Recently there was a New York Times article highlighting the Italian scientist and longevity guru, Dr. Valter Longo. I have been following Dr. Longo for years, and I’m happy to see that his work is finally getting more attention from the mainstream press.
Basically, his philosophy promotes an updated formulation of the Mediterranean Diet, coupled with periods of fasting. However the fasting protocol that he champions is a kinder, gentler version; the aforementioned Fasting MIMICKING Diet, which allows you to consume a 5-day menu of his design while gaining all the benefits of a complete water fast. “Fasting with food,” as it were…
Below is a summary of the New York Times article, with a link to the full article at the end, for those who subscribe to the paper and have access to the online version.
Promoting Longevity with Valter Longo
Valter Longo, once a guitarist in a grunge band, is now a renowned scientist in the field of longevity. He’s based in Italy, which is known for its high number of centenarians and is considered a great place to study aging. Longo advocates for a healthier lifestyle through a diet he developed, called the ProLon diet, which mimics the effects of fasting without the need to actually starve. This diet is plant-based and includes supplements, soups. olives, and kale crackers, among other ingredients. It’s designed to help cells rejuvenate by getting rid of damaged cellular components and replacing them with new “younger” ones.
Longo’s research has shown that periodic cycles of this fasting-mimicking diet (FMD) can reduce biological age and prevent diseases related to aging. He’s also a big proponent of the Mediterranean diet, although he notes that it’s not as commonly followed in Italy as it once was. Many Italian children these days, especially in the south of Italy, are facing obesity due to a diet high in pizza, pasta, potatoes, and bread.
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Longo’s work extends beyond just diet. He’s interested in the genetic factors that contribute to longevity. He has noticed that in some Italian towns with many centenarians, there might be a “super-longevity genome” that has developed over generations. He theorizes that this could be due to a combination of factors, including a period of starvation early in life followed by a diet rich in proteins and fats, along with modern medicine.
Obviously physical activity plays a role, too. Traditionally, Italians, like other Europeans, incorporate a lot more natural movement into their day than their American counterparts. And there are the social structures, too, where multi-generational Italian families provide emotional and financial safety nets not as commonly found in the U.S.
The scientist’s fascination with aging began in his childhood when he witnessed his grandfather’s death in Calabria, a region known for its long-lived residents. After moving to the United States, he observed the health problems faced by his relatives due to their poor diet, which motivated him to study aging and nutrition.
Today, Longo’s research is gaining attention worldwide, especially as concepts like longevity and intermittent fasting become more popular. However, he’s concerned about the future, where advancements in longevity might lead to a divided society: one group living long but disease-ridden lives, and another following fasting diets and scientific breakthroughs to live even longer in good health. Longo himself aims to live up to 130 years old, emphasizing the importance of a healthy lifestyle to achieve such a goal.
Full article: To Live Past 100, Mangia a Lot Less: Italian Expert’s Ideas on Aging
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There are many factors that go into how each individual ages, nutrition and diet habits being among the most important. A study published in Nature Aging indicates that a significant caloric reduction can slow the pace of aging significantly, probably even more than smoking cessation.
American life expectancy is much higher than it was a century ago. But of course it’s not just the length of time you live that people are concerned with…it’s how you age and the quality of those later years.
Many health experts now focus on “healthspan” rather than just lifespan, putting the emphasis on how people can maintain higher levels of activity and comfort all the way to the end of their lives.
Fasting and Aging in Mediterranean Populations
It’s well-known that the populations who follow a Mediterranean Diet are among the healthiest and longest-living on the planet. When studying their diets, the focus is obviously on the variety of delicious foods. But what is often missed is the role of fasting. In other words, the intentional, or often unintentional, scarcity of food.
Either for religious reasons or for the simple lack of abundance, inhabitants of Italy, Greece, Spain and other Mediterranean countries have experienced extended periods of calorically restricted diets. And they were healthier because of it.
These circumstances not only extended their lifespan, but also their “healthspan,” allowing them to be active and able to enjoy life well into their 90s and past 100 years-old.
Fasting has gained significant attention in the field of aging research in recent decades as scientists explore its potential effects on slowing down the aging process. While our understanding is still evolving and research is ongoing, there are several known mechanisms through which fasting are thought to influence aging.
