How to maximise your 5-day fast

Support your microbiome: Try fermented foods like kimchi, sauerkraut, kefir, and coconut yoghurt. This will help to underpin the plant-based FMD programme. Good bacteria live on three types of foods: prebiotic, probiotic and polyphenol. Foods from these groups have live microbes that support immune function, neurotransmitter production and vitamin metabolism. Other prebiotic foods include chicory, dandelion root, asparagus, burdock and hummus, leeks, and garlic. Polyphenols come from spices like cinnamon, saffron, rosemary, oregano, thyme, and basil, as well as broccoli and olives. 
 

Nourish your liver: Supporting detox pathways helps to eliminate toxins stored in visceral fat, as well as old hormones like oestrogen metabolites. This can be supported with folate from fibre such as homemade vegetable soups or Mediterranean vegetables with hummus. In addition to liver-supporting milk thistle and dandelion tea.  
 

Support your hormones: Out of all the macronutrients, fat tends to stabilise blood sugar the most and will actually help you to continue to burn fat. Avocado ticks the right boxes with good amounts of fibre and fat, while pumpkin, hemp and chia seeds provide omega-3 essential fats. Incorporating this into a transition meal may include avocado on sourdough with hummus, seeds and watercress which is high in magnesium.  
 

Include protein: Maintaining lean tissue with muscle mass is a key component of good functional health particularly as we age. By undertaking a prolonged fast with the 5-day FMD, you stimulate autophagy, the cellular clean-up by limiting protein intake. Once completed, you enter a transition phase and the increased levels of protein stimulate the same cellular healing pathway called mTOR. This is one of the metabolic switching effects through opposing healing mechanisms: clean up and take out damaged cellular material (‘autophagy) followed by protein synthesis for new growth and repair. 
 
There are 20 different amino acids, 9 of which are considered essential. Even though animal protein packs the biggest punch, there are 3 plant-based amino acids that assist in building muscle: leucine, isoleucine and valine. The re-feeding phase on day 6 and beyond should support muscle growth and may include a bone broth, or a hemp and pea protein smoothie with coconut milk. Plant-based foods containing leucine are pumpkin seeds, tofu and haricot beans so try including some of these in your transition day menu to boost your protein.