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Half day diet: The upside down diet where you eat carbs at night

Eat all the pasta completely guilt free

Thursday 20 October 2016 17:34 BST

The diet has led to some body transformations

Fitness fanatics and weight watchers alike have been conditioned to believe that it’s bad to eat carbs at night - until now.

Called the Half Day diet, the new way of eating shuns popular fads which endorse cutting carbohydrate intake.

Bodybuilder Nate Miyaki, from San Francisco, drew up the nutritional plan that means you only need to watch what you eat for just half the day.

The athlete wrote on his website: "Picture how easy it would be to diet for just half a day. And doesn’t that make so much more sense?

"Because your ancestors spent the day foraging for food, they 'dieted' only half the day while they feasted at night."

A Paleo style diet is recommend by day (Rex Features)

Munching on protein and green-based meals during daylight and eating a carb-rich meal before bed, Miyaki claims that the Half Day diet was created on the back of research from the Obesity Journal in 2011.

In the study, researchers had a test group place most of their carbohydrates at dinner, as opposed to all throughout the day like the control group. The results showed that the night-time carb eaters showed far greater losses in total body weight, body fat and waist circumference.

Six healthy breakfast recipes to try

Show all 6

1/6Six healthy breakfast recipes to try

Six healthy breakfast recipes to try

You will need: 1 onion, 1 red pepper, 1 stick of celery, 1 cup of mushrooms, 4 to 6 eggs, 1 habanero chilli (optional), 1 tablespoon of oil, 25g of grated low-fat cheese, 150 ml of skimmed milk, 50g of turkey breast. Add some spinach for an extra boost.

Method:

1) Cook your turkey breast so that it’s ready to add to the mix later on. Best to grill it and then chop it up as it’s healthier than shallow frying. 2) Meanwhile, heat the oil and add your onion, pepper, chilli, mushrooms and celery to your pan. Cook these for around five minutes until your veg is nice and soft. 3) Whisk your eggs and milk together in a separate bowl, seasoning with salt and pepper. 4) Add the egg mixture, veg, cooked turkey and cheese to a high-sided baking pan or tin and cook in your oven for around 15 minutes at 170C.

DW Fitness Clubs

Six healthy breakfast recipes to try

Be careful when you buy your porridge, as some brands will cram a lot of sugar in there. Porridge is a good breakfast option as it is renowned for releasing energy slowly, which means you can get to lunch without suffering from a lull. A great source of fibre, potassium and vitamins, bananas are always a good accompaniment to your morning oats.

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Six healthy breakfast recipes to try

Ingredients: 2 full eggs, 3 egg whites, asparagus, peppers, 50g of smoked salmon

Method

1) Boil your asparagus in water for around five minutes. 2) Meanwhile, mix your eggs and egg whites in a jug, and add a splash of skimmed milk. Chop some peppers up and throw them in too. 3) Once your asparagus is cooked, drain it and chop into smaller chunks. Add these to your egg mixture. 4) Whisk your mixture and season with salt and pepper. 5) Pour the mix into a hot pan with a small knob of butter or a teaspoon of quality olive oil. 6) Cook the omelette for around 90 seconds to two minutes. 7) Once the bottom is cooked, take the pan off the hob and place under the grill for another 30 seconds to a minute in order to cook the top. 8) Serve with your smoked salmon.

DW Fitness

Six healthy breakfast recipes to try

Greek yoghurt has vast nutritional benefits. Regardless of where you stand on the superfood debate, Greek yoghurt’s credentials speak for themselves. A good source of potassium, protein, calcium and essential vitamins, this food forms an ideal base for a healthy breakfast, especially if you’re trying to lose weight.

DW Fitness

Six healthy breakfast recipes to try

Eggs Florentine is not only a tasty breakfast, it also carries a hefty nutritional punch, particularly when you throw some spinach into the equation.

DW Fitness

Six healthy breakfast recipes to try

So fast and easy to make, yet so effective. Wholemeal toast can be a good breakfast choice, as long as you are sensible with your toppings. Peanut butter is perfect. A good source of “healthy fats”, as well as protein and Vitamin E among other nutrients, a liberal spreading of peanut butter can set you up for the day.

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Of course, there is a catch. Just because you can eat carbs doesn’t mean you can gorge on all your favourite starchy foods - it’s important to remember that your total calorie intake will also a play a part as well as regular exercise.

Also, keep in mind that the quality of your carbohydrates matter: while the occasional trip to the chippy can be forgiven as a rule opt for sweet potatoes, rice, quinoa and oatmeal.

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