How Does Fasting Slow Aging?
One of the key mechanisms by which fasting slows down aging is through the stimulation of autophagy. Autophagy is a cellular process that involves the recycling and removal of damaged or dysfunctional cellular components. By promoting autophagy, fasting helps to eliminate accumulated cellular waste and promotes cellular rejuvenation, contributing to the slowing of the aging process.
Put another way, it cleans up “old,” damaged cells (or cellular organelles) and replaces them with young ones.
Recently I spoke with Renee Fitton, a medical science liaison at ProLon about how this works, and how the process can also be stimulated using the Fasting “Mimicking” Diet, which eliminates much of the hardship associated with a water-only fast. Here is our conversation:
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Other Ways That Fasting Slows Aging
While autophagy is the primary mechanism by which fasting slows aging, like most aspects in human physiology, it is never quite so one-dimensional. There are several other metabolic processes which contribute to aging…or slowing down the aging process.
Insulin and IGF-1 Regulation: Fasting has been shown to lower insulin and insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) levels in the body. Insulin and IGF-1 are growth factors that play essential roles in cellular processes, including metabolism and cell division. Elevated levels of these hormones have been associated with accelerated aging and an increased risk of age-related diseases. By reducing insulin and IGF-1 through fasting, it is believed that the aging process may be slowed down.
Cellular Stress Response: Fasting triggers a mild stress response in cells, similar to the response activated by exercise or other forms of stress. This cellular stress response leads to the activation of defense mechanisms, including the production of antioxidant enzymes and heat shock proteins. These mechanisms help protect cells from damage caused by oxidative stress and other age-related processes.
Fasting often involves significant caloric restriction. Caloric restriction has been repeatedly shown to extend lifespan and delay age-related diseases in various laboratory organisms, such as yeast, worms, flies, and rodents. It is believed that caloric restriction activates several signaling pathways that influence the aging process, including the sirtuin pathway.
Caloric restriction leads to a decrease in the availability of energy-rich nutrients, particularly glucose. This triggers a series of metabolic adaptations in the body. In response to this reduced nutrient availability, the sirtuin proteins are activated. These act as cellular sensors that detect changes in energy status and orchestrate various cellular processes to promote survival and adaptation.
Studying the Relationship Between Fasting and Aging Over the Years
Scientific research into the relationship between fasting and age-related diseases has a history that spans several decades. The pioneering research of Dr. Clive McCay in the 1930s demonstrated that caloric restriction could extend the lifespan of laboratory rodents, setting the stage for further exploration into the connection between fasting and aging.
In subsequent years, studies expanded to examine the effects of caloric restriction on age-related diseases. Scientists observed that animals subjected to caloric restriction exhibited reduced incidence and delayed onset of various age-related conditions, including cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, neurodegenerative disorders, and others. These findings suggested that fasting could not only impact lifespan, but also promote healthier aging by mitigating the risk of age-associated diseases.
Human studies investigating the relationship between fasting and age-related diseases have also emerged. Observational studies in populations practicing religious fasting, such as Ramadan fasting, revealed potential health benefits. Controlled studies in humans have explored intermittent fasting, alternate-day fasting, and periodic fasting, examining their effects on markers of aging, metabolic health, and disease risk factors.
While the research into fasting and age-related diseases has yielded promising results, it is important to note that the field is still evolving, and many questions remain unanswered. The optimal fasting regimens, duration, and frequency for humans are areas of ongoing investigation. Additionally, the interplay between fasting and other lifestyle factors, such as exercise and dietary composition, is an important consideration. In recent years, the focus on the gut microbiome and its role in overall well-being is being studied, too.
The Science of the Fasting Mimicking Diet
The Fasting Mimicking Diet (FMD) is a dietary regimen designed to replicate the same metabolic responses of a traditional water fast while still providing essential nutrients. It was developed by Dr. Valter Longo and his team at the University of Southern California.
The FMD involves a carefully formulated meal plan that is followed for five consecutive days. During these fasting-mimicking days, calorie intake is significantly reduced, usually to around 20-40% of normal daily caloric intake.
The FMD is composed of plant-based foods that are low in protein and carbohydrates but high in healthy fats. The macronutrient composition is specifically designed to induce certain physiological changes in the body that “mimic” those observed during a water fast.
