Do you hear that noise? It's the buzz surrounding a recent study which indicates reducing your calories for as few as five days a month can reduce risk factors for aging, cancer, diabetes and cardiovascular disease. The nice bonus? Weight loss.
RELATED: I Tried The Prolon 5-Day Fasting Mimicking Diet. Here're My Results
This concept had been proven on rats, mice, dogs and monkeys so researchers decided to test it on humans. There are many who advocate full-time, consistent calorie-restriction as a means to combat aging. But, candidly, those people don't look like they have any fun. I mean, no wine, no Tex-Mex, and no cake? Where's the joy!?! There is nothing fun about living on jicama and hemp milk 24/7. But cutting back for only five days a month? That's something we can do.
Don't believe me? Here's the basis of the diet:
The 5-Day Fasting Diet
The "diet" lasts for five days a month and is repeated once a month for three months or however long you desire.
Day One:
1090 calories (10% protein, 56% fat, 34% carbohydrates)
Days Two Through Five
725 calories (9% protein, 44% fat, 47% carbohydrates)
What Was Allowed During The Study:
A proprietary vegetable soup, energy bars, energy drinks, low-calorie snack chips and tea. Diets reported drinking a lot of chamomile tea and taking vegetable-based supplements. On days they weren't dieting, they ate normally.
This diet is low in protein and high in healthy fats.
I would suggest doing this diet during a week when you're busy. For whatever reason, when you're busy, you're not as hungry.
Why It Works
Fasting helps the body's stress response on a cellular level by reducing levels of certain proteins and molecules that play a role in aging. Weight loss will probably happen but the real end-game is to experience better health as we age.
On this diet you're not fasting in the traditional sense but the reduction in calories mimics fasting resulting in similar results to fasting.
Want to do it without even thinking about it? There is a California company that will send you a Fasting Mimicking Diet meal plan. Click HERE for details.
Who Shouldn't Do It
If you're a child, pregnant, underweight or recovering from a disease or surgery, you shouldn't try this diet. As always, check with a medical professional before you begin any diet or fitness plan.
The Takeaway
Only 19 participants did this diet. More research needs to be done on the 5-Day Diet but the initial results are positive.
As it relates to you, happiness and do-ability are, without question, essential components of healthful diet. If a diet plan is so insane that you can't do it and you're miserable (Master Cleanse, anyone?) while you're on the diet, it's not going to work for you.
Candidly, though, five days is nothing. I think it's something most people can successfully do.
Learn more about the diet HERE.
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This concept had been proven on rats, mice, dogs and monkeys so researchers decided to test it on humans. There are many who advocate full-time, consistent calorie-restriction as a means to combat aging. But, candidly, those people don't look like they have any fun. I mean, no wine, no Tex-Mex, and no cake? Where's the joy!?! There is nothing fun about living on jicama and hemp milk 24/7. But cutting back for only five days a month? That's something we can do.
Don't believe me? Here's the basis of the diet:
The 5-Day Fasting Diet
The "diet" lasts for five days a month and is repeated once a month for three months or however long you desire.
Day One:
1090 calories (10% protein, 56% fat, 34% carbohydrates)
Days Two Through Five
725 calories (9% protein, 44% fat, 47% carbohydrates)
What Was Allowed During The Study:
A proprietary vegetable soup, energy bars, energy drinks, low-calorie snack chips and tea. Diets reported drinking a lot of chamomile tea and taking vegetable-based supplements. On days they weren't dieting, they ate normally.
This diet is low in protein and high in healthy fats.
I would suggest doing this diet during a week when you're busy. For whatever reason, when you're busy, you're not as hungry.
Why It Works
Fasting helps the body's stress response on a cellular level by reducing levels of certain proteins and molecules that play a role in aging. Weight loss will probably happen but the real end-game is to experience better health as we age.
 |
| Image via Cell.com |
On this diet you're not fasting in the traditional sense but the reduction in calories mimics fasting resulting in similar results to fasting.
Want to do it without even thinking about it? There is a California company that will send you a Fasting Mimicking Diet meal plan. Click HERE for details.
If you're a child, pregnant, underweight or recovering from a disease or surgery, you shouldn't try this diet. As always, check with a medical professional before you begin any diet or fitness plan.
The Takeaway
Only 19 participants did this diet. More research needs to be done on the 5-Day Diet but the initial results are positive.
As it relates to you, happiness and do-ability are, without question, essential components of healthful diet. If a diet plan is so insane that you can't do it and you're miserable (Master Cleanse, anyone?) while you're on the diet, it's not going to work for you.
Candidly, though, five days is nothing. I think it's something most people can successfully do.
Learn more about the diet HERE.
Want more diet and fitness news? Click HERE to sign up for my weekly newsletter or just fill in the information in the box below. You will get an email, generally on Wednesday, full of simple diet and fitness tips like this one.
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