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This One Habit Can Help You Live a Longer and Healthier Life
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For those of you who have yet to see the documentary, Eat, Fast, and Live Longer, Dr. Michael Mosely, author and journalist, goes about describing his journey as he takes on a habit of intermittent fasting to see if it might improve his not so great health.
In the beginning, you learn that Dr. Mosely’s blood work shows that his cholesterol is very high and he is a borderline diabetic, both of which are generally treated with medication. However, Dr. Mosely, concerned about his own health issues, sets out to try alternatives to medication.
He travels the across the US, where he interviews people who are healthy and come from families where long lives are common, to learn their secrets. He discovers that many people who are healthy and tend to live longer lives practice intermittent fasting.
Fasting has numerous health benefits, as Dr. Mosely soon discovers everything from reduced cancer risks, gene repair, cardiovascular health, and longevity.
You may have heard that severe calorie restriction will, of course, result in weight loss and longevity, but living on what is virtually a starvation diet is not something most people are willing to adopt.
New research shows, however, that you can get many of the same benefits of a starvation diet by something called intermittent fasting, where you eat normally on some days and dramatically cut your caloric intake on other days.
This type of fasting mimics the eating habits of our ancient ancestors who did not have food available to them 24/7/365. They frequently went through periods where there was a great deal of game (meat) and fruit available to times when there was very little to eat. By altering your diet in this way, you dramatically alter the way in which your body operates, and improve your health at the same time.
Most people think of fasting as something that is done as a part of a spiritual practice. Now, modern science confirms that fasting has many benefits including (but not limited to):
- Prevents Insulin Resistance
- Normalizes Leptin and Insulin
- Encourages Your Body to Use Fat For Energy
- Promotes Human Growth Hormone Production
- Lowers Triglyceride Levels
- Reduces Oxidative Stress
This type of fasting is perhaps the most effective way to burn fat and eliminate your sugar cravings. Since most of us have at least some fat that we simply cannot seem to get rid of, this is a super important benefit. Also, for those of you who can’t seem to stop your sugar addiction, you will find that when sugar is no longer needed as a primary fuel source, your cravings should subside dramatically, if not entirely.
Lastly, intermittent fasting has been identified as an ally for the prevention, and perhaps even for the treatment of, dementia. When you burn fat, ketones are released as a byproduct, and it is ketones, not glucose, that is the preferred fuel for the brain.
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