The good Fiorello spoke about it half-jokingly, as is his style. But the “Dinner canceling” diet has its reason: according to an expert.
Fiorello taught. Italy’s most loved and popular showman got back in shape with a diet all of his own and, satisfied with the results obtained, decided to advertise it. The semi-serious name is “dinner canceling” and consists of a diet that, the words themselves say, “cancels dinner”. And, laughter aside, it works!
Given that “dinner canceling” cannot be adopted as a strategy for long periods, occasionally to lose a few extra pounds quickly it can be a valid choice. This is also confirmed by Luigi Schiavo, professor of Human Nutrition at the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Salerno, delegate of the Nutritional Area of Sicob (Italian Society of Surgery of Obesity) for the Campania Region. Let’s see the pros and cons together.
The “Dinner cancelling” from A to Z
Dinner canceling is just a reworked version of intermittent fasting. It foresees an abstinence from food that exceeds 12 hours per day: begins at five in the afternoon and ends the next morning at breakfast. In that period of time the human organism is forced to activate a series of biochemical mechanisms in order to be able to withdraw the calories necessary for the correct functioning of all organs.
The problem is that the reserves our body draws on while fasting are not necessarily fat, but also muscle (see glycogen and protein). In other words, the consequent weight loss will not always be synonymous with weight loss, but also with wasting and/or dehydration. Here because the “dinner canceling” must be practiced for limited periods and under the strict supervision of a specialist.
It is also important to check for the absence of pathologies and pharmacological treatments that could give rise to complications. For example, for a person with diabetes who habitually takes insulin-based therapies, following the “dinner cancellation” can represent a risk factor. Fasting may cause blood sugar levels to fall too low, resulting in hypoglycemia. The same goes for children, pregnant women, people with eating disorders. In all other cases, however, the fasting strategy could be a real panacea, thanks to the metabolic processes it is able to activate, even against inflammatory diseases.