In my life, I am always striving to improve, to be better, in every aspect of my life – so yeah, I am doing the 5-day Prolon fast mimicking diet.

Day One Breakfast – a bar and some oil pills

My uncle, who is, and has been for some time, obsessed with how to remain vital, active and healthy as he has aged, has somehow convinced me to try ProLon (www.prolonlife.com). It is a five day program that supposedly mimics the effects of fasting on one’s body without the need to fully fast. My uncle’s sales pitch is that when one starts a fast, eventually one’s older internal cells are removed and the body generates new, younger cells. If you want all the science behind it, feel free to jump on the website. For me, I am familiar with the idea that fasting does help the body, but at the same time, I would never be willing to not eat anything for multiple days at a time.

I did ask my uncle if he found it difficult and of course he said no, but go ask my aunt what she thought. She was less positive – “I was hungry all the time,” “they give you some soup and crackers,” and “I couldn’t drink any coffee.” I will note that the program does allow you to drink one 8 ounce black, nothing added, cup of coffee a day. That’s a far cry from my 50 to 60 ounces, but let’s see. One interesting point is that you can do light exercise but not strenuous, as (i) this program is designed to preserve muscle and at reduced calories, exercise might result in the body eating muscle for energy, and (ii) apparently, intense exercise can throw one out of the fasting state rending the promised results of the diet null.  I am riding my bike to and from work still, about 6 miles each way, figuring that’s light. 

In the end, I figure I can do anything for five days – famous last words. I’ll let you know my thoughts.