DR MICHAEL MOSLEY'S FAST 800 KETO DIET

Burn fat without going hungry

FOR most of my life, I have been surprised (and depressed) that I can so easily keep on eating long after my stomach is full, polishing off an entire packet of biscuits in one sitting and powerless to resist the calling of chocolate if there is any in the house. I know I’m not alone in being frustrated by the fact that our bodies and brains drive us so insistently towards unhealthy foods when we’re not even hungry. So I was fascinated to come across new research by two Australian academics which helps to explain why so many of us, me included, seem hard-wired to overeat.

Professors David Raubenheimer and Steve Simpson, from the University of Sydney, argue in their recent book 5 Appetites that we don’t just have one appetite for food, we have five: one each for protein, fat, carbohydrates, calcium and salt. They point out that we have sensors in our

Eat too little and you’ll be tormented by cravings

mouth, in the linings of our gut and within the brain to detect the presence of these nutrients, and if we don’t get enough of them, we develop cravings. Their research shows that the need for protein (which includes meat, fish, eggs and tofu) dominates the others and drives us to eat and keep on eating until the body’s protein needs are met.

Eat too little protein, they say, and you’ll be tormented by cravings and likely to over-indulge in all the wrong foods. Whereas on a higher-protein diet, your appetite can be satisfied on far fewer calories.

They call this the ‘Protein Leverage Hypothesis’ and it explains why we go on eating with no restraint until we have satisfied our protein hunger if we are surrounded by foods that are rich in fats and carbs but low in protein.

A chocolate biscuit of the type I love is 60 per cent carbs and only six per cent protein. If I ate all the biscuits in a packet, which I am quite capable of, I would consume 1,300 calories – almost my entire daily allowance – but only 16g of protein, a fraction of my daily need. No wonder I can just keep going.

If, on the other hand, I were offered a plate of fish or chicken, which comes in at close to 30 per cent protein, I wouldn’t be able to eat anything like as much before my protein appetite was satisfied. Based on their research, we have ensured that you get plenty of protein on every single day of our new Fast 800 Keto plan which is being serialised exclusively in The Mail on Sunday and Daily Mail. It will not only stop you feeling hungry and falling off the wagon, but it’s good for your muscles as well.

Why is getting plenty of protein so important?

We know that fat is vital as an energy reserve, for insulation and protection of our organs, and for absorption and transport of fatsoluble vitamins. Carbohydrates, meanwhile, provide energy and, in the Fast 800 Keto plan, they are an important source of the fibre your gut needs to function effectively.

But protein is, in many ways, even more essential. We need it to build muscles, enzymes and much of the infrastructure of our bodies. Every cell in the body contains protein and eating enough of it is vital for growth and repair.

Lack of good-quality protein in our diet also helps explain why we are getting fatter. Britain has some of the highest rates of obesity in the world and that is largely because, over recent years, we have increasingly been filling up on ultra-processed foods, convenience foods which come in bright packaging and which are woefully lacking in protein.

With so many families relying on cheap and cheerful processed foods for breakfast, lunch and dinner, the Protein Leverage Hypothesis helps explain why we are in the middle of an ever-growing obesity epidemic.

Professors Raubenheimer and Simpson conducted a study where they showed that volunteers ate about 200 calories more per day in the form of snacks when on a lowerprotein diet than on days when they were eating more protein. The volunteers also reported feeling much hungrier a couple of hours after eating a lower-protein breakfast, despite consuming the same number of calories as on higher

protein days. That is certainly what I find. When I eat eggs or fish for breakfast, I stay full until lunchtime. If I eat the same number of calories in the form of cereal or toast, I will be craving a snack by mid-morning. Medical note: Rapid weight loss does not suit everyone. If you have a significant underlying medical condition, are on insulin, have type 2 diabetes and are on medication, are on blood-pressure medication, have moderate or severe retinopathy, or have epilepsy or gallstones, or are pregnant or breastfeeding, talk to your doctor before going on this diet. It is not suitable for teenagers, anyone with a history of an eating disorder, people with a psychiatric illness or who are unwell, undeweight or doing endurance exercise. Extracted by LOUISE ATKINSON from The Fast 800 Keto, by Dr Michael Mosley, Short Books, £9.99. To order a copy for £8.99, go to mailshop.co.uk/ books or call 020 3176 2937. Free UK delivery on orders over £20. Promotional price valid until

February 9, 2022.