Healthy Connections is partnered with ProLon, a company that has created a 5-day dietary program that guides patients through a fasting mimicking diet (or FMD). Fasting in general has many health benefits if done correctly. It enhances cellular renewal, promotes healthy aging, encourages metabolic flexibility, increases mental clarity and focus, and decreases body fat.

However unlike other fasting fads, ProLon wants you to eat! They provide kits that give you all the nutrients you need in order to enter a fasting state but without those uncomfortable hunger pangs and low energy days. 

This blog contains affiliate links.

What Is ProLon?

So, what is ProLon exactly? ProLon got its name by condensing the term, Pro-Longevity, which is exactly what this company supports. There is a key factor of longevity that is within your control: your diet. What you decide to eat each day will affect you either positively or negatively. Not only will your food choices affect how long you live but also whether you can arrive at the end of your time having enjoyed a full life of good health. It’s not only about eating more spinach but also about eliminating or at least minimizing the foods that snatch away your lifespan and your health.

ProLon created the first and only patented 5-day FMD kit based on the fasting mimicking diet designed by Dr. Valter Longo. ProLon kits are mailed to your home and consist of five separate boxes, one for each day of the fast. The convenience of the kits means you don’t have to prep or spend time in the kitchen. This gives you minimal disruption to your daily lifestyle, allowing you to focus on healing and self-care. 

Each kit contains energy bars, soups, various snacks, drinks, and supplements. These have been scientifically researched by Dr. Longo to nourish your body while going through the rejuvenating process of a fasted state. The ingredients in these kits are primarily plant-based and contain no preservatives, additives, or chemicals. They also taste good! 

Where’s the Proof? Aren’t All Fasting Diets a Fad?

There has been a myriad of research on longevity over the years, which has resulted in a lot of sales gimmicks, top-ten-tips, and health hacks that have grabbed people’s attention while wasting their money. But this is different. ProLon uses the very fasting mimicking diet that was created by a team of researchers from the Longevity Institute at the University of Southern California. 

As mentioned above, the fasting mimicking diet was designed by Dr. Valter Longo. During his 25 years of research on longevity and cancer, he discovered something amazing. He found that restricting calorie intake from proteins and sugars can actually jump-start a series of self-repairs on our body cells, essentially reversing the cellular damage brought on by aging and disease. In 2015, he developed the first concept for the fasting mimicking diet. But this was not his only development. He also designed a daily diet for the times when a person is not fasting (because face it, we all have to eat meals sometime!). This diet supports and aligns with his longevity research and is meant to accompany the periodic adherence to the fasting mimicking diet. Dr. Longo’s diet is so aptly named the Longevity Diet. 

Dr. Longo’s knowledge and research are not out of our grasp, however. He decided to write a book in 2016 called The Longevity Diet, which became an international bestseller. His book is a solid source of information designed for the layperson wanting to maximize their time on this earth. The longevity diet is based around low protein, healthy fats, and complex carbs. In addition to laying out his unique program and providing recipes, he dives into the reasons behind the diet. Dr. Longo addresses stem cell activation, cell-repair, weight loss, muscle and bone loss, and building resistance to chronic diseases. You can find his book here.

What Is a Fasting Mimicking Diet?

For many people, the very idea of fasting is incomprehensible and frankly uncomfortable to think about. Some may only associate fasting as a type of spiritual practice or a reason to quickly change the topic during a social gathering. Believe it or not, fasting comes in many forms and doesn’t always involve abstaining from food. Furthermore, fasting has a variety of health benefits, which only increase with longer fasts (a prolonged fast is considered to be 5-7 days). Getting through 5-7 days without food is quite a challenge even for the most dedicated among us. This is where the fasting mimicking diet comes into play. It tricks the body into thinking it is fasting even as we eat certain foods. Therefore, the fasting mimicking diet is considered a prolonged fast and comes with all the benefits but without any of the challenges.

There are five transformations that happen on the cellular level as you follow the fasting mimicking diet. 

Day One: You first enter a fasting state which is when you switch to a fat-burning mode (vs our normal glucose-burning mode). This is the time when your body prepares for cellular clean-up (also called autophagy).

Day Two: As you continue to burn fat for energy, you start producing ketones as you have limited access to glucose. This allows you to enter a state of ketosis, which activates autophagy

Day Three: Having officially entered ketone production, your body begins the process of autophagy–replacing old and damaged cells with new ones

Day Four: Cellular recycling continues as body cells renew and repair themselves. This promotes healthy aging and DNA repair

Day Five: Your cellular transformation is completed. Refueling after today will nourish the body and cycle it back towards glucose-burning. Having the metabolic flexibility to switch from fat-burning to glucose-burning improves insulin sensitivity, a stronger immune system, weight maintenance, and overall better health. 

The fasting mimicking diet is recommended to follow 2-4 times per year for most people. Those who have health conditions or specific weight loss goals may benefit from following FMD once per month in the beginning and then establish a maintenance protocol of a few times per year. Following the longevity diet is recommended in between your periods of fasting.

Is ProLon Right For Me?

We would be remiss in encouraging all people to practice the fasting mimicking diet. Fasting is not for all people, whether it’s FMD or another type of fasting. ProLon is a low-calorie fast for 5 days. ProLon kits should not be used by those who:

• Have an allergy to nuts, soy, oats, sesame, or celery. 
• Are pregnant or breastfeeding
• Have dietary restrictions
• Have symptoms of an infection or have a fever, cough, or diarrhea
• Are underweight or have a protein deficiency
• Are over 70 years of age

If you have a chronic disease such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, cancer, kidney disease, or liver disease, then the ProLon fasting mimicking diet kit should only be used under the supervision of a doctor. 

When following the fasting mimicking diet, it’s important to avoid strenuous exercise that demands a high level of calories. Also avoid hot environments including those from hot tubs or saunas. Lastly, you are encouraged to eat something or drink fruit juice should you feel light-headed or faint during the 5 days.

If you are ready and able to take on the fasting mimicking diet and the many benefits it brings, head to our ordering page to purchase a ProLon kit!