Hannah & Rachel answer 5 questions about 5 Days of Fasting Mimicking

Let’s face it, we’re up against a lot lately, and it’s easy to let food choices and health goals slip. Getting back on track may seem like a gigantic challenge, but Patrick Holford has a plan that can help you drastically shake things up and reset healthy habits, and it only takes 5 days.

This is why we're excited Patrick Holford will be joining us on Thurs, 25th Feb, at 7pm for a live webinar about his version of fasting mimicking: The 5-Day Diet. 

What is a Fasting Mimicking Diet?     

Before the Fasting Mimicking Diet (FMD) came along, the understanding was that to gain the health benefits of fasting, you’d have to completely forego food for an extended period...which is not the easiest to do.

The FMD was created by medical research scientist Dr. Valter Longo. The goal of the diet is to ‘enhance human healthspan’ by triggering cellular renewal.  As it’s explained on his website, ‘Your body [...] does not recognize that it is being fed. This causes the body to enter a fasting mode.’

Patrick Holford’s version of fasting mimicking 

Patrick’s 5-Day Diet is a version of fasting mimicking, but he makes it very easy for you by providing shopping lists as well as daily plans for the recipes and exercises that trigger ‘autophagy,’ aka the cleaning out of old cells allowing for the generation of new healthy cells. 

(By the way, we’re oversimplifying the science here. Another great thing about Patrick’s webinar is that he’ll go into detail about the stages your body goes through during the 5-Day Diet, so you’ll see why each step is important.)

Since the meals are homemade, Patrick’s diet is affordable, nourishing, and tasty.

5 questions for Hannah & Rachel about 5 days of fasting mimicking

When Hannah & Rachel took on the FMD last July, they used a meal kit mostly filled with drinks and foods that needed to be rehydrated before consuming. They’re eager to try fasting mimicking again, but this time, they’re going to do it Patrick’s way. 

They explain why in their answers about their experience...

1. What was the result that surprised you the most and/or you were happiest with?

Hannah:

There was so much more time in the day when I wasn’t thinking about cooking and eating. I realised that being hungry wasn’t going to kill me, which sounds simplistic but was a big thing for me! 

I also lost a good amount of weight (3-4 kg) as I had been eating my way through the pandemic so the break from carbs and sugar was a huge benefit.

Rachel: 

For me, it was having lots of energy. I was waking up early, and I felt really clear-headed.  

2. What was the first improvement you noticed and when did you notice it?

Hannah:

I noticed that I had loads of energy, more than usual, particularly in the morning. 

I woke up early and felt great, which isn’t usual. Same for my husband, we both woke up early on the weekend and felt like going for a hike! 

Rachel:

I started waking early with a really clear head from day 2 onwards. I felt energetic and light at the beginning (although this changed on days 4-5).

3. What did you find the most challenging while going through the diet?

Hannah: 

Towards the end I did find it challenging. The last day was a bit of a hungry day.

Rachel:

I felt hard done by with the food—I used prepared soups from packets and they were really tasteless. I believe Patrick’s food is a lot more interesting. My husband wasn’t following the diet, so doing it on my own and being around someone eating normally was challenging. 

4. How long did the effects of the diet last for you?

Hannah:

For a few months. But I think ideally you’d do it 2-3 times a year to keep it fresh.

I did give up caffeine during the diet and haven’t taken it up again which is really good for my health. I used to drink lots of coffee and tea but I now enjoy decaf coffee and herbal tea and love it! 

Rachel:

I didn’t have positive effects for long, but I didn’t manage to finish day 5, the last day. I started feeling tired and my mood deteriorated. I definitely think that picking the right time to do the fast is important, especially for women. It’s possible doing it close to your period isn’t the best idea, so I would do that differently next time.

5.What aspect of Patrick’s take on the diet are you most interested in/most looking forward to experiencing? 

Hannah:

Tastier recipes. The diet we did tasted terrible—it was all dry packets. I’ll take some time on a Sunday to make a batch or 2 of soup, the crackers and some treats, and I’m going to use Patrick’s shopping list to buy some other easy-to-eat things like the seaweed crispies and olives. I’m also looking forward to the special coffee in the mornings—I’ll use the Red Strand Decaf as usual but the addition of almond butter will give it more body. It’s going to be delicious as well as healthy!

Also I think the supplements will be an interesting addition, particularly Garcinia Cambogia, to see if it helps with hunger

Rachel: 

I think Patrick’s diet will help to keep my blood sugar in a healthy range and encourage the self-healing process, which I feel we all need to boost at the moment.

I’m looking forward to making my own food. At least you can season it nicely adding spices and herbs to enhance flavour. The first fast I did was all in packets and I really noticed how much I don’t enjoy eating like that. I think I’ll feel more fulfilled eating ‘real food’. 

As a live participant, you'll also have a chance to take part in the Q&A with Patrick, and you'll receive a discount code for 20% off Patrick's supplements and books for a limited time when you buy from our online shop.

Wondering what to expect from The 5-Day Diet? 

Our blog post, Learn how to boost energy and reset health with Patrick Holford’s 5-Day Diet, shares Patrick’s personal account of the health results he measured in a group he recently guided through The 5-Day Diet. 

We're so excited to host Patrick again, and we'd love for you to join us for this webinar to learn how fasting mimicking could create a fresh start for your overall wellbeing.