Fasting ‘Mimicking’ Diet – Why can this help?
Most people run for the hills at the very thought of going without food! This is where the genius behind the work of Dr Volta Longo came in. His 30 years of research and study on the subject revealed that we can ‘hack’ the body into believing that we are actually fasting when we continue to eat food!
How does this work?
In a nutshell our body is designed to withstand periods of abstinence when historically we were unable to find/catch food we could eat. During this phase our body goes into ‘protection mode’. Our senses are heightened, our brain becomes sharper and our reaction time is quicker to enable us to run faster to catch a meal, but the real magic happens at a cellular level.
When we fast in this way, our cells start to break down targeted cells that are either unhealthy or too old to use them for spare parts. This is a process known as ‘Autophagy’. During this process we create replacement cells called ‘stem’ cells. These are essentially blank, waiting to be designated for a particular job. The signaling process within the body allocates these new cells where they are most needed to recover from inflammation or disease.
When we do this protocol, we shift from burning sugar for fuel to burning fat for fuel in a state known as ‘Ketosis’. When we deplete our store of sugar as well as the reserves in the liver, we then adapt to burn virisal fat stores. This is why we become slimmer if the Ketogenic diet is done correctly.
Be warned however that although this is an excellent weight loss and cellular regeneration approach to rapidly improve a range of blood markers, it should not be used for long term health care. Over time, burning fat stores for fuel can be detrimental for prolonged periods of time.
Remaining in Ketosis requires virtually eliminating carbohydrates and weighing food to ensure the correct macro and micro nutrients are maintained. For many people it is very difficult to achieve for sustained periods in order to ‘remain’ in Ketosis. Food choices are limited for ‘low carb’ and only really doable for a 5 day stretch.
On the 5 Day Fasting Mimicking Diet you will be eating the same food each day. The standard Keto diet includes a lot of animal protein, fish, dairy and fats that have a profound and detrimental effect longer term on our physiology. This is why Dr Longo created a safe plant-based version of the plan to ensure maximum benefit without the meat and dairy downside.
Plant-based foods are naturally well absorbed. Overwhelming scientific evidence shows that this diet long term is anti-inflammatory, PH neutral, lowers lactic acid and increases energy levels. This is why many top athletes and celebrities have switched to plant-based diets. Maintaining the diet is both healthier and convenient to adopt.
Blood markers after 5 days of the Fasting Mimicking Diet reveal huge shifts in lowered blood pressure, lowered cholesterol levels, lower triglycerides and many diabetics have experience less insulin resistance. Also there is a big reduction in IGF1 (insulin like growth factor 1) levels. This growth hormone, once lowered, can reverse the further growth of cancer cells while autophagy sets about replacing damaged cells with new stem cells. The protection mechanism is so powerful that when chemotherapy is administered to cancer patients, the cells have a massively improved resistance to damage from the poison, not only creating less side effects, but also helping to leave the cancer cells even better exposed to deletion from the poison.
The other incredible effect of fasting is longevity. Experiments done on animals showed a 2-fold extension in life span if done once every month for 5 days. This would be equivalent in a human of 160 years!
Would I have Chemotherapy? NO!, but if you are already or considering this treatment you would be wise to look into this approach further as the results are outstanding when used in conjunction with the Fasting Mimicking Diet.
For an overview of how and why this is so beneficial, take a look at this video on Brighteon.com https://www.brighteon.com/3779deb9-f3c8-482f-8577-de2adf0f321f
I have done the 5 Day Fasting Mimicking Diet three times and each time noticed big beneficial changes in my blood work after the fasting.
Summary of the effects of Fasting Mimicking Diet
Decrease numerous markers of inflammation, including arthritis, joint pain and even multiple sclerosis.
Enhance heart health by improving blood pressure.
Reduced plaque, Triglycerides and Cholesterol Levels.
Switching up your diet and lifestyle is one of the most effective ways to reduce your risk of heart disease.