By reducing calorie intake and altering the macronutrient ratios, the FMD aims to trigger a metabolic shift in the body. It promotes a state of mild stress and deprivation, similar to what is experienced during a traditional fast. This metabolic state can activate various cellular processes, including autophagy, cellular rejuvenation, and changes in gene expression that are associated with the benefits of fasting.
The FMD strives to provide enough nutrients to sustain the body’s essential functions while still inducing the beneficial effects observed with fasting. It is carefully designed to achieve a balance between promoting cellular renewal and maintaining overall health and wellbeing.
Furthermore, FMD offers a more feasible and controlled approach for individuals who may find a traditional water fast challenging or who have specific health concerns that may limit their ability to fast for extended periods.
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It’s important to note that while fasting has shown incredible results, further research is needed to fully comprehend its effects on aging and to establish optimal fasting regimens for humans.
Additionally, fasting should be approached with caution and under the guidance of a healthcare professional, particularly for individuals with specific medical conditions or nutritional requirements.
An intermittent fasting diet… doesn’t sound too appealing, does it? Even before you wade into the details, you’re already pretty sure that you wouldn’t like it, battling hunger pangs the whole while. Well, that may or may not be true, but what do intermittent fasting diets look like in practice?
First of all, fasting has been around for a long time. However, in many cases “involuntary starvation” might have been a more accurate term (even in the modern world, alas). The challenges of finding food has historically been a natural deterrent to over-eating.
Fasting in Italian – What’s the Translation?
fasting (n): the act of abstaining from food digiuno (nm): astensione dal cibo
Fasting is good for your health. Il digiuno fa bene alla salute.
This is actually a cornerstone of the Mediterranean Diet. In a geographic area where they grew nutritionally dense food, but cultivating and gathering the food was hard work, the quantity of food was typically scarce.
Not so anymore. In economically developed countries, over-abundance is a much bigger problem than scarcity. We hardly need reminding that obesity and diet-related pathologies are the number one cause of death in the developed world. Heart disease, diabetes, and even most cancers can be traced to unhealthy lifestyle choices. In other words, they are all preventable, to a large degree, by controlling our diets.
Yet, we are told time and time again that “diets” don’t work.
In Fact, Diets Don’t Work. But Fasting Does.
There is one dietary model, proven again and again, to prolong lifespan in a variety of laboratory animals: severe caloric restriction. The results have been nothing short of miraculous. Reduce the daily caloric intake by 1/3 and your prolong the life span of the test subject by 1/3; the math is actually that precise. Further, many researchers believe it offers the single strongest link between diet and cancer prevention. (Cancer prevention. It is not, however, a “cure” for cancer all by itself.)
The problem is, it’s difficult to get human beings to follow the extremely strict criteria required to demonstrate the equivalent results seen in mice or monkeys. Therefore, we only have some anecdotal examples of this phenomenon in humans, and there have been no good long-term controlled studies, much less life-long, large sample data.
The mechanism by which this “fountain of youth” is thought to occur relates to repairing mitochondrial damage, specifically to the shortening of the telomeres. Too much science, I know, so how can we approach this more practically? (But if you DO want to read about the science: MIT study: 24-hour fasting regenerates stem cells, doubles metabolism )
There are many researchers focused on coming up with a way to create the same cellular conditions without the burdensome requirements of near-starvation. Let’s look at a few different types of these trendy intermittent fasting diets and compare the similarities and differences… and then ask ourselves if any of these variations are doable in real life.
Types of Intermittent Fasting Diets
OK, so back to the original question: How does an Intermittent Fasting Diet look in practice? There are several ways that it can be approached.
One way is a literal type of fasting where you consume nothing (except water) for 24 hours, a full weekend, or even an entire month (under a doctor’s strict supervision). This technique is obviously very difficult to follow, but has shown remarkable results in reversing Type 2 Diabetes. However, it’s not necessary for the average person who just wants to control their weight and improve overall health.
The 5:2 Method
Another approach is called the 5:2 Method, where five days a week you eat a “normal” healthy diet, and then two (non-consecutive) days a week you restrict your intake to less than 500 calories. This is doable for most people, and doesn’t require you to completely fast at all.
