If you are looking for a slimming, low-stress method of getting your wellbeing back in line, Dr. Oz's new System 21 plan has a lot opting for it. He's upgraded his signature “time-restricted eating” approach – which really just means trading breakfast for brunch – having a tasty Mediterranean twist. And ladies inform us the strategy enables them to eat delicious food while dropping five, 10, even 14 pounds a week. On top of that, they feel amazing: fewer aches and pains, happier moods, sounder sleep. They're even reversing diseases, moving away from meds, and building ultra-immunity. “System 21 is a health arrange for your physique and mind,” the doc recently told his fans. “We can give ourselves the new start we deserve!”

Dr. Oz has turned into a passionate advocate of the popular “intermittent fasting” trend, favoring an easy-does-it version that simply keeps all meals and snacks between about 10am and 6pm. His reasoning? “You derive benefits should you cut down on the number of hours you consume every day. The body aren't made to be eating every waking minute,” he explained.

Turns out, shrinking our daily eating window triggers biochemical changes that developed to help humans survive and thrive when food was scarce. Research links these changes to improvements in blood sugar, blood pressure, cholesterol, emotional well-being, and more. Additionally, it prompts the body to burn much more fat for fuel – so much in fact that the new study from London's Queen Mary University found Oz-style intermittent fasting leads to significant weight reduction even when used only 5 days a week!

How does the System 21 diet plan work?

After perimenopause caused Jana Howard to bring along on pounds, she spent greater than a decade yo-yo dieting. “I was 58, and my doctor was talking about putting me on blood-pressure and cholesterol meds,” recalls the Alabama mom. “I didn't want that.”

So when she heard about time-restricted eating from Dr. Oz, she chose to try it. “I knew Mediterranean foods were good for me, so that is what I ate.” Jana's go-to meal: salad with beans, veggies, and protein. Eating from noon until 8pm, she'd shed 65 pounds when pandemic stress led to cardiac arrest. “It was scary, however the recovery was quick because I'd turned my health around.” Now down 74 pounds, Jana, 59, feels effortlessly healthy. “I don't even need to consider it. I simply eat within my eight-hour window!”

So what made the doc pair the strategy with Mediterranean staples like salmon, greens, beans, whole grains, essential olive oil, and wine? “New science says that a Mediterranean diet can raise the benefits of intermittent fasting much more,” Dr. Oz shared.

What’s the science behind it?

Not long ago, a school of Minnesota team wrapped up eight years of tests to determine why the Mediterranean diet makes people so healthy. They discovered not just one, but two surprising things. First, the diet's success could be largely attributed to its high content of olive oil along with other good fat. Second, the fat's main superpower – its ability to switch on a gene associated with robust health insurance and effortless weight loss – is only activated by exercise or intermittent fasting. Lead researcher Doug Mashek, PhD, notes that fat is temporarily stored as microscopic droplets in our cells as a form of fuel. “When body fat is broken down during fasting is when the benefits are realized,” based on Dr. Mashek.

And here's what really swayed Dr. Oz, a cardiac surgeon: “The research says that a Mediterranean diet rich in omega-3 fatty acids coupled with intermittent fasting can lower the chance of cardiovascular disease a lot more than every other diet that we know of.”

It's also worth noting that research has shown good fats naturally reduce appetite, helping Mediterranean dieters lose 300 percent excess fat than traditional dieters. To get a just-right amount of these fats, aim for two tablespoons of olive oil daily plus three weekly servings of omega-3 rich fish (such as low-mercury light tuna, tilapia, salmon, and sardines). On days whenever you don't eat fish, think about a fish oil supplement with 600 to 1,000 milligrams of DHA fatty acid. Always get the doctor's okay to take a brand new supplement.

How did this diet work with others?

As a nurse, Cheryl Gremban knew she was at risk of heart disease – her waist was over 40 inches, and her blood pressure level and triglycerides were too high. “I'd tried multiple diets, but success was short-lived,” recalls the donut-loving California grandmother, 64.

A co-worker suggested intermittent fasting. “I Googled it and the science was convincing,” recalls Cheryl. So she got started, aiming to eat heart-healthy Mediterranean fare within an eight-hour window. “I will admit, I watched the time initially,” she recalls. Luckily, she happened upon the website GinStephens.com and read that skipping zero-calorie sweeteners while fasting may help. “After that, my hunger was totally controlled.”