There are many approaches to fasting.<\/strong> <\/span><\/p>\n This article is going to focus on Fasting Mimicking<\/strong> because it has been extremely well researched, has tremendous research about it\u2019s benefits, is well tolerated by most people, and is easy to implement.<\/span><\/p>\n Fasting has been a traditional practice in religious traditions for thousands of years, with a history of spiritual and health benefits.<\/strong> Our hunter-gatherer ancestors frequently fasted in times of food scarcity and ate abundantly when food was available.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n In modern culture, most of us rarely fast and are in a constant \u201cfed\u201d state as food is always available. Although it still shocks me when read the number of people who die from malnutrition or suffer from food insecurity each year on the planet\u2026. more on that another day. <\/span><\/p>\n Those of us fortunate enough to think that eating all of the time is one of the pleasures that living in this time provides probably aren\u2019t fully aware of what it means for our health.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Fasting has gained a lot of attention in recent years for the health and anti-aging benefits it offers. There are many different fasting practices<\/strong> and fasting schedules being studied. These include calorie restriction, intermittent fasting, water fasting and others.\u00a0<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n The fasting mimicking diet<\/strong> is another way to fast, with impressive research behind it, that may be a gentler and easier option for those looking for health benefits, without the discomfort and life disruption associated with other types of fasting.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Keep reading to learn more about the fasting mimicking diet, including:<\/strong><\/p>\n What Is The Fasting Mimicking Diet?\u00a0\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n The fasting mimicking diet<\/strong> is a 5-day mimicked fast where you follow a plant-based and calorie- restricted diet. Daily meals and snacks consist of vegetables, nuts, seeds, olives, fruits, dark chocolate and legumes, along with teas and supplements. <\/span><\/p>\n These foods provide around 750-1100 calories per day<\/strong>, or about 40-50 percent of the average daily intake for most people.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Day one you get the most calories, around 1100, but then it drops to around 750 to 800 calories per day. Protein and carbohydrates are lower in FMD than a typical diet, while the percentage of fat consumed is higher.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n The fasting mimicking diet allows you to eat whole foods<\/strong>, while the body transitions into a fasting state. In this way, it is much easier, and safer, to comply with a mimicked fast than to water fast, for example, where you literally only consume water.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Typically, the fasting mimicking diet<\/strong> is practiced for five days each month for three to six months and then once per quarter for maintenance, although this is often adjusted to each individual\u2019s needs, goals and schedule.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n The fasting mimicking diet, known as FMD, was developed by Dr. Valter Longo, director of the Longevity Institute at the University of Southern California.<\/span><\/p>\n Dr. Longo is a premier researcher in the field of anti-aging who came to understand how cells sense food. Through his research he discovered that when you under feed the body in a certain way, you achieve the physiological benefits of fasting<\/strong>.<\/span><\/p>\n While you could craft your own fasting mimicking diet with the nutrition parameters found in the research, Dr. Longo\u2019s company ProLon\u00ae<\/a> provides the five days of food, beverages and supplements that fits the precise criteria to mimic a fast.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Here is an example day from the ProLon\u00ae<\/b> Fasting Mimicking Diet<\/a><\/strong>:<\/strong><\/p>\n Beverages include herbal teas such as mint and hibiscus. Supplements include algal oil, vitamins and minerals from vegetables and a glycerol-based beverage.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Health Benefits Of Fasting\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n To understand the health benefits of fasting, it is first helpful to understand a little bit about the biochemistry of the fed and fasting states in the body. We are in the fed state<\/strong> after a meal when food is being absorbed. <\/span><\/p>\n In the fed state blood sugar and insulin rise and the body actively uses the fat, protein and carbohydrates in the meal for fuel, storage and other body projects. This is also the time when cells grow and divide.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n In contrast, the body shifts to a fasting state overnight or when you haven\u2019t eaten in many hours. This is the time when the body relies on stored fuel for energy and glucose and insulin levels return to a lower baseline. <\/span><\/p>\n As time in the fasting state continues the body is able to do many projects that aren\u2019t possible in the fed state, including <\/span>detoxification<\/span><\/a>.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n In the fasting state autophagy increases<\/strong>, which is the body\u2019s cellular clean-up crew, responsible for removing waste from the cell and repairing damage. <\/span><\/p>\n In addition, the body transitions into ketosis<\/strong> (as it would through a ketogenic diet) and becomes more efficient at burning stored fat as fuel. By day five in a fasted state, it\u2019s even possible to generate new stem cells!\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Fasting allows us to tap into these biological processes that we don\u2019t access when we are in a constant fed state.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Several mechanisms for these benefits have been proposed, including:<\/strong><\/p>\n The fasting mimicking diet<\/strong> was tested in mice at first, and then tested in humans with quite impressive results.<\/span><\/p>\n In a recent human trial from 2021, women with obesity received either a five-day fasting mimicking<\/strong> diet<\/strong> or their typical diet with a calorie deficit of 500 calories each day as a control. <\/span><\/p>\n The study found that the women following the fasting mimicking diet<\/strong> improved insulin resistance and appetite regulating hormones. <\/span><\/p>\n You might expect fasting to produce weight loss<\/strong> through muscle loss, but in actuality the fasting mimicking diet<\/strong> preserves muscle mass while allowing the body to release fat. This is a huge benefit!<\/span><\/p>\n Here are some of the possible benefits of the fasting mimicking diet:\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n Given these physiological benefits and high safety of the diet, the fasting mimicking diet has clinical application for the following:<\/strong><\/p>\n The fasting mimicking diet is likely safe for people with the diagnoses listed above; however, it\u2019s always good to work with your doctor for monitoring and personalized care through the process. <\/span><\/p>\n If you take medication, you may have to work with your doctor to adjust medications during the fast or support your health in other ways.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n The fasting mimicking diet is also for healthy people who want to optimize their healthspan<\/strong> and slow the aging process.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n There are some people who should not fast because of health factors or life stage. <\/span><\/p>\n These include:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n
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Who Is The Fasting Mimicking Diet For\/Not For?<\/b><\/h2>\n
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Learn about the power of fasting mimicking with Dr. Shippy and Dr. Joseph Antoun – watch video below or click here.<\/a><\/h2>\n