The 16/8 Method
The 16/8 method relates to the timing of your meals where you limit eating to eight hours per day, with no food for the remaining 16 hours. This cycle can be repeated once or twice per week, or even every day, depending on personal preference and goals.
In this scenario, you choose the “food window,” that fits your lifestyle. I’ve found it very easy to do this by not eating anything until about 10:30 in the morning, then not eating anything after 6:30 at night. This is probably the schedule most closely related to the traditional Mediterranean Diet (although they eat dinner later in the summer months in many Mediterranean countries). And you can effectively extend this window by using ProLon’s Fasting Bars as your first meal of the day.
The Fasting Mimicking Diet
Then there is the Fasting Mimicking Diet, promoted by the “Guru of Longevity,” Dr. Valter Longo. He is internationally recognized as a leader in the field of aging studies and related diseases, and he’s come up with a program that “mimics” fasting without causing undue hardship on the patient.
The Fasting Mimicking Diet is done over five consecutive days, and can be repeated two, three, or four times per year. But what foods do you eat on intermittent fasting?
The program consists of high quality foods that provide 1,100 calories on the first day and 800 calories for each of the next four days. The nutrients have been precisely researched and include meals of plant-based whole foods like nuts, olives, teas, and soups. You can read more about it here: The Longevity Diet
Many biological urges are a result of habit, and that means they can be consciously reset with some degree of mental effort. When we feel sleepy, when we have to urinate, and when we get hungry—to some extent, these urges are under our direct control. And the psychological changes can happen surprisingly fast.
One key takeaway here is that fasting is something that our biology is used to, and it knows how to deal with it. In contrast, the overabundance of food in every form, available 24/7, is something that our bodies are NOT accustomed to. So the “gluttony of choice” is a modern condition that evolution has yet to figure out. And THAT is the anomaly, not chronic hunger or elective fasting.
Over the years, modern medicine (and certainly pseudo-medicine) has proclaimed to have discovered the magic pill, the fountain of youth, or the secret to fighting “all” disease. Of all the regimes put forth, only one has been repeatedly proven effective again and again, across generations, and around the world. And that treatment has been fasting, in its various forms.
But I hope that if you’ve made it this far in the discussion you’ve come to realize that fasting doesn’t have to be synonymous with starvation. There are several variations of Intermittent Fasting Diets (including the Fasting “Mimicking” Diet) that have been shown to provide equal or nearly equal results without the burden of literally starving yourself. If you’re willing to explore these options, contact a qualified physician or dietary professional to see which variation might work for you.
Intermittent Fasting FAQs
What are some reasons to fast?
Most people fast simply for weight loss, increased energy, cellular rejuvenation, and to improve sleep.
Can fasting help reverse chronic diseases?
Yes. Fasting has been shown to reverse Type 2 Diabetes as well as inflammatory conditions.
Does fasting have anti-aging effects?
Yes. Through stem cell-guided regeneration, fasting has shown a remarkable ability to stop or reverse the signs of aging.
Fasting has been practiced for centuries, but only recently has it gained popularity as a health and wellness trend.
Fasting has been shown to have numerous health benefits, including weight loss, improved mental clarity, reduced inflammation, and increased lifespan. Fasting has also been shown to improve insulin sensitivity, lower blood sugar levels, and reduce the risk of chronic diseases like heart disease, cancer, and Alzheimer’s disease.
What Are The Health Benefits Of Fasting?
When most people think of fasting, they think of it as a way to lose weight. However, there are many other health benefits of fasting that are often overlooked. In this blog post, we will be discussing some of the lesser-known health benefits of fasting.
Fasting Can Help To Increase Lifespan
Fasting has been linked with a variety of health benefits, including weight loss, improved mental clarity, and decreased inflammation. But did you know that fasting can also help to increase your lifespan?
Studies have shown that fasting can help to protect against age-related diseases and extend the lifespan of cells. Fasting promotes autophagy, which is the process by which your body breaks down and eliminates old and damaged cells.
Fasting can help to improve brain function
There is growing evidence that fasting can help to improve brain function. Studies have shown that fasting can help to improve memory and cognitive function. Additionally, fasting has been shown to increase levels of a brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), which helps to promote the growth and development of new neurons.
