There are so many diets out there that it can be overly daunting to know what is the best for you and what is the difference between all of them. There’s Keto, Paleo, Plant Based, Vegan, Vegetarian, Whole30, Intermittent Fasting, and the list goes on. To be honest, I’m a true believer we each know our body the best and how it reacts to the foods we choose. And for the most part we understand that we need to focus on whole foods, lots of veggies and reduce our refined carbs and sugar intake and stay away from processed foods and drink lots of water. This is my diet and it has served me well over the years.
However, I’ve always been interested in learning more about Fasting and Intermittent Fasting. Between you and I, I love food so I didn’t think Fasting would work for me. Intermittent Fasting and its’ 16 hours off and 8 hours on of eating seemed doable. I tried this for five days and liked it. I felt more energetic and lost a couple of pounds. The only issue I had with it was if I had dinner plans and the timing of the meal did not work with the 16/8 method of eating. But I was able to make it work. I would reduce my eating hours for the following day hoping to balance it out. Then I learned about the Fasting Mimicking Diet, ProLon. ProLon is a researched based program giving “you all the benefits of a 5-day fast while enjoying food. According to the ProLon Fasting Mimicking Diet it “mitigates the burden and danger of water-only fasting, by providing a tasty and convenient, safe dietary program that does not require ongoing lifestyle changes, such as long term dieting.” I did this for 5 days. I received in the mail a lovely box that contained 5 small boxes contacting the food I was to consume in the 5 days. It consisted of soup, olives, kale crackers, tea and vitamins. One needs to consume each days worth of food in the correct order. The Day One box needs to be consumed on Day One, etc. The first two days I fond myself to be a bit cranky, the third day I told myself I got this and by the fourth and fifth day it wasn’t that difficult at all and I actually felt energetic and just all around better. The bonus was that I lost four pounds and felt I had the opportunity to cleanse my body. ProLon recommends that one do this program once a month for three consecutive months and then once every four to six months.
I’m very happy I tried it and will definitely try it again this winter. Take a look at their website to learn more.
I am not a registered dietician or a certified personal trainer. My blog is simply a documentation of my life and my experience/knowledge. Speak with a medical professional prior to undertaking any new physical routines or changing your diet.
All my best,
Rich