THE WARRIOR DIET

WHAT IS IT?

Supposedly based on the habits of ancient Greek and Roman soldiers, this intermittent-fasting regime involves consuming next to nothing during the working day, then filling up in the evening.

HOW DOES IT WORK?

The system is allegedly inspired by the lifestyles of ancient Roman and Spartan warriors, who would eat very little during their active days, then reward themselves at night. But this approach was popularised by former soldier Ori Hofmekler, and based on years of observing himself and his colleagues in the Israeli Special Forces.

It would be better referred to as the

20:4 diet since, like the aforementioned

16:8 plan, it consists of a daily fasting and eating window, only with significantly less favourable meal maths. In this case, the latter window is much shorter and essentially constitutes a feast – with limited fruit and nuts throughout the day. Problem is, Hofmekler’s approach is short on solid science – perhaps not a total shock, since he lacks any recognised medical or dietetic qualifications. There’s little evidence his plan is any more effective than less extreme time-restricted eating methods, your work productivity will probably nosedive and its extreme nature could wreak havoc on the bodies of aspiring warrior queens.

‘Women are a bit more sensitive to energy availability, because the body is always thinking about whether it’s a good time to have children,’ explains Wilson. She notes that while responses to fasting will be very individual, restricting your calorie intake in any extreme way can trick your body into thinking it’s a time of famine (aka, not the best time to bring forth new life), triggering your reproductive hormones – and periods – to shift. Tracking your cycle is a good way to make sure any fasting you’re doing isn’t interfering with oestrogen production – important not just for fertility, but for bone and brain health, too.

THE DIGESTED TAKE:

Retreat! It’s a losing battle