The Fasting Mimicking Diet is a 5 day plan developed by Dr. Valter Longo that has benefits of a prolonged water fast while still allowing you to eat, which means you have greater energy and lose less muscle mass from the fast. The meals are calorie restricted and have very precise macro nutrient proportions. There are many health benefits of prolonged fasting that have been scientifically studied; in particular it triggers a reset of the immune system and improves insulin sensitivity. The ProLon site has full details of their FMD plan and the science behind it.
On this page you’ll find my whole-foods version of the ProLon FMD (which is mostly freeze dried package foods). I created this nutritionally equivalent alternative because I didn’t like some of the ingredients in the packaged plan and also prefer fresh food for a variety of reasons.
OVERVIEW of my homemade FMD: Like the commercialize plan, Day 1 has roughly 1100 calories while days 2-5 have roughly 700 calories each. The all plant-based foods include granola, soup, seed bread, a small salad with lemon-miso dressing, and snacks (blueberries, olives, quinoa and sauerkraut). I modified recipes I prepare on a regular basis and used the Cronometer app to double check the total nutrient profile of each food and each day of the plan. The ProLon plan is expensive ($250 for 5 days) but much more convenient that this alternative. I haven’t priced it out but my version has a large number of ingredients involved, some of which may not be common in most households, and requires an investment of time in the kitchen preparing the food up front.
The pay off is fresh food with minimal time required in the kitchen during the fast. You’ll need a kitchen scale because the recipe ingredients are precise and are measured in grams.
The granola, soup, and seed bread can be made in advance and stored in the freezer until the night before each day of the fast. The salads and snacks can be portioned out into mason jars or small ramekins for each day so only a small amount of assembly is needed each day during the fast. The same soup is eaten across all 5 days, although different spices can be added each day for variety.
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