Abura method: principles, typical menus & dietary supplements

What is the Abura method?

The Abura method is a combination of two well-known diets:

• Intermittent fasting: the most common pattern (16/8) involves fasting for 16 hours a day and concentrating your meals in an 8-hour window.
• The ketogenic diet (or keto diet): this is based on a diet very low in carbohydrates, high in quality fats (vegetable oils, nuts, oily fish, etc.) and moderate in proteins (meat, poultry, eggs, dairy products, etc.). The aim is to encourage the body to use the fats already present in the body as its main source of energy.

The aim of the Abura diet is to improve insulin control, promote fat oxidation, stabilise energy and preserve muscle mass. All this is achieved by generating a negative daily energy balance, a well-known mechanism for weight loss.

How does the Abura method work and what are its potential benefits?

By relying on different biological mechanisms, the Abura method could offer interesting results in terms of weight management.

Better management of blood sugar levels and cravings

Reducing foods with a high glycaemic index limits peaks and troughs in glycaemia (the level of glucose in the blood).

These fluctuations in blood sugar levels are often linked to chronic fatigue, difficulty concentrating and food cravings.

By focusing on a low-carbohydrate diet, the Abura diet could help reduce cravings and snacking.

But for some people, a low-carb diet can be difficult to maintain over the long term (1).

Supporting fat loss

The body has a natural tendency to use carbohydrates as its main source of energy.

If it can't use enough carbohydrates, it enters a state known as ketosis, where lipids are mobilised first: the body uses its fat reserves to produce ketone bodies, a source of energy that replaces glucose.

This energy switch encourages fat oxidation and helps to reduce body fat.

And intermittent fasting can reinforce this effect: the body is forced to draw on adipose tissue while waiting for the next food intake.

Improved energy and mental clarity

Ketosis allows the body to benefit from more stable and continuous energy than that provided by glucose.

As well as reducing inflammation and oxidative stress, this could improve brain metabolism and brain function over the long term (mental clarity, concentration, calmness, sleep, etc.) (2).

However, for the body to make optimal use of ketone bodies as an energy source instead of glucose, an adaptation period of several weeks is required (3).

By combining carbohydrate restriction and intermittent fasting, the Abura method encourages the use of fat as a source of energy, while relying on a key mechanism for weight loss: the calorie deficit.

A typical day with the Abura method

Generally, the first food intake takes place at midday, after 16 hours of fasting, including the night (but this varies according to the intermittent fasting scheme applied).

Here's an example of how food might be spread out over the day:

• breakfast: Bündnerfleisch (air-dried beef) omelette, handful of almonds
• lunch: courgette tagliatelle, chicken escalope with whole cream, avocado in olive oil, small portion of mature cheese
• snack: plain yoghurt and berries (raspberries, blueberries, etc.), green tea or sugar-free herbal tea
• dinner: grilled salmon or mackerel, cauliflower purée with coconut oil

There is a wide variety of Abura recipes and menus, the main thing being to respect which foods are authorised and which should be avoided.

Foods to eat as a priority:

• fish rich in omega-3 (salmon, tuna, mackerel, herring, sardines, etc.)
• quality meats
• eggs
• green vegetables with a low glycaemic index (broccoli, courgettes, cauliflower, spinach)
• first cold-pressed vegetable oils
• unsalted oilseeds

Foods to exclude or severely limit:

• all foods containing sugar (pastries, soft drinks, fruit juices, etc.)
• starchy foods (cereals, rice, pasta, potatoes, bread, etc.)
• very sweet fruit (pineapple, banana, mango, cherry, etc.)
• processed foods

What food supplements should be taken with an Abura diet?

The ideal partner for keto diets, coconut oil, or rather its precious fatty acid (caprylic acid), is an essential part of a slimming diet.

It contains medium-chain triglycerides (MCTs), which are highly digestible and can be used directly as a source of energy, rather than being stored in fatty tissue (4).

Discover Organic MCT Oil Pure C8, an organic MCT oil, pure and highly concentrated in C8 caprylic acid, to be eaten pure, in vinaigrettes, soups, yoghurts, etc.

Derived from the root of the Berberis aristata plant, berberine is a natural alkaloid which may help to regulate blood sugar levels by promoting glucose breakdown, insulin sensitivity and reducing glucose production by the liver (5).

Discover Berberine Max Bioactivity, a patented supplement with exceptional bioavailability (up to 10 times more than standard berberine), for an even more significant impact on blood sugar levels.

Certain active compounds can also support weight loss by helping to preserve muscle mass and energy.

This is the case with L-carnitine, a natural substance synthesised from amino acids: it is thought to facilitate the transport of fatty acids to the mitochondria for energy production, and may support weight and fat mass reduction (6).

Discover L-Carnitine Formula, a supplement based on acetyl-L-carnitine and L-carnitine tartrate, to support fat metabolism and energy production.

Gymnema sylvestre, a famous Ayurvedic plant, is traditionally used to reduce sugar cravings and support glycaemic balance (its Indian name 'gurmar' literally means 'destroys sugar').

It is thought to act by reducing the absorption of glucose in the intestine and improving the function of beta cells in the pancreas, which are responsible for producing insulin. This dual effect may explain its role in regulating blood sugar levels and reducing sugar cravings.

Discover Gymnema Sylvestre, a supplement based on Gymnema leaf extract, to naturally lower blood sugar levels.

Finally, certain thermogenic foods activate the metabolism and burn fat by raising body temperature (for example coffee, guarana and chilli).

Discover Metadrine™, a super-powerful thermogenic formula rich in chilli pepper to boost weight loss.