Fasting Can Help To Protect Against Diseases Such As Cancer
Fasting is now being studied as a potential tool to help prevent and treat a variety of diseases, including cancer.
Cancer is a complex disease, and there is still much we don’t understand about it. However, we do know that cancer cells are very dependent on glucose for energy. Fasting can help to reduce the amount of glucose in the body, which may make it more difficult for cancer cells to grow and multiply.
As mentioned above, fasting can help to trigger a process known as autophagy, which is when the body starts to break down and recycle damaged cells. This process can help to get rid of cancer cells, as well as other harmful cells that can lead to disease.
Fasting is not a “cure-all” for the many health issues that we face today. However, if you are looking for a way to improve your health and possibly prevent disease, it is definitely worth considering.
Fasting Can Help To Improve Physical Fitness
It is well known that maintaining a healthy diet is important for overall physical fitness. However, recent research has shown that fasting can also be beneficial for physical fitness.
Fasting has been shown to have a number of benefits for physical fitness. For example, fasting can help to improve endurance and muscular strength. In addition, fasting has been shown to improve recovery from exercise, meaning that you can exercise more often without feeling as much fatigue.
If you are interested in trying fasting to improve your physical fitness, there are a few things you should keep in mind. First, it is important to talk to your doctor before starting any fasting regimen, as certain health conditions may worsen with fasting.
Second, it’s not recommended to fast for long periods of time (more than 24 hours) as this can lead to dehydration and other potentially dangerous side effects.
Finally, if you do decide to fast while training, make sure to eat a small snack every few hours to keep your energy levels up in the very beginning while your body adjusts to the fasting environment.
fasting for fitness
Fasting Can Improve Your Physical Appearance
Fasting has been shown to have a number of benefits for overall health, but did you know that it can also improve your physical appearance? Fasting can help to clear up acne, reduce inflammation, and improve gut health. It can also help you to lose weight and achieve a more slender figure.
Fasting should not be attempted by those with certain medical conditions or who are pregnant or breastfeeding. But for many people, fasting can be a safe and effective way to improve their physical appearance.
How Can I Start Fasting?
So how can you start fasting? There are a few things you should keep in mind if you’re interested in trying this practice.
Once you have the green light from your doctor, you can start by fasting for short periods of time, such as 12 hours. You can gradually increase the length of your fasts as you get more experience.
It’s also important to be prepared for the mental and emotional challenges that come with fasting. During a fast, you may feel hungry, irritable, and tired. But if you can push through these challenges, you may find that fasting can be a powerful tool in improving your health and fitness.
How To Fast
One of the easiest and most popular ways to fast is called “intermittent fasting,” in which you simply narrow your “food window.”
You should always speak with your doctor before starting an intermittent fasting program, as fasting is not appropriate for everyone. If you have diabetes or other conditions that affect blood sugar levels, such as insulin resistance or hypoglycemia, it’s important to monitor your blood sugar carefully during the fast.
If you decide to try intermittent fasting:
Begin slowly, with one or two 24-hour fasts per week.
Add one additional 24-hour fast each week until you’re up to four per week.
After a few weeks of fasting four times per week, you can increase the frequency to five or six times per week if desired.
Once you’re comfortable fasting that often, you can try increasing the duration of your fasts.
Try Dr. Longo’s fasting MIMICKING dietto gain the same benefits without the “suffering” of fasting.
Eat real food:
Focus on whole, unprocessed foods. Base your diet on lean protein, healthy fats, low-carb vegetables and perhaps some fruit.
Avoid processed foods of all kinds, including refined sugars and flour and trans fats. Also avoid highly palatable “junk” foods that are easy to overeat (e.g., candy, pastries, ice cream).
Consider intermittent fasting a dietary strategy rather than a specific diet like keto or Paleo. Therefore there’s no need to seek out special “intermittent fasting foods” – just eat real food most of the time.
Drink plenty of water: don’t allow yourself to get too thirsty before drinking water during your fast. This will help increase human growth hormone production and prevent muscle loss. Sip on water or zero-calorie beverages during your eating window if desired, but don’t overdo it.
The Health Benefits Of Fasting – Conclusion
Fasting is an ancient practice that has been practiced for thousands of years. The health benefits of fasting are well-documented and backed by science.
