Fasting has received all kinds of attention in the media these days. In 2018, it was one of the most searched for diet terms on Google, and many weight loss experts are touting the benefits of fasting to the public.
Our practice supports fasting because it has been clinically shown to promote health and help patients lose weight and feel better. What’s more, a longer (five day) fast has been shown to help regenerate and rejuvenate cells by enhancing the natural process of cellular renewal.
There are several types of fasting, from prolonged (2+ consecutive days) to intermittent (i.e. 5:2 or alternate day) to time-restricted eating (i.e. 12:12 or 16:8). Overall these fasts are attractive because they’re easy to follow, require minimal planning, and are somewhat easy to stick to vs. a complete dietary overhaul.
However, there is a problem–and not because the fasts are bad. They aren’t.
In fact, short fasts and intermittent fasting can be helpful tools for improving your health.
The issue is short fasts only deliver a portion of results possible with fasting. Until recently, most people didn’t know this.
This is why our practice encourages patients to incorporate a prolonged 5-day fast instead, where additional health benefits such as cellular clean-up can be achieved. And, the easiest way to do this is by using ProLon®.
ProLon® is a meal kit where all of the planning is done for you. It is clinically proven to deliver results such as:
- Decrease body fat
- Preserve lean body mass
- Increase Stem Cell production/release
- Maintain healthy levels of fasting blood glucose, BP, Cholesterol, Triglycerides, C-reactive protein, IGF-1
- 60% of the weight loss is maintained 3 months after resuming a normal diet.
For current patients, we have a limited quantity of “The Longevity Diet” by Valter Longo, PhD which explains all the details about how the program works, why it works, and whom it is helpful for. If you would like to borrow a copy, feel free to ask for it at the front desk. I have always enjoyed reading evidence rather than hearing about speculation, and this book delivers evidence in an easy to read format that anybody interested in nutrition and fasting in particular will enjoy.
If you are interested in trying the ProLon FMD kit, we have a few in stock ready to go!
For those that want a quicker introduction to The Longevity Diet / FMD, please watch Dr. Valter Longo’s TedX talk below: