Diets often promise to trim inches off your waistline, but there are types of diets which promise to transform your body from within.
A recent study has found that a certain type of diet—which involves cutting down on calories and adopting new eating habits—can even slow down raging and lessen the possibility of cancer, heart disease, and diabetes.
The Fasting Mimicking Diet (FMD) has been viewed by many researchers as something that promises lasting transformation to your entire body.
Peter Bowes, a participant of one study involving FMD, shared his experience with Mosaic. He writes that, instead of simply thinking of it as a diet, researchers viewed FMD “as an investment in the future. It could, they say, start a regenerative process that will lead to improved health and longer life. If the theory stands, I could enjoy a lower risk of cancer, a strengthened immune system, improved cognitive ability and little to no chance of contracting diabetes.”
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Though this diet can effectively help you lose weight, the more important benefit it promises is its overall impact on your health.
The Fasting Mimicking Diet (FMD) is pretty simple
For five straight days each month, the participant limits their caloric intake drastically—cutting it to until two-thirds.
On the first day, only 1,090 calories (10% protein, 56% fat, 34% carbohydrate) are allowed and for the next four days, you can only consume 725 calories (9% protein, 44% fat, 47% carbohydrate). The bulk of the carbohydrates consumed are vegetables.
For the rest of the month, however, participants ate what and how they normally would.
Though it may be easy to remember, the daily execution may prove to be more challenging. For Bowes, it involved experiencing both headaches, mental confusion, and dehydration.
Learn more about temporary fasting on the next page
The subject of temporary fasting has long been one of interest for many researchers. Health benefits associated with the practice have fascinated them because it didn’t require such a drastic change in one’s daily habits or lifestyle.
Naturally, people who choose to follow this will find themselves hungry for the five days they’re on FMD.
As for the participants of the study, they practiced it for three months straight. According to Bowes, Professor Valter Longo of the USC Longevity Institute told him that the diet would be most effective if done three or four times a year.
Though the study’s participants were few, the results were remarkable and significant
Though the study’s participants were few, the results were remarkable and significant. The 19 participants experienced healthier blood sugar levels as well as weight loss (this was due to lowered levels of the growth hormone which makes the body more sensitive to insulin).
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Upon studying people with naturally low levels of this growth hormone, researchers found that they have lower incidence rates of cancer and diabetes, regardless if they’re obese or not.
The basic idea of FMD is to lower levels of this growth hormone in healthy people.
Though more research is needed to be able to conclude this diet’s effects on aging, its promises of health benefits while eating everything your heart (and appetite) desires 25 days in a month does sound pretty tempting.
READ: Eating or avoiding these foods could make you look younger
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