After gaining two stone during lockdown and perimenopause, a woman found success with the Human Being Diet (HBD), a program that combines fasting with a Mediterranean-style eating plan. The HBD, developed by nutritionist Petronella Ravenshear, is structured in four phases designed to reset the body and establish sustainable eating habits.
Prior to the diet, the individual, who works as a marketing manager, had shifted from an active lifestyle to one with more sedentary periods, leading to increased snacking and weight gain. She reported being 5ft 5in and weighing almost 12 stone, fitting into a size 14, a significant change from her previous size 10-12 and 10 stone.
Beyond weight gain, she also experienced severe irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), a condition she had managed since her teenage years. Bloating was so pronounced that she sometimes appeared pregnant. Despite trying various diets, including exclusion and low FODMAP plans, along with consulting nutritionists and gastroenterologists, her IBS symptoms persisted.
Her journey with the HBD began in January 2023. The initial phase, Phase One, involves a two-day vegetable-only detox. This is followed by Phase Two, a 14-day period of three meals a day with a five-hour gap between them, prohibiting snacking. This phase includes protein but excludes oil, sugar, grains, dairy, alcohol, and nightshades like tomatoes and potatoes. Black coffee or tea are permitted with meals.
The first 16 days proved challenging due to her previous snacking habits. However, she reported losing a stone within the first two weeks of starting the diet. Six months later, she had reached 9.5 stone and a size 10, a weight she has maintained since. She also noted that her 35-year-old IBS had completely disappeared.
Phase Three, lasting ten weeks, reintroduces dairy, nightshades, and olive oil, along with one treat meal per week. During this stage, she began to identify specific foods, such as cheese and gluten, that negatively impacted her. The final "Forever Phase" involves maintaining a regular three-meal-a-day structure during the week, with more flexibility on weekends. Her current weekday meals include options like a mushroom and asparagus omelette for breakfast, prawn or chicken salad for lunch, and steamed salmon with vegetables for dinner, complemented by an apple and dark chocolate.
Key principles she adopted include mindful eating, consuming food at a table for no longer than an hour, and avoiding processed foods by prioritizing meals made from ingredients close to their original state. She also emphasized the importance of not grazing, explaining that constant eating prevents the digestive system's natural cleaning processes. Gentle exercise, such as yoga and walking, was incorporated during the initial phases, with Pilates added later. Keeping a diary to track feelings related to hunger and taking progress photos also played a role in her commitment and observation of results.