I’ve seen several articles that point out the benefits of calorie restriction. Scientists once performed studies in which rats received reduced calorie diets. The scientists found that the rats’ lifespans were almost double the scientists’ expectations (jump). Additional studies expanded the link to other animals, and now some people are practicing a calorie restriction diet.Contrast this to a food restriction diet (which may be a manifestation of anorexia, or a precursor). A food restriction diet simply means to limit the amount of food, regardless of the healthfulness of the food actually consumed–or not. Calorie restriction is a careful monitoring of an individual’s calorie intake, and only consuming as few as 60% of the daily recommended amount while ensuring the individual gets the appropriate nutrients.
The benefits of a calorie restriction diet are purported to be slower aging and a longer maximum lifespan. The key support are the animal studies and that practitioners of a calorie restriction diet the bio-metrics (i.e., blood pressure) of people half their age. However, some scientists have criticized this diet, saying the benefit is negligible for larger animals and the diet does not allow for people to ingest enough food to fuel a high functioning body.
This all leads me to two interesting articles I flagged over the last two weeks:
In “Retune the Body with a Partial Fast,” an endocrinologist from UCLA suggests that fasting once a week may be enough to reduce your body’s taste for sugar and give your digestive system a rest. The catch is, you have to drink water.
“Monthly fasting may protect heart” points out that scientists noticed a trend among Mormon practitioners of lower heart disease. There was a strong correlation between the Mormon’s monthly fasting and the incidence of blocked arteries (I guess that would be an inverse correlation–those who fasted had fewer instances of blocked arteries).
So, it sounds like, if you eat healthfully, normally, then the occasional fast may actually provide some good benefits.
What do you think about fasting? Do you have a diet tip to share?
A progress report: Since last week, I’ve been to the gym twice. I didn’t go over the weekend because I was lazy, but I hit it full force on Monday with my office-mate. I’m only focusing on cardio for the time being, until I can get a satisfactory weight lifting log.On the food front, I’ve not been tracking my food intake like I once did, but I can tell I haven’t been eating as much and I haven’t had many instances of wanting to eat, just to eat.
So, the progress? Tonight I was down to 267. So, 4 pounds in one week. But that’s probably mostly water weight. We’ll see how it goes next week!
