morning” and only dinner afterwards to “stay slim and in shape”. Should we see this as a relevant example of food?

Weight loss and detox

To fully understand the subject, let's remember that this diet consists of a form of extreme fasting during which we abstain from eating food for a very long period of 23 hours. It doesn't matter whether you prefer to eat in the morning, at lunchtime or in the evening, the idea is above all to gather all the necessary calories in one meal. And what do we put on the plate? As surprising as it may seem, there are no nutritional guidelines in the articles promoting the diet: it is possible to eat whatever you want. As for drinks, it is advisable to opt for those without calories: water, tea, coffee.

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Among the benefits of the OMAD diet acclaimed by its followers, we find at the top the argument of weight loss. “The effect is very rapid,” comments Claire Kalchman, occupational physician and nutritionist. Very reductively, we can say that this diet triggers a process called “ketosis” which allows the body to lower blood sugar and thus burn fats instead of carbohydrates to produce energy. It also has a detox effect on the body because fasting allows the digestive system to rest.”

Devastating consequences on the body and mind

On the other hand, these effects on the body are neither lasting nor good for our health, underlines the doctor. “The negative largely outweighs the positive,” she continues. By asking the body to suddenly starve itself, we very quickly risk being deficient, dehydrated, becoming drowsy and irritable. And subsequently, when we eat normally afterwards, or when we have cravings – which can only happen – we will gain weight very quickly and perhaps even more than before.

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The consequences are also mentally devastating. “Many compulsive eating disorders are revealed following this type of diet,” notes Dr. Claire Kalchman. It’s extremely dangerous, especially when we know that it increasingly affects a young population.”

Several alternatives

If the experience of fasting interests you, however, there is a less extreme alternative: intermittent fasting, which consists of not eating anything during a defined time slot. There are several variations: fasting every other day, one day a week, the “5:2 diet” (five days of balanced diet and two days of calorie restriction), or even “night” fasting, i.e. 16 hours without eating. But the effectiveness of this diet on weight loss – as on health in general – is not the subject of any scientific consensus, recalls the doctor. Research on intermittent fasting has many limitations. “They are generally carried out on small samples of people and over short periods, and their results are often mixed, reports the newspaper The New York Times this November 1 Alice H. Lichtenstein, scientist and professor at the Jean Mayer Human Nutrition Research Center at Tufts University (Massachusetts).

There is no single approach to eating, everyone has their own, trying to make it as balanced as possible.

Claire Kalchman, occupational physician and nutritionist

If you want to watch your weight and more generally take care of your health, Dr Claire Kalchman prefers to recommend a less restrictive diet: the low glycemic index diet. In reality, all foods have a glycemic index (GI) indicating how quickly sugar is absorbed into the bloodstream after ingesting said food. The higher this index, the more the food increases blood sugar levels, to the point of exposing us more to fatigue, cravings and weight gain. Hence the importance of favoring so-called “low GI” foods (whole starches, green vegetables, oilseeds, hard cheeses). “It is a diet recommended for people with diabetes, those suffering from chronic pathologies and it can be easily extended to all members of the family,” summarizes the specialist, who is releasing this month a recipe book dedicated to this theme ( 1).

The ideal way to maintain a peaceful relationship with your plate? Listen to yourself, finally emphasizes the doctor. “More than forcing yourself to fast at all costs, you have to listen to your feelings,” she continues. There is no single approach to eating, everyone has their own, trying to make it as balanced as possible.” And if you fail to do so, being accompanied by a specialist doctor is essential.

(1) Claire Kalchman is the author of Claire with matcha cooking low GIillustrated by Carotte et Moutards, published by Éditions Eyrolles, 160 pages, €18.90.