What are the health benefits of fasting?
Fasting can help improve weight loss, increase energy levels, reduce inflammation, better sleep, and even protect against cognitive decline. Additionally, fasting has been shown to repair and regenerate cells, which can also help prevent cancer.
The Fasting Mimicking Diet (FMD) is a 5-day diet that fools the body into thinking it’s fasting. But in practice, how does the Fasting Mimicking Diet work?
In short, you eat a specific mix of plant-based foods that provide healthy nutrients while keeping calorie intake low. This sends signals to the body that it needs to start burning stored fat for energy.
The Fasting Mimicking Diet was developed by Dr. Valter Longo, a Professor of Gerontology and Biological Sciences at the University of Southern California. In animal studies, FMD has been shown to reduce the risk of cancer, heart disease, and Alzheimer’s disease. It has also been shown to improve overall brain function and increase lifespan.
The FMD is a safe and effective way to mimic the benefits of fasting without having to go without food for extended periods of time. It incorporates some concepts from other dieting regimes, which we will explore below.
The FMD is effective due to the nutri-technology that Dr. Longo developed. By abstaining from animal-based amino acids and added sugars, alongside reduced calorie intake, the FMD temporarily inhibits pathways known to accelerate aging.
In addition, stem cell-based regeneration occurs. The FMD induces a gentle ketosis for a brief period. The worldwide scientific community is rapidly expanding due to the profound advantages of the FMD.
Fast Mimicking Diet Vs Fasting
Both fasting and the Fast Mimicking Diet (FMD) have gained popularity in recent years as people look for ways to improve their health. But how does it compare to traditional (water only) fasting?
The Fast Mimicking Diet is a type of fasting that involves consuming only certain types of foods for a period of time. This diet is designed to mimic the health benefits of fasting, without requiring people to completely give up food and live on water only.
In general, people fast for a period of time, during which they do not eat or drink anything except water. Fasting is often used as a way to improve mental and physical health. The FMD reduces both the feelings of hunger and the associated health risks from a water-only fast.
Fast Mimicking Diet Vs Intermittent Fasting
Two of the most popular diets nowadays are the Fast Mimicking Diet (FMD) and Intermittent Fasting (IF). Both diets have been shown to be effective for weight loss, but there is some debate about which one is “better.” In fact, they are quite similar.
Intermittent fasting has several variations. The most common method is time-restricted eating, where the dieter only eats during their “food window.” One example is to fast for 16 hours and eat only during the remaining 8 hours. That would mean having breakfast around 10 am and then your last food of the day around 6 pm. This can be done every day or a few times per week.
Some IF protocols call for a total (water-only) fast once or twice a month, with normal healthy meals the rest of the time.
The FMD protocol created by Dr. Longo is sold under the name ProLon. It seeks to provide all the benefits of a fasting diet, but with food. (Full disclosure: Eat Like an Italian is an authorized reseller of ProLon products.)
This diet mimics a 5:2 intermittent fasting diet, where fasters eat about 25 percent of their regular caloric intake for two days and then eat normally for five days. This typically means the dieter eats about 500-600 calories on the fasting days, which are not necessarily back to back.
The Fasting Mimicking Diet works similarly, except that the diet calls for reducing calorie intake for five days and normal calorie intake on the other two days. The Fasting Mimicking Diet never calls for completely fasting.
The idea is to supply the body with just enough calories to feel satiated, but not full, while also allowing the body to enter gluconeogenesis, the process by which the body converts fat and other non-carbohydrates to glucose.
In fact, the Fast Mimicking Diet only requires the dieter to follow the program for five days out of the month (or once a quarter), with the rest of the month consuming normal, healthy meals. And yes, this means the Mediterranean Diet.
So which diet is better for health? The answer is still unclear, but both diets have been shown to offer health benefits. If you’re considering trying either diet, talk to your doctor first to see if it’s the right fit for you.
Fast Mimicking Diet Vs Keto
A keto diet is an eating plan that focuses on foods that provide a lot of healthy fats, and a good amount of protein, but very few carbohydrates. The goal is to get more calories from fat than from carbs.
