Omad Benefits | What Is Omad Diet

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Omad benefits a wide range of people. Whether you want to lose weight or keep your heart healthy, this diet might be worth a try.

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Omad Benefits | Is It Worth the Weight?

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What Is Omad Diet?

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The omad diet stands for one meal a day.

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It is a type of intermittent fasting where you, as the name suggests, consume only one meal a day.

You can eat anything you want within a one-hour window, followed by a 23-hour fasting period.

The more common types of intermittent fasting include the 16:8 and 5:2. In the 16:8 fasting scheme, you have an eight-hour window to eat, followed by 16 hours of fasting.

Meanwhile, the 5:2 diet allows you to eat regularly five days a week, and on any two days, you only eat during a window.

Scientists refer to the omad diet and intermittent fasting as intermittent energy (calorie) restriction (IER). On the other hand, most diets follow a daily energy restriction pattern (DER), also called continuous energy restriction (CER).

The primary difference between the two being IER diets is time-restricted, while DER diets seek to restrict calories. Also, intermittent diets do not restrict what foods to eat. DER diets may encourage you to eat certain types of foods.

For example, a Mediterranean diet encourages a meal packed with whole grains, antioxidant foods, healthy fats, and fish. But a person who practices intermittent fasting may eat whatever he wants as long as he eats within a certain period.

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But because you only eat one meal a day, it may naturally result in a calorie deficit.

What Do You Eat In an Omad Diet?

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Unlike most diets, there are no off-limit foods in an omad diet.

Instead, it only requires you to eat one meal a day.

But because this may lead to malnutrition, try to get all the essential vitamins and minerals into your diet. Dietary fiber is also vital for good health. The key to losing weight is not to eat less but to eat right.

Calories may get a bad rep, and this diet is a testament.

Choosing low-calorie foods packed with nutrients could help you shed weight while improving your health.

Your body also needs calories to function, so try to reach your daily caloric limit.

It may depend on your sex, age, height, and activity level.

What Are the Benefits of the Omad Diet?

Research specific to the one meal-a-day diet are extremely little, but as it draws inspiration from intermittent fasting (IF), we can look into what the science has to say about IF so far.

And this may clue us in about what benefits we could enjoy from the omad diet.

1. May Help with Short-Term Weight Loss

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Having trouble shedding that excess weight? Cutting back on your meal times might help you lose the fat.

It's paramount to achieve a calorie deficit to lose weight. This is where you burn more calories than you consume. But as you are limited to one meal a day, you are likely to achieve a calorie deficit.

Another way a fast like omad benefits those on a weight loss journey is by making your body use up your fat stores.

Your body's primary source of energy is glucose. But after 10-16 hours and your well runs dry, your body will turn to fats as its source of energy. This process is called ketogenesis. (Which also happens to be the inspiration for the keto diet.)

By promoting a calorie deficit and using up fats as energy, the omad benefits obese or overweight people.

But some studies show that fasting may not be more effective than just cutting back on calories.

Other studies show that short-term fasting could also bump up your metabolic rate, helping you burn more calories.

Keep in mind that there is very little research on omad benefits. And what research there is on fasting is short-term, limited to animal studies, and so are inconclusive.

2. May Improve Heart Health

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In addition to weight loss, one of the most exciting omad benefits is improved heart health. Omad benefits may include lowering your risk of metabolic syndrome—the stepping stone to a heart attack.

The combination of at least three symptoms is called metabolic syndrome:

  • high blood sugar
  • low HDL (good cholesterol)
  • high triglycerides
  • large waist (apple-shaped body)
  • high blood pressure

Multiple studies show that intermittent fasting may help get these markers under control.

Researchers may think it may be because of metabolic switching. This is when your body switches from using glycogen as fuel to burning fat as energy.

However, researchers still don't understand the mechanisms behind this switch. But they do note that it has another potentially beneficial effect.

3. May Fight Inflammation

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In addition to improving your blood sugar regulation, this metabolic switch may also involve improving your resistance to stress and alleviate inflammation.

Chronic inflammation attacks your tissues and organs, potentially leading to diseases like:

  • diabetes
  • heart disease
  • arthritis
  • cancer

An eating pattern like omad may suppress inflammation and lower your risk of some diseases.

4. May Improve Insulin Sensitivity

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Eating continuously maintains a high level of insulin. Insulin makes sure that glucose from your food gets to your cells and saves the rest for later.

But constantly elevated levels of insulin could result in insulin resistance—a precursor to type 2 diabetes.

Fasting could help put a cap on your insulin levels, giving it time to subside and forcing your body to use your energy stores from your liver.

One study showed fasting may be more effective in improving insulin sensitivity and weight loss than a calorie-restricted diet.

5. May Boost Brain Health

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Some studies show that fasting may also improve memory and overall cognitive function.

While others cite that it may even keep neurodegenerative diseases at bay.

But keep in mind that the science of intermittent fasting is still in the works. We cannot definitively say that omad benefits brain power until we have enough evidence.

It's important to understand that while intermittent fasting has been around for decades, there is still so much more to discover.

Are There Any Risks to This Diet?

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In contrast to what some studies have found, other research suggests that the omad diet may cause a significant spike in blood pressure and low blood sugar.

One study found that eating one meal a day could significantly raise blood pressure levels, increasing your risk of a heart attack.

A study on type 2 diabetes patients found that fasting may escalate the risk of hypoglycemia in patients taking blood sugar medication.

And because you are only allowed to eat one hour a day, it might be difficult to get all the nutrition you need in one meal. If you do want to explore this diet, focus on calorie-efficient, nutrient-dense foods. Save the sweets for days when you're not fasting.

There are still many things we don't know about fasting and the omad diet.

Is it safe for everyone? How long should you do it to see its benefits? Do we know the long-term effects of fasting?

With all these unanswered questions, there are people that maybe shouldn't hop on the bandwagon.

Who Is This Diet Not For?

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This regimen may not be ideal for someone that enjoys snacking.

It might also be unrealistic for someone who needs a filled stomach before taking medication like those for diabetes.

Some studies also point to a possible connection between fasting and bulimia and anorexia.

Pregnant or breastfeeding moms may also need to steer clear of this diet.

Growing kids may also benefit from a healthier, more nutritious diet over a restrictive one.

Is the Omad Diet the Best for Me?

Here's an infographic guide that you can use. Feel free to download, save and share it with your loved ones:
5 Omad Diet Benefits
At the end of the day, do what works for you. Successful diets are ones you can stick to and bring you closer to your health and fitness goals. But the best diets are ones you create with your doctor and a licensed dietitian.

Check out this video for more info on omad benefits and intermittent fasting:

Fasting may come with life-improving (and potentially life-expanding) health benefits. The omad diet could lower your risk of chronic diseases and trim your fat. It also addresses the foremost reason diets are unsuccessful—it is too hard to stick to!

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Are you mad about omad benefits? Or do you prefer having brunches and family dinners? Share your thoughts with us in the comment section below!

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