Conclusion
Final Diet - Results
Horizon - Eat, Fast and Live Longer
Michael Mosley
I've come to the end of my search to find out how to eat, fast and live longer. The official advice is, eat at least 2000 calories a day, and if
you really want to fast, even on an intermittent basis, see your doctor first, because there are people it could harm, such as pregnant women or
those who are already underweight. I'm going to be cautious, and have decided to go with the pattern that Mark recommended.
Not alternate day fasting, but a less extreme five/two diet – five days' normal dieting, followed by two days' fasting, each week.
It's my last day in The States, and it has been absolutely eye opening. I had no idea at all that there was so much research going on into
fasting, calorie restriction in all its forms, and sort of anti-ageing research. I decided now that I am definitely going to try the five/two
diet, that's five days' normal eating, then two days of 600 calories a day. I really, really hope it makes a difference, because I'm conscious
now that I am really at the foothills of what could be quite a steep advance into age, and if there is something that could slow the ageing
process down and give me more years of healthy living, then I would really embraced that.
I'm heading home to the UK. I decided to give myself five weeks to get used to my new diet, and see if I get results.
Michael Mosley
Michael Breakfast
This is going to be one of my fasting days and I've decided I'm going to eat breakfast as my main meal. Mark Mattson told me he doesn't think it
matters when you eat your calories on a fast day. I've tried other things, but it is really quite discouraging going into work when you're feeling
hungry. There is another reason I'm determined to try this regime. When I arrived home, I had another IGF-I test. Annoyingly, my levels were higher
than ever. Turns out the hard-won effects of the four-day fast only lasted a short while. So I hope this is something I can stick to.?
I found that fasting when I'm busy at work was doable, but the next big test is my holiday. I'm walking with some friends.
We are doing a walk across the Trans-Pennine Way. Had breakfast this morning about two hours ago, and I'm planning on eating next breakfast
tomorrow. So far I am feeling quite good.
It's now about seven o'clock. Haven't eaten for about 12 hours. The others are behind me in the pub eating, so I decided to come outside for a
bit, because… I'm not as strong-minded as I thought I was. My stomach is beginning to rumble a bit, but it's all right.
It's been five weeks since I started the five/two diet. I managed to fit in two 600 calorie fasts these each week, though they tended to be a
bit scattered around. But has it been enough to make a difference?
So, today's results day. I have lost some weight, I know, I'll find out in a moment just how much, but I'm mainly
interested in the blood test, because five or six weeks ago they were pretty terrible. I have high blood glucose, high cholesterol, high IGF.
And I'm really, really keen to see them improve, because frankly, if we haven't improved, then I am in trouble, and I do want to stay young and
healthy for my family, for myself. So, quite anxious, because this matters an awful lot to me.
Just to remind you, this is what I looked like at the start of this film. I've had to add a few new holes to my belt, so I know that something
has changed, but by how much?
Size at the Start, and Today
Body Fat Scales
These are a special type of scales which are going to measure my weight accurately, but also, apparently, my body fat. Hey! That is
fantastic! That is 173.8lb, which means I have lost well over a stone. My body fat when we did it before was 27%, and now it's below 20.
That is really, really pleasing.
Professor Luigi Fontana is about to call with my final results.
Professor Luigi Fontana
Luigi Fontana "So we've got your results, just by fasting two days a week, you made a great impact on your cardiometabolic health, and so I'm very proud of you."
But what's happened to my IGF-I? Is my body still in go-go mode?
Luigi Fontana "IGF-I is the major risk factor for cancer. Breast cancer, prostate cancer, colon cancer. Both the three-and-a-half day
fasting and the five weeks intermittent fasting dropped your IGF-I by 50%"
Which is enough to reduce my risk of certain cancers. But what about my blood sugar, which was borderline diabetic?
Luigi Fontana "Your glucose has dropped to 90. Fantastic. So your glucose became normal again."
My final result is cholesterol.
Luigi Fontana "So, you had a reduction in total cholesterol, and an increase in the good cholesterol. This shows how little it takes, you
know, to improve without drugs, without taking medication."
It wasn't THAT little an effort, but I have cut my risk of developing diseases which can shorten my life. I'm very, very pleased. Very
pleased indeed. That was far better than I was expecting. I wanted my wife Claire, who is a GP, to share my results.
Results Chart
So, this is my IGF, which is kind of my cancer/ageing risk.
Claire "This one's come down to half on two-day fasting. All of them have shown the improvement that you, kind of, hoped for. That basically
means you're not going to have to take tablets at all, at the moment."
The results have been absolutely fantastic for me, but that doesn't mean that intermittent fasting will work for everyone. It's really
important that we do more trials on humans, to find out if, in the long term, it is safe and effective. But having experienced intermittent
fasting, I plan to go on doing it. It seems to have undone some of the damage that I have done to my body down the years.
Photograph Album
It is very poignant looking at the photographs of myself and members of my family growing up and growing older, but it doesn't make me
want to hold back the hands of time.
I sort of think that we do grow old, we should grow old, and there's very little we can do about it. But fasting is somehow different.
Fasting is not about trying to live to 140, it's about staying healthy for as long as you can, and with this sort of time bomb were facing as a
nation, with obesity going up, diabetes going up, we desperately need something which can make the difference. Fasting is the first thing I've
come across that I genuinely believe that if people were to take it up, it could radically transform the nation's health. So, I hope that we
continue to see massive research going into this territory.
Doing this fasting has been one of my most interesting… No, I would say THE most interesting sort of journey, film, whatever you to call
it, that I have been on. And I've never said that before.