The diet works by depleting the body of its sugar reserves. As a result, you will start to break down fat for energy. This results in the production of molecules called ketones that the body uses for fuel. When the body burns fats, it can also lead to weight loss.
The goal of all ketogenic diets is to send the body into a state of ketosis. The term “keto diet” can include diets such as the Atkins diet, Dukan diet, and LCHF (low carb, high fat). While all quite similar, the ratios of fat, protein, carbs and other specific features of each diet can vary.
The ketogenic diet has been shown to be a good plan for weight loss and an effective treatment for epilepsy in children.
The“fast mimicking diet” (FMD) is a newer diet that has some similarities to the ketogenic diet, but allows for a greater variety of foods, as described above.
The ketogenic diet is an effective option, but is very restrictive and challenging to stick with due to its high fat and ultra-low carbohydrate content.
Can You Create Your Own Fasting Mimicking Diet Plan?
Yes, you can certainly “mimic” the Fasting Mimicking Diet at home (pun intended). The important thing to remember is “why” you are eating certain foods, and don’t get too caught up in the precise “what.”
Both can work, but if it’s your first time with this protocol, I would suggest using the official diet plan because all of the work has been done for you and you can be sure that you’re getting the most health benefits out of your efforts. Learn more about ProLon here:
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5 Things You Need To Know About The Fasting Mimicking Diet
What is the Fasting Mimicking Diet?
The fasting mimicking diet is based on the premise that by mimicking the effects of fasting, you can reap the benefits of fasting without actually having to fast.
How does the Fasting Mimicking Diet work?
This diet mimics a 5:2 fasting diet but in reverse, where fasters eat about 45 percent of their regular caloric intake for five days.
What are some of the benefits of the Fasting Mimicking Diet?
There are a lot of purported benefits of the fasting mimicking diet, including weight loss, increased energy levels, improved mental clarity, and more.
Is the Fasting Mimicking Diet good for cancer patients?
One of the most exciting potential benefits of the fasting mimicking diet is its ability to help prevent cancer. It is NOT a treatment for cancer itself, but can potentiate the efficacy of cancer treatments. This is still being investigated.
Who should NOT do the Fasting Mimicking Diet?
Certain people should avoid the fasting mimicking diet, such as people with diabetes, people with a history of eating disorders, and pregnant women.
Growing up in the U.S., we were given some pretty bad advice about when to eat. The most recent research suggests that the old advice given to Americans was exactly opposite to what our bodies really need. Specifically, these two outdated quips:
Breakfast is the most important meal of the day.
You should eat several smaller meals throughout the day rather than 2 or 3 bigger meals.
Wrong and wrong. Looking to our Italian friends who follow a traditional Mediterranean Diet, we can see how this plays out during a typical day in their lives.
Bad Advice About When to Eat
1) Breakfast Is the Most Important Meal
Wrong.
While breakfast is arguably “important,” it is not the “most” important, nor should it be the biggest or most calorie-rich meal of your day.
In Italy, la prima colazione is really quite a simple thing and the biggest blunder that you can make is to overdo it. In the U.S., even if bacon and eggs are no longer our standard fare (who has time to cook in the morning anymore?), we still manage to horse down a sizeable portion of fat, sugar, and empty calories with our industrial breakfast cereals, bagels with cream cheese, and Frappuccino Macchiato with an extra pump of caramel sauce. This would be a huge—possibly fatal— shock to an Italian’s constitution.
Further, Italians would argue that you shouldn’t eat anything at all when you first get up. In their view, your stomach simply isn’t ready for such a bombardment just a few minutes after waking. Our bodies need to slowly adjust to being awake and that includes your metabolism and internal organs. You wouldn’t leap out of bed and run a marathon, would you? No, you’d have to warm up, stretch, prepare—and only then are you ready for more taxing activities.
So if not a “healthy” breakfast of bacon and eggs, then what? A stack of buckwheat pancakes, a trough of steel-cut oatmeal, a bran muffin the size of a volleyball? Well, no. These so-called healthy options are very calorie dense and therefore aren’t really much better than the Grand Slam breakfast at Denny’s. Because yes, size matters, and in this case, less is more, especially first thing in the morning.
