The benefits of eating healthy are well documented, but the reality for most of us is more complicated than just “eating well.”
So when sports stars and select scientists began telling us that not only should we eat less junk, but start skipping breakfast to improve our health, the “barriers to entry” to dieting success became more like a maximum security prison.
The upshot? The end goal looked too difficult and many people stopped trying (and listening).
And if you’re partial to the odd Messina triple-choc or bucket-load of hot chips: we feel your pain. Which is why we looked into whether it’s possible to reap the benefits of intermittent fasting… without actually fasting.
As it turns out, you (theoretically) can: in fact multiple studies have suggested you can get the benefits of fasting via a “fasting mimicking diet.”
So what does a “fasting mimicking diet” (FMD) involve? According to Medical News Today, “The FMD is low in protein, low in unhealthy fats and high in healthy fats… Stimulat(ing) markers linked to fasting, such as low glucose levels and high levels of ketone bodies, in order to mimic the effects of prolonged fasting.”
Basically; it’s a protein-lite version of the keto diet.
RELATED: The Ketogenic Diet – The Truth About How It Impact Your Health
FMD researchers believe the ‘fasting mimicking’ diet could, “Promote immune cell regeneration and longevity associated with fasting without the need for food restriction and the potential adverse effects that come with it,” (Medical News Today).
“Although the clinical results will require confirmation by a larger randomized trial,” they qualified, it could be worth a try: after all—in terms of risk—it’s no worse than actual fasting, the potential dangers (and benefits) of which are outlined here.
RELATED: Intermittent Fasting: Everything You Need To Know In Five Minutes