The Healthy Way To Fast

BY BETHANY HEITMAN

Here’s an interesting fact: Fasting has been used as a therapeutic tool since ancient Greek times. In fact, Hippocrates recommended fasting to help cure patients of certain illnesses.

Fast forward a few thousand years and it’s now often associated with something people do to lose weight. And while some do it for that reason, there are actually a variety of other health benefits (more on this in a moment!).

Oh, and these days fasting doesn’t require going on a complete hunger strike. There are plenty of fast-mimicking programs out there that last from as little as a day all the way up to a week. They allow you to eat small portions of food, while still scoring all the benefits of an actual fast. In fact, JW just completed the ProLon fast-mimicking program—read about her experience here!

Now, back to those benefits! Here are a few of the scientifically-proven health perks that fasting can bring on.

Boost Your Brain Power

A large body of research has found that fasting may have a heck of an effect on brain health. One study found that it improved both brain function and structure. This means that while you fast, you may generate more brain cells.

Another found that it may protect against neurodegenerative conditions like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s.

Regardless of the science, a lot of people who try fasting report feeling like they can think a lot more clearly—and with good reason. See, sugar and processed carbs can make you sluggish. That’s because eating a lot of these things can spike your energy and then make you crash, leaving you feeling fuzzy and depleted. Take them away for a few days and you end the spike/crash cycle.

Fight Inflammation

Occasional inflammation is totally normal. Internal inflammation is a process when your body sends cells to different areas to fight bacteria or heal a wound. It’s your immune system’s way of fighting off infection and protecting you. But sometimes those cells stick around longer than they need to, and that leads to chronic inflammation—which is not so great for you and is associated with a variety of health conditions. Plus, it can make you look puffy and bloated. Ugh.

Thankfully, research shows that fasting can significantly reduce inflammation almost immediately by reducing oxidative stress on your cells. Within a day or two, you can expect your jeans will likely zip a bit more easily and you’ll feel more streamlined overall.

Turbocharge your Metabolism

For obvious reasons, short term fasting can help you drop a little weight. But an even more beneficial (and long term!) aspect is that it can speed up your metabolism.

One review of research found that fasting reduced body weight by 9 percent and significantly decreased body fat over 12 to 24 weeks. And another study found that intermittent fasting (fasting for certain long stretches) was just as effective at decreasing body and fat mass as constant calorie restriction is.

Support Muscle Strength

Ready to get a little science-y? Your body contains something called human growth hormone (HGH). It’s essentially a protein that, amongst other things, is a key component of building muscle strength.

When you fast for as little as 24 hours, your levels of HGH naturally go up. In turn, this can make it easier for you to build muscle strength. Wondering why this may happen? Experts point to a few possible reasons. First, body fat has a direct impact on HGH levels. If you lose body fat while fasting, your HGH levels may increase. High insulin can also decrease HGH production. Fasting can stabilize natural insulin levels, which then can boost HGH.

Another benefit: Fasting helps you maintain healthy blood sugar and insulin levels, which can further elevate HGH levels.

Pause Aging and Embrace Longevity

Experts believe that one of the most promising outcomes of fasting is that it may extend your lifespan.

The founder of ProLon, Dr. Valter Longo, has been studying the phenomenon for some time. Through important research, fasting has been found to delay aging and increase longevity.

When developing his fast-mimicking program, Dr. Longo carefully assessed how much nutrition he could add and still maintain the benefits of fasting. In addition to his research showing that fasting can increase longevity, Dr. Longo’s research suggests that it could also lower the risk of cancer.

Curious about fast-mimicking? ProLon is a 5-day program where you eat a little bit each day (think a healthy soup, some olives, those kinds of things), drink cleansing lemon, spearmint and hibiscus teas and take supplements. So your body is getting enough nutrients to fight hunger, while still mimicking a fast.

Bethany Heitman, Contributor

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