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New York Post
09-07-2025
- Health
- New York Post
Is this extreme intermittent fasting the key to a long life?
Intermittent fasting — which involves restricting when you eat, most commonly consuming food within an eight-hour window and fasting for the other 16 hours — is all the rage these days, with celeb fans including Jennifer Aniston, Chris Pratt and Kourtney Kardashian. But some emerging research points to benefits of fasting for an entire day or more — a method known as prolonged fasting. Studies show this extreme form of fasting can boost immunity and brain health while reducing the risk of Type 2 diabetes and certain chronic diseases. But how many hours of not eating should you shoot for? And, on the other hand, how long is too much? 5 Intermittent fasting, which involves restricting when you eat, is all the rage these days. Getty Images/iStockphoto Meet the fasting fan Chris Rhodes, who holds a Ph.D. in nutritional biochemistry and is the CEO of Mimio Health, told The Post that, when it comes to health benefits, the 'real magic begins around the 36-hour mark' between meals. 'At around 36 hours, you're going to be totally depleted of your glycogen [a form of glucose] stores and entering the fasting state,' Rhodes said. That's when your metabolism enters ketosis, in which the body burns fat for energy instead of glucose — improving your insulin sensitivity, lowering your blood pressure and giving your brain a boost, he added. This also kicks off a biological chain reaction that scientists believe may slow aging and ward off chronic disease. 'That is going to trigger the process of autophagy, which is that cellular cleanup and recycling mechanism,' Rhodes said. The process will continue to ramp up in the hours that follow, when the immune system starts to undergo a dramatic reset. He says it can have 'profound effects' on inflammation and immunity. According to Rhodes, shorter fasts — like skipping breakfast or eating once a day — show 'improvement in some metabolic markers,' but you're not getting a lot of additional benefits. Chris Rhodes, who holds a Ph.D. in nutritional biochemistry, says the real magic begins around the 36-hour mark. Courtesy of Dr. Chris Rhodes 'It takes around 20 to 24 hours for your body to fully deplete those glycogen stores,' he said. 'Even at that point, that's kind of when you're just starting to kick off a lot of these benefits.' That being said, he cautions against fasting past the 72-hour mark — especially without medical supervision — since this is when the body is in danger of shifting into starvation mode. 'This is the point during long term fasting where the body can start to damage itself and become less functional over time,' Rhodes said. Once your 'feeding day' — a k a the day you get to eat again — arrives, he recommends making sure you're getting enough protein, fiber and nutrients in to make up for the days you were running on empty. 'Prolonged fasting is not as well studied but it does seem to have similar benefits as ADF. However, it is more dangerous and should not be done without physician supervision.' Dr. Christopher Choi 'Eat the rainbow,' Rhodes said. 'Focus a lot on vegetables that are going to be high in fiber that are going to really fill you up without adding too much of a big calorie load.' He also suggested avoiding processed meat and processed foods that 'are going to be taxing on your liver and not going to support your detoxification.' 5 Rhodes describes it as the body getting 'rid of all the things that are not working for us and replacing them with new functional things that are more metabolically efficient.' KMPZZZ – So how do you suppress your appetite for that long? Of course, for beginners of prolonged fasting, the hardest part might be fighting hunger pangs. That's why Rhodes launched Mimeo Health, which offers supplements that — in addition to boosting mood, performance and longevity — can help suppress appetite. They recently completed a double-blind, placebo-controlled trial that showed taking the supplements for eight weeks helped people control their appetite, reduced their cravings and enhanced their satisfaction from meals when they did eat. 5 Once your 'feeding day' — AKA the day you get to eat again — arrives, Rhodes recommends making sure you're getting enough nutrients in to make up for the days you were running on empty. nerudol – His other suggestions include drinking lots of tea and water, chewing gum, smelling cinnamon sticks and just generally keeping your mind occupied. A little bone broth is OK too. As long as you're not exceeding roughly 200 calories a day, you're in the clear, he said. Rhodes also recommends beginners take it slow. 'Start by skipping breakfast, then get yourself up to a 16-hour fast,' he said. If you want to go further than that, work your way up to one meal a day, then every other day and so on. 'Make sure that it's something that you can do safely and that it's something that you want to do as a lifestyle and incorporate it from there,' he added. The discipline that it takes to commit to a fasting regime is why Rhodes launched Mimio Health, which offers supplements that can help suppress appetite. Mimio It's not easy. Rhodes admitted that when he first started fasting as a lifestyle, he had to quit when he got into a relationship and his girlfriend found it weird. The downsides — and possible dangers — of prolonged fasting It's also not for everyone. Obesity expert Dr. Christopher Choi told The Post that 'both alternate day fasting (ADF) and prolonged fasting over 36 hours are generally considered healthy.' ADF, in particular, 'has a lot of evidence supporting its benefits, including weight loss, lower blood pressure, improvement in insulin sensitivity, cholesterol improvement and metabolic parameters,' as well as increased lifespan, he said. 5 Rhodes' other suggestions for reducing food cravings include drinking lots of tea and water, chewing gum, smelling cinnamon sticks and keeping your mind occupied. Drobot Dean – 'Prolonged fasting is not as well studied but it does seem to have similar benefits as ADF,' he said. 'However, it is more dangerous and should not be done without physician supervision.' As far as downsides go, he noted that it can be difficult to maintain on a long-term basis, and it can cause irritability, weakness and fatigue. 'Prolonged fasting may even cause hypoglycemia and hypotension,' Choi said. 'Prolonged fasting is not generally practiced. People who have diabetes, hypertension or are pregnant may not be able to participate in fasting.' Who shouldn't do prolonged fasting? Then there are psychological factors to take into consideration. 'People who have a history of eating disorders are not a good fit,' for any type of fasting regimen, clinical psychologist Renee Solomon told The Post. 5 'Both alternate day fasting (ADF) and prolonged fasting over 36 hours are generally considered healthy,' obesity expert Dr. Christopher Choi told The Post. milanmarkovic78 – 'This makes them become even more obsessive and disturbed by their eating disorder. It is too regimented for them and focuses on losing weight in a way that is not balanced for them,' she added. Solomon noted that women with hormonal issues are also not good candidates for fasting, as it 'can impact periods, ovulation, and possibly lead to infertility.' Finally, she cautioned that 'people with thyroid conditions should also not do any type of fasting, as it can negatively impact their thyroid condition, and neither should children or teenagers, as it can delay their growth, puberty and brain development.' Rhodes believes most people can benefit from fasting at least once, even if it's a short one. 'I think that it really helps break you out of this mindset that we have been fed in American society since we were kids: You need to eat all the time, you should not ever feel any kind of hunger, hunger is bad,' he said. He added: 'If you want to break that societal cycle, if you want to just try something new, it can be really helpful and really powerful.'