Reduced levels of ‘bad’ LDL cholesterol and blood triglycerides thanks to reduced arterial inflammation
Can Boost Brain Function and Prevent Neurodegenerative Disorders
Though research is mostly limited to animal research, several studies have found that fasting can have a powerful effect on brain health. In particular, studies in animals suggest that fasting may protect against and improve outcomes for conditions such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s
Aids ‘sustained’ weight loss by limiting calorie intake and boosting metabolism.
The Fasting Mimicking Diet was found to be more effective than calorie restriction at increasing fat loss while simultaneously preserving muscle tissue.
Increases human growth hormone (HGH), a type of protein hormone that is central to many aspects of your health. Research shows that this key hormone is involved in growth, metabolism, weight loss and muscle strength
One study in 11 healthy adults showed that fasting for 24 hours significantly increased levels of HGH. This will lower insulin secretion to help maintain steady blood sugar throughout the day – important for diabetics.
In one study, rats that fasted every other day experienced a delayed rate of ageing and lived 83% longer than rats that didn’t fast
Can Aid in Cancer Prevention and Recovery – Increases the Effectiveness of Chemotherapy
Animal and test-tube studies indicate that fasting can benefit the treatment and prevention of cancer. A test-tube study showed that exposing cancer cells to several cycles of fasting was as effective as chemotherapy in delaying tumour growth and increased the effectiveness of chemotherapy drugs on cancer formation. During the 5 day fasting, cells go into ‘healthy’ protection mode, leaving unhealthy cancerous cells exposed to the poisonous chemicals used in chemotherapy.
If you suffer from diabetes or low blood sugar, fasting can lead to spikes and crashes in your blood sugar levels; potentially dangerous without careful monitoring of blood sugar and raised ketone levels as you transition into Ketosis. Professional help and monitoring is advised if this approach is considered.
Fasting is not generally recommended if frail, underweight, or suffering acute organ decline. For more information go to the main site where all the scientific studies are shown https://valterlongo.com/cancer-for-doctors/
When using the Fasting Mimicking Diet, be sure to drink at least 2 litres of water per day with a pinch of Celtic or Himalayan pink salt added for electrolytes. When coupled with a nutritious diet and healthy lifestyle, incorporating fasting into your routine could really benefit your health in many ways.
Herxheimer Effect Or ‘Healing Crises’
If our health is in decline, this will have happened over a long period of time and reversing all this in a week is a big ask, so be patient, stick to the basic principles and in time the rewards will be worthwhile.
Imagine you were going to renovate your entire home; new plastering, new flooring, new kitchen, bathroom whilst also replacing the old plumbing and electricity cabling at the same time! The dust and debris would be horrific!
When we detox and fundamentally change the way we have always had our body under our perceived control, this will cause huge shifts in metabolism and the fall-out will manifest itself in numerous ways from continual headaches to aching joints or an upset tummy. Whilst adjusting to more fibre than usual, you may feel worse and mood and energy levels can also drop. This adjustment period can be uncomfortable for some, either mild or unnoticeable and if it does occur can reverse within a few days.
A three month time frame is needed to notice a definite change or improvement (although blood markers will improve far more quickly). This is simply because this metabolic shift needs to happen while all the debris and toxic waste is clearing out. The transition stage is the point where some people can ‘fall off the wagon’ and simply lose their determination and commitment to continue. Although stopping will allow you to feel better, the job will just be starting. You could encounter more obstacles. One thing that helped me enormously was to see the changes in my blood work where I was able to come off all the medication through improved blood pressure, cholesterol, lowered triglycerides and PSA tumour marker levels and that vital IGF1 level dropped by 50%. A simple set of blood work before beginning and then after even 6 weeks will prove to you the effort has been worthwhile.
If you want to learn more about the 5 day Fasting Mimicking Diet email andrewhurrell2000@yahoo.com for the balanced meal plan – around 1000 calories on day 1 and 700 calories on days 2 to 5.
Next month we take a close look at nutrition and why what we think as healthy and nutritious may be unbalanced, meaning your body needs to compensate for those deficiencies.