Eating little and fasting, power-tools for health and spirit

Fasting and periods of low food availability have been an essential part of more than 90% of our human history. Our ancestors, hunters and gatherers ate when they found food, depending on the season and the regions they were living in.

Everything evolved with agriculture and stockpiling. Humans became more independent from the search for food and agriculture produced for stocking grain and herbs as well as beverages.

 But periods of hunger and food scarcity are marked in our genes and our organisms can still handle temporary lack in a positive manner.

Research proves the Benefits of Fasting and Eating Less

“Under-nutrition is thus far the only method we know of that consistently retards the aging process and extends the maximum life span of warm blooded animals. These studies are undoubtedly applicable to human because it works in every species studied so far.” Dr. Ray Walford, UCLA researcher. 

An other finding of Dr. Walford’s studies were that restricting food to the body will improve the immune system and slow down the body’s physiological deterioration.

http://gettingstronger.org/2010/05/calorie-restriction-and-hormesis/

• Dr. Clive McCay at Cornell University, reported in 1935 that rodents fed on a 30% reduced calorie diet increased their life span by 40%—that would be almost 30 more years for a human! In addition, most age-related diseases, such as kidney degeneration or tumors, were reduced. A subsequent study published by the National Institutes of Health found monkeys on a 30% reduced calorie diet lived 15 years longer. And like the rodents, the monkeys avoided much of the typical age related diseases!

“One for the Ages: A Prescription That May Extend Life,” NY Times, October 31, 2006

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/10/31/he…=1&ref=science

Eating less means living longer, healthier and with more energy