I had a pretty rude shock about six weeks when I pulled on my favourite pair of jeans and they didn’t do up easily. By this I mean they did up – barely – but then I couldn’t breathe. Or sit. Or eat. And I’m pretty sure the circulation to the lower half of my body would have stopped momentarily had I not quickly undone them.Â
It was time for action.
But not too much drastic action, given I write a food blog!
Last year I saw Dr Michael Mosley’s documentary, Eat, Fast and Live Longer, about intermittent fasting. While I was intrigued at the time, I didn’t do anything about it. Since then I’ve seen a lot of chatter about it on twitter and facebook, including a few of my fellow food bloggers who have had success.
It didn’t seem too hard.
While it’s called The Fast Diet, you don’t really fast. For two days a week women restrict their calorie intake to 500 and men to 600. The rest of the time you can eat what you like. As well as weight loss (which is the immediate short term benefit I’ve been seeking), it’s the longer term health benefits that really appeal. Studies have shown that intermittent fasting can have positive impacts on blood pressure, cholesterol and insulin sensitivity. This in turn can potentially reduce the risk of heart attack, stroke and a whole heap of cancers.
So what am I eating on fast days? A whole heap of things. I normally have two meals and a couple of cups of tea or coffee (with milk, no sugar) and a heap of water and herbal tea.
I hate calorie counting, so I don’t count to the n-th calorie, but I do know the rough amount of a big bowl of veggies, chicken thigh fillet, egg etc. Mostly I eat a heap of veggies and an egg or some chicken or maybe a bit of lean beef so it’s not too hard to work out. I avoid anything with carbs or sugar or that’s too fatty on a fast day. Which the exception of the occasional piece of haloumi or blue cheese in cauliflower soup.
For the last few fast days I’ve been having a version of this soup which is full of flavour, nutrients, and very warming now that I’m pretending the weather is cooling down. It is April after all!
Mega thanks to the fabulous Jo Whitton who often shares pics on instagram and her blog of her broth with a poached egg. Never would I have thought to do that!
How good does this egg yolk look! Sooooo good
Chicken broth with veggies and an egg
by Mel Kettle
(approximately 160 cal)
Serves 1
What you need:
- 350ml of home made chicken broth (I make my own every week or two – super easy. Follow Alexx Stuart’s recipe)
- half a zucchini, cut into little pieces
- 100g mushrooms, sliced
- 1 tsp soy sauce
- 1 tsp Sriracha or other chilli sauce (optional)
- 1 egg
You can use whatever veggies you like – mushrooms are my fave, so always included, I’m also currently in a zucchini phase. You could also easily substitute some cooked chicken for the egg (which I often do).
What you do:
Place the broth, zucchini and mushrooms in a medium sized saucepan and bring to boil. Turn the heat down to a light simmer and add the sauces. Let it simmer for about 5 minutes. Stir. Crack in the egg, gently swirl the broth around with a spoon. After about 90 seconds carefully pour it all into a soup bowl, being careful not to break the egg yolk.
Eat!
Are you doing the 5:2 diet? How are you finding it?
Oh yeah, my jeans are now comfy again. YAY!
Loved reading about this and being a food blogger myself – was nodding at your lines 🙂 My pants are getting looser too and it feels so brilliant 🙂 I’m logging my 5-2 recipes-i may be one of the first few people doing this diet in India right now, but when a lot more people join in, they may find my research useful!
Thanks Nandita! It’s such a great feeling isn’t it? I’ve given up on standing on the scales because they weren’t moving, despite my clothes telling me they should have been. I don’t want to get hung up on the numbers.
Hi Mel,
I’m trying to do the 5:2 diet but keep forgetting what day I’m on (good grief, it’s so simple I’m embarrassed I just typed that) – and I’ve never made chicken stock before… can you tell me where to source carcasses? I have roasted a few chickens lately – do I use their bones? I have no idea! Thanks for your help because your broth looks fantastic.
Anna
haha! I can’t remember when I started either Anna – just assuming it was about six weeks ago… YES definitely keep the main carcass from your roast chicken for your stock – if you don’t want to make stock straight away then pop it in the freezer. I also buy carcasses from my local butcher. I try and get 6-8 at a time, but only use 2 each time so freeze the rest. The link in my post to Alexx’s post has loads more info about making and storing stock. It’s really easy, and you will never buy it again!
Thanks for including my stock recipe Mel and super excited for you that your jeans fit again! xx
that was before Easter… 🙂
I’ve never added an egg to soup. I started follow the 5: 2 diet and went o holidays and haven’t got back to it yet. Your soup looks delicious and perfect to fit the bill
I never had either and I love it! I’m enjoying the flexibility of 5:2.
Mmm eggy soup. One of my favourite lunches in winter. Hurry up winter! So the ‘fasting’ thing is 2 days out of every 7? That sounds ok, since it isn’t really fasting. Two days of clean eating sounds like a great idea, and might help offset the two days of more indulgent weekend eating that precedes it…
That’s pretty much it Michelle. I’m also finding I am a lot more aware of what I’m eating on the other days too, so smaller portions and and more veggies (mostly)
my clothes are snug due to a weight lifting regime thankfully, and not due to indulgence. I would however like to lose some of the cushioning around the rear but I am not sure I could maintain the 5:2 diet. This dish sounds divine!
I’m surprised by how easy and flexible it is Tandy. Some weeks I just do one day (like last week) but mostly it’s two. I find it makes me eat differently on the other days too, as I am far more aware of what and how much I’m eating.
I haven’t heard of this diet but I do know of a lot of people who swear by the benefits of fasting. I love the look of your chicken broth and I’m sure it would have another dimension with the egg yolk xx
I add the whole egg not just the yolk – the texture of the yolk is gorgeous from the heat of the stock
I have a couple of friends who have been on this diet for months and are both looking very trim & much healthier.
And your egg looks very delicious – only I’d still be tempted to dip some hot buttered toast into it. 😉
nothing wrong with that Amanda!
Someone suggested this diet for me just two days ago. I haven’t done anything about it but she swears it’s a solution for me. I’ll be following your progress with close attention. 🙂 That chicken broth looks full of flavour!
I have heard a lot of stories from people who have lost loads of weight on it Maureen, and some of people who have lost nothing but seen massive improvements in cholesterol and blood pressure.
Wow what a brilliant idea Mel. This is a super soup and the concept of a two day calorie restriction sounds feasible. It is also refreshing to hear you speak of calories, I never did make the transition to kilojoules – too many to count. It is wonderful it helps lower blood pressure too. I will follow your progress enthusiatically. Lucky it is becoming soup weather 🙂
Hi Mel
Thanks for the recipe! I have just started the intermittent fasting alongside a gaps/paleo diet i have been doing for some time, but finding my weight has been increasing. I’m guessing your stock in the recipe is with all fat removed? I have been used to leaving the fat in as per the gaps protocol…Im thinking I will just remove it for the fast days or else it will drive up the calories too much. I’d be interested in your thoughts 🙂 Bronwyn
No, I keep the fat and use it. Sometimes I’ll use it in place of oil to sauté onion/meat/veg etc. However I don’t tend to eat a lot of it on a fast day as it definitely drives up the calories.