A bit of tough love coming at you today.
The quote above in the title (“I would rather die than eat this way”) is a quote out of a book (also shown above). Ed and I were recently “briefed” on some long-term studies that show the amazing health results of this type of fasting – which you might be pleased to learn is actually non-fasting, fasting, or being able to eat “some food” to mimic a fast from a health standpoint. I know it sounds complicated, but it’s not.
We’ve known for eons that our waaaaaay back ancestors, pre-agricultural and industrial revolution, went through periods of feast and famine. Think about it: in the winter, there’s less food if you’re a hunter-gatherer. And in the summer there is a lot of food. Our ancestors were generally healthier than us with respect to all the lifestyle diseases we now face: overweight/obesity, cancer, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease…and the list goes on. Compare this to our current day where food is abundant year-round (over-abundant, right), over-processed, and generally less “pure” than it was “back then”. Obviously, we’re living in a different time. But how can we get the health benefits of the past while living in the present?
While fasting is all the rage (intermittent fasting, time-restricted feeding…whatever you want to call it), the fact is, it WAS a natural part of our ancestor’s lives…and a health contributor, believe it or not. While we can connect the dots – we used to be healthier, we ate more natural foods, and we had periods where we had food, and periods where we didn’t have food – so many people today will ask for proof because we’re being inundated with advice and information to the contrary.
Ed and I had the pleasure of hearing Dr. Valter Longo speak a few months ago, and we wanted to share a few of the slides because he is researching the effects of fasting in a way that is proving what we know, AND, he’s developed a way to do it so that modern man doesn’t have to actually suffer without food!
While the point of this post is that while we try to convince you to be healthier by exercising, eating well, and maybe trying this….some of you will make the statement in the title – “I’d rather die than eat that way”. Some might say that in relation to exercise, or sleep, or smoking…things we know to be health inducing. Ed and I are becoming more and more intolerant of all the life choices that people want to challenge us with, when if you look in the mirror, or at your bloodwork, or simply how you feel, you know it’s not working. Inflammation is a real thing.
One of the first things we think about when we talk about fasting (especially Ed and I) is: I can’t lose muscle. Especially as we are trying to reverse sarcopenia here, the LAST thing we need is something to challenge that. But check this out. The graph above illustrates how Dr. Longo’s fasting-mimicking diet actually preserves lean body mass! Home run, right?
Additionally, what if we could prove to you that fasting may be beneficial in preventing cancer, or it’s recurrence?
Or what about diabetes? Many people are dealing with elevated blood sugar and insulin right now…what if there was a benefit there?
Two points here for our GrandMastersRx Community – at least you’re our targets…maybe we’ll snag a few young people along the way:
- Look up this fasting-mimicking diet. It’s a thing. Yes, if you’re concerned, talk to your doctor, but be ready. I think physicians get a few hours of dietary counseling in med school. Grab the book. Look up the slides we posted. Look for studies – you probably won’t find anything dangerous…be a critical thinker – don’t just follow what we say.
- Ask yourself…would you really rather continue to deal with [insert current problem here: like diabetes, being overweight, hypertension, being worried about cancer] or consider something new that you haven’t tried. Would you really rather “die” (yes, that’s dramatic) than eat differently? Or move more? Or change a silly bad habit like downing a family-size bag of Doritos (that you shouldn’t be buying in the first place!) while watching the fourth or fifth hour of television?
Here’s the tough love: This blows our minds: the general lack of grit toward changing lifestyle habits. Grit – you know – you all are of “of that generation” where we get hard work. Why is it so hard when it’s not physical work, but rather mental? Lean into this guys. You WOULD NOT rather die than eat better. Or move more. Or prioritize sleep. Trust us – and we want you here on this earth with us.
Tough love – stop with the excuses. Stop being OK being sick or unhealthy. You are surrounded by a community of supporters, and if you think just because we aren’t beating you over the head with a bat, we’re OK with you being unhealthy or sick, you’re entirely wrong. We think a lot of things we don’t say. Don’t make us say them. Invest in yourself.
OK – speech over. Open Season gets us all riled up!