t’s that time of the year again…
A few years back, after reading Valter Longo’s book “The Longevity Diet: Discover the New Science Behind Stem Cell Activation and Regeneration to Slow Aging, Fight Disease, and Optimize Weight” I was fascinated by the quality of his research and its outcomes and implemented his recommended fasting-mimicking diet (FMD) on myself.
Valter Longo is one of the leading scientists in the field of longevity and his findings are helping tons of people fight serious illnesses. Even though I do not have any grave health conditions, Longo’s recommendation for healthy individuals is to undertake his FMD protocol 2-3 times a year.
It’s my third one this year and I’ll explain you why!
“Our bodies know better how to deal with less food than with more food”
Water fasting is not the easiest task, I will be honest. 5 days is a pretty long time without food, especially if you’re not used to any form of fasting. We’re so used to stuffing our faces with food 24/7 that some people can’t even imagine skipping a meal. I truly believe (and so do the scientific studies) that our bodies know better how to deal with less food than with more food.
I did struggle during my first extended fast, but felt refreshed as if I pressed a “reset” button on my body. The second fast was noticeably easier and it got even easier during the subsequent fasts.
You think you can’t last a couple of days without food? Well, this Scottish lad did it for 382 days!!! Jason Fung in his book “The Complete Guide to Fasting: Heal Your Body Through Intermittent, Alternate-Day, and Extended Fasting” writes: “In the 1970s, a 27-year-old Scottish man started fasting at a weight of 456 pounds over the next 382 days. He subsisted on only non-calorie fluids, a daily multivitamin and various supplements. He set the world record for the longest fast. His body weight decreased from 456 pound to 180 pounds, and then unlike these Biggest Loser guys even five years after his fast, he remained at 196 pounds. His blood sugar levels went down, but remained within the normal range. He had no episodes of hypoglycemia”.
There you go. The guy lasted 382 days, I’m pretty sure you can last 5 with less food than you’re used to. The fast requires some preparation and planning, but the benefits are so great that it’s difficult to pass on, ranging from improved health markers to stem-cell regeneration. Since not all of us can just not eat for 5 days, FMD was specifically designed to:
Provide sufficient calories to be safe outside of a clinic
Provide a variety of components that most people can enjoy
To be equally effective as fasting if not more so
Their randomized study on 100 patients resulted in significant blood pressure decrease in subjects with moderately high blood pressure, fasting glucose decrease for pre-diabetic patients, significant CRP (inflammatory marker) decrease and improved other health markers. Other benefits include the production of stem cells, stronger mental focus, reduction of abdominal fat and lowered risk factors for a variety of diseases.
However, if you fall into one of these populations, FMD protocol might not be for you:
-pregnant women
-people who are underweight/have very low body mass index, or suffer from anorexia
-people over the age of 70, unless in superior health-and then only with a doctor’s approval
-anyone who is fragile
-people with liver or kidney diseases
-people affected by pathologies.
For you fitness/bodybuilding aficionados out there – if you’re worried about losing muscle mass, growth hormone (GH) actually increases when fasting and working out post-fasting will result in some serious muscle gains. So stop downing your post-workout protein shake and give your digestion some rest.
Stick to these foods during the protocol:
• complex carbohydrates (vegetables such as broccoli, tomatoes, carrots, pumpkin, mushrooms, etc.)
• healthy fats (nuts, olive oil)
• 1 multivitamin and mineral supplement
• 1 omega-3/omega-6 supplements
Supplements that will inhibit autophagy (cell clean-up) and therefore should be avoided during the fasting phase: colostrum, glutamine, methylfolate and vitamin B12
Join me on my quest for longevity and feeling better. 5 days is easier than you imagine and it will reap the benefits beyond rejuvenation and cell-clean up (it’s almost the equivalent of a free stem-cell therapy!)
P.S. I’ve created a calculator where you can simply plug in your weight and it’s going to spit out the macronutrient ratios and daily caloric intake for the fast. You can download it here.
Supplements and nutrients that activate autophagy include: Berberine, ECGC, pomegranate peel extract or pomegranate peel powder, organic chamomile tea
Join me on my quest for longevity and feeling better. 5 days is easier than you imagine and it will reap the benefits beyond rejuvenation and cell-clean up (it’s almost the equivalent of a free stem-cell therapy!)
P.S. I’ve created a calculator where you can simply plug in your weight and it’s going to spit out the macronutrient ratios and daily caloric intake for the fast. You can download it here.
