The fasting mimicking diet
Published Apr 24, 2018 12:05 am
By Cheshire Que, RND, RN, RD
FASTING ALTERNATIVES Clockwise from left: Tomato soup; Tea; and Kale crackers
Our ancestors had to gather and hunt for food, which led to an eating pattern that is intermittent. They did not eat three square meals with snacks in between like we do today. Simply because, in the past, food was scarce.
The pattern of experiencing hunger punctuated by intermittent bursts of eating whenever food is available, forced the evolution of the body’s ability to survive during periods of hunger, which are also recognized as being in a fasting state.
Fasting is defined as the consumption of zero or minimal calories for a period of time. This could last from eight hours to three weeks. Religious fasting is quite common from ancient times. Done intentionally and periodically, spiritual fasts may include one meal a day, water only, or other variations. Studies have shown health benefits resulting from religious fasting, which includes temporary improvement in lipids (cholesterol and triglycerides) and blood glucose level.
During the fasting state, the body compensates by conserving energy. This results to the protection and maintenance of body cells; removal and replacement of damaged and dysfunctional cells in the body; increased stress resistance; and reduction of inflammatory markers in the body that accelerate the aging process and cause diseases such as cancer, diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, heart diseases, and more. As you can see, the benefits of fasting goes beyond weight loss.
The Longevity Institute led by Dr. Valter Longo of The University of Southern California, developed the ProLon Fasting Mimicking Diet (FMD). It is a five-day program with all-natural, plant-based diet that allows the body to go into “fasting mode,” with a catch—while ingesting delicious and highly nutritious meals!
ProLon consists of real food, unlike the usual meal replacements you find in other diet programs. The meals, ranging from 770 and 1100 calories per day, include bars, kale crackers, and olives for snacks, hearty soup variants for lunch or dinner, herbal teas and occasionally, a chocolate bar for a treat.
After the five-day program, there are no lifestyle changes imposed on the rest of the 25 days of the month, allowing you to carry on with your regular activities afterward. As a dietitian, however, I would encourage everyone who has done the fasting mimicking diet to be more mindful about what, when, and how they eat, move more throughout the day, as well as, practice sleep hygiene to maximize the effects of this program.
Prolon has been clinically tested at The University of Southern California and backed with 15 years of extensive clinical studies. It was tested on human subjects aged 19 to 75. Results showed an average three percent reduction in weight, a reduction in visceral or abdominal fat, a reduction in C-reactive protein and IGF-1 (inflammatory markers related to metabolic diseases and cancer), increased production of stem cells and rejuvenation for the immune system.
Since it gained popularity last year, many have been reveling about the effects of ProLon FMD and the diet’s sustainability. “I couldn’t believe it: I’d lost half a stone! And not only that but two inches off my waist, too,” shares food lover Rachel Hoise in a story published by The Independent. “What makes this diet different to others is it’s all scientifically developed and clinically tested so that the body is nourished while remaining in a fasting mode.”
While weight loss is just one of its best and noticeable effects—“I lost four kilos on ProLon, and my stomach, thighs, and face all looked slimmer,” shares another client in publication Nine—it also helps in many aspects of the mind and body. “I’m most impressed by the mental clarity that I experienced from day four. I asked Dr. Valter Longo, one of the University of Southern California researchers behind the fasting-mimicking diet, if sharpness of the mind is a common side-effect,” he adds.
If you have any medical condition, consult your doctor before undergoing any diet program.
To know more about ProLon, call 02 650 4858, 63 917 521-4860, or email [email protected]
[email protected]
FASTING ALTERNATIVES Clockwise from left: Tomato soup; Tea; and Kale crackers
Our ancestors had to gather and hunt for food, which led to an eating pattern that is intermittent. They did not eat three square meals with snacks in between like we do today. Simply because, in the past, food was scarce.
The pattern of experiencing hunger punctuated by intermittent bursts of eating whenever food is available, forced the evolution of the body’s ability to survive during periods of hunger, which are also recognized as being in a fasting state.
Fasting is defined as the consumption of zero or minimal calories for a period of time. This could last from eight hours to three weeks. Religious fasting is quite common from ancient times. Done intentionally and periodically, spiritual fasts may include one meal a day, water only, or other variations. Studies have shown health benefits resulting from religious fasting, which includes temporary improvement in lipids (cholesterol and triglycerides) and blood glucose level.
During the fasting state, the body compensates by conserving energy. This results to the protection and maintenance of body cells; removal and replacement of damaged and dysfunctional cells in the body; increased stress resistance; and reduction of inflammatory markers in the body that accelerate the aging process and cause diseases such as cancer, diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, heart diseases, and more. As you can see, the benefits of fasting goes beyond weight loss.
The Longevity Institute led by Dr. Valter Longo of The University of Southern California, developed the ProLon Fasting Mimicking Diet (FMD). It is a five-day program with all-natural, plant-based diet that allows the body to go into “fasting mode,” with a catch—while ingesting delicious and highly nutritious meals!
ProLon consists of real food, unlike the usual meal replacements you find in other diet programs. The meals, ranging from 770 and 1100 calories per day, include bars, kale crackers, and olives for snacks, hearty soup variants for lunch or dinner, herbal teas and occasionally, a chocolate bar for a treat.
After the five-day program, there are no lifestyle changes imposed on the rest of the 25 days of the month, allowing you to carry on with your regular activities afterward. As a dietitian, however, I would encourage everyone who has done the fasting mimicking diet to be more mindful about what, when, and how they eat, move more throughout the day, as well as, practice sleep hygiene to maximize the effects of this program.
Prolon has been clinically tested at The University of Southern California and backed with 15 years of extensive clinical studies. It was tested on human subjects aged 19 to 75. Results showed an average three percent reduction in weight, a reduction in visceral or abdominal fat, a reduction in C-reactive protein and IGF-1 (inflammatory markers related to metabolic diseases and cancer), increased production of stem cells and rejuvenation for the immune system.
Since it gained popularity last year, many have been reveling about the effects of ProLon FMD and the diet’s sustainability. “I couldn’t believe it: I’d lost half a stone! And not only that but two inches off my waist, too,” shares food lover Rachel Hoise in a story published by The Independent. “What makes this diet different to others is it’s all scientifically developed and clinically tested so that the body is nourished while remaining in a fasting mode.”
While weight loss is just one of its best and noticeable effects—“I lost four kilos on ProLon, and my stomach, thighs, and face all looked slimmer,” shares another client in publication Nine—it also helps in many aspects of the mind and body. “I’m most impressed by the mental clarity that I experienced from day four. I asked Dr. Valter Longo, one of the University of Southern California researchers behind the fasting-mimicking diet, if sharpness of the mind is a common side-effect,” he adds.
If you have any medical condition, consult your doctor before undergoing any diet program.
To know more about ProLon, call 02 650 4858, 63 917 521-4860, or email [email protected]
[email protected]