Furthermore, do you really know what’s in that “healthy” muffin? It’s been wrapped in cellophane and sitting on top of the counter at your local Starbucks for weeks, and yet it looks as fresh as the day it was made. What’s wrong with that picture? Food is supposed to (eventually) go bad, and if it doesn’t, then you know for sure it’s loaded with chemicals that you can’t pronounce.
What you really want—or rather, what your stomach wants—is just something small and understated. You’ll need a few calories, of course, to nudge your metabolism into action, but overdoing it is a much worse mistake than underdoing it, so always err on the lighter side for breakfast. In Italy, breakfast is often only a caffè macchiato (espresso with just a “spot” of milk).
Then if you want breakfast, have something to eat around 10:00 a.m. And even then, make it fairly light. Fruit, whole wheat toast (made with bread from a bakery, not the middle aisle of the supermarket), or treat yourself, occasionally, to a small cornetto!
2) Eat Several Smaller Meals Throughout the Day
Wrong again.
In Mediterranean countries, LUNCH is/was the biggest meal. Back in the day, the husband/father would come home from work around 1:00-1:30, the kids would come home from school, and at about 2:00, mamma would put out a 3-4 course meal that included lots of grains, vegetables, a little bit of pasta (on most days), a little bit of meat (on some days), perhaps a dessert, or just some fruits and nuts.
Everyone (even the older kids, usually) would have one small glass of wine. Water, of course, too, but never soft drinks, fruit juices, or milk with the meal. An espresso coffee only after the entire meal was finished. Then they’d all rest, or even nap, before returning to their afternoon duties around 4:00.
Yes, that’s a nostalgic view, and when it was at its peak, it was the very model of what we think of today as the traditional Mediterranean lifestyle. Alas, even in Italy these days, this idealized version of the daily routine is quickly disappearing in favor of a “productive” workday and the Global Industrial Diet.
The outdated (American) thinking was that eating “constantly” throughout the day was a good way to level out your blood glucose levels. Well, that maybe true if you’re eating highly-processed foods that are high in refined sugar and saturated fats. But if you’re eating healthy vegetables, slow carbs, and drinking only water, then this is unnecessary, not to mention impractical.
Most importantly: are you even hungry or are you just snacking out of habit? So much of our eating is habitual. Not only how often we eat, but how much we eat, and indeed, what we eat. Even our food preferences can be retrained towards healthier choices. When we eat processed food-like substances, it spikes our blood glucose levels, making us feel hungrier sooner than it should. So we munch on more junk, then the unhealthy cycle repeats all day long.
Finally it should be mentioned that, from an evolution point of view, our bodies are trained to handle food scarcity. What is “new” and different is our current state of abundance and availability. This is the condition that our metabolism can’t properly handle. Maybe in a few thousand years, our bodies will adapt to this modern state, but for now, we’re better suited to deal with the occasional famine than a constant feast.
Current Advice on Time-Restricted Eating
The modern notion of Time-Restricted Eating, or often called “Intermittent Fasting,” hasn’t been around as long, but is quickly gaining popularity. The typical American eats over a 15-hour window, which is essentially the entire time we are awake. In time restricted eating, you eat during a smaller time window. There are different variations, such as the 12:12 or 16:8 plan, which refers to fasting for 12 hours and eating during a 12-hour window, or fasting for 16 hours and eating during an 8-hour window.
This is the easiest type of “fasting” because you are not restricting your calories—just the period during which you eat them. This essentially amounts to a “mini-fast” every day. (Then, not coincidentally, your first meal of the following day is when you “break” your “fast.” Breakfast. Get it?)
One scenario would be to eat breakfast at 10 am and lunch at 2 pm and make sure you last meal of the day is as early as possible (finished by 7 pm), so you have 15 hours or more between dinner and breakfast. Little or no snacking between meals.
If you want to learn more about this approach, check out this book:
This might all seem a bit extreme to some Americans, but actually this “new” research is very much consistent with the traditional Mediterranean Diet of 100+ years ago. Here’s what you need to know…
Key Takeaways
Time-restricted eating is a dietary strategy that focuses on when you eat, rather than what you eat.
By limiting your daily food intake to a shorter period of time, it may be possible to eat less food and lose weight.
What’s more, some research has shown that time-restricted eating may benefit heart health and blood sugar levels.
