Warrior Diet by Ori Hofmekler:

Another View

 

When you think of the Warrior Diet, think...Russell Crowe in "Gladiator." Author/creator Ori Hofmekler, a former member of the Israeli Special Forces, offers an interesting and controversial philosophy of health and weight management in the Warrior Diet that will be familiar to serious bodybuilers, but rather radical to the rest of us.

Hofmekler's premise is rooted in ancient Greco-Roman culture, and the lifestyle of the "warrior". Warriors were superfit, lean and sculpted thanks to fasting or undereating during the day (small portions of fruits, vegetables, raw nuts and protein), overeating (meaning: no caloric restriction on lean protein, vegetables and salads) at night, and a lot of physical activity. In support of this premise he goes to some length discussing how the body burns calories, stores fat, modulates insulin, etc., and emphasizes the importance of whole and healthy foods, and the damaging aspects of trans fats and refined carbs.

The Warrior Diet is a modified fast, really, but Hofmekler suggests that it is really our bodies' instinctive eating style from ancient times. Our ancestors were active and working during the day, consuming food far less frequently than we do in modern times, and they binged and rested at night. So, the daytime cycle of the diet serves as the detoxification mode - the body is cleansing and working off fat stores, and you will notice more energy with no heavy breakfast or lunch weighing you down. You'll feel cleaner and lighter, and more able to get things done. Physical activity done on an empty stomach, according to the author, burns fat, builds muscles, accelerates metabolism, and slows aging. The evening cycle of the diet is the rebuilding phase, where rest and relaxation also figure into preparing a warrior for battle the next day. An exercise regimen - "warrior training" - is illustrated in the book. It all sounds pretty sexy, and is probably more appealing to men than women. Is it sustainable in the long term? With warrior discipline, there's no reason why not.

Warrior Diet: Another View