Fox News
11-04-2025
- Health
- Fox News
Golfer Phil Mickelson's strict weight loss diet: Doctor shares what to know
Professional golfer Phil Mickelson, who made his 32nd start in The Masters this week, has been open about his commitment to health and wellness. The six-time major champion and three-time Masters winner has said he follows a five-day prolonged fast, which led to him dropping 25 pounds in 2023. Intermittent fasting (IF) has become a popular weight-loss strategy in recent years. There are several types of intermittent fasting — but they all follow the same concept of alternating between fasting and eating. With a time-restricted approach, the dieter only eats during a certain window. For example, with the 16/8 method, the person fasts for 16 hours and then can eat within an eight-hour span, between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. Other versions involve fasting for a full 24 hours once or twice per week — or only consuming limited calories on fasting days. Dr. Christopher Rhodes — a longevity, fasting and biomimetics researcher in California, shared his thoughts on Mickelson's radical fasting program, which also includes drinking coffee with supplements. "A five-day prolonged fast like the one Phil Mickelson follows will have profound effects on metabolism and weight loss," he told Fox News Digital. "It fundamentally shifts the energy state and fuel sources in the body and forces stored fat to be burned as energy, but certainly at the expense of elite athletic performance, especially in the later stages of a fast." Fasting for longer than 24 hours will deplete the body's glycogen stores and cause it to enter ketosis, a state where it primarily burns fat and ketones for energy, according to Rhodes, who is also the founder of nutrition company Mimio Health. "While this will accelerate fat loss and provide benefits to overall metabolic health, the body will still need to produce some of its own glucose in order to support brain function and will start to break down protein sources, like muscle, to maintain proper glucose levels." "A five-day prolonged fast like the one Phil Mickelson follows will have profound effects on metabolism and weight loss." Over time, this will result in muscle breakdown, strength loss, fatigue and lower overall energy levels, which could hinder athletic performance, according to the expert. Mickelson has spoken about his own muscle loss as a result of his fasting. "I also lost muscle, so I had to start lifting, and I've been lifting and slowly have been getting my speed and strength back to where I need it to be," he said during the 2023 Masters. For elite athletes, maintaining muscle mass and metabolic flexibility is critical, Rhodes said. "Extended fasts may slow down recovery, impair high-intensity exercise performance and even reduce power output if not properly managed." The doctor cautioned that a prolonged five-day fast should not be performed more than a few times per year, with plenty of recovery time in between. Certain groups — such as those at risk of muscle loss, like the elderly — should avoid five-day fasts, he said. "While fasting can improve insulin sensitivity, cognition, cellular function and metabolic efficiency, shorter intermittent fasting windows or fasting-mimicking strategies may offer similar metabolic benefits without the drawbacks of extreme caloric restriction," Rhodes added. Mickelson reportedly drinks coffee with supplements during his fasts, something Rhodes recommends as a means of preserving energy and muscle mass during weight loss. "During prolonged fasting, the body begins to break down both protein and fat for energy, which can lead to muscle loss," he said. "Supplements such as amino acids, fatty acids, electrolytes and certain metabolic bioactives can help mitigate this." The doctor noted that supplementing with branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs), creatine or HMB (hydroxymethylbutyrate) can help to preserve muscle tissue, performance and strength while staying in a fasted state. "Likewise, supplementing with essential vitamins, minerals, amino acids and omega 3s like EPA and DHA, which the body cannot produce on its own, would be crucial for maintaining high-level functionality during prolonged multi-day fasting," he added. Caffeine from coffee can also serve to provide calorie-free energy, Rhodes noted, while also suppressing appetite and providing a cognitive boost to combat potential fasting-induced brain fog. "Prolonged fasting can deplete electrolytes like sodium, potassium and magnesium, which are essential for muscle function, hydration and energy production," he said. "If his supplements include these electrolytes, they may help prevent cramping and fatigue." Regarding Mickelson's comments about lifting weights during his fasting stints, Rhodes agreed that weightlifting is essential for preserving and building muscle during weight loss. "The body operates on a 'use it or lose it' principle, especially during periods of caloric restriction or fasting, where it's actively needing to mobilize energy sources from the body to sustain itself," the doctor said. "Muscle is one of the most energetically costly tissues to sustain, so if we're not using it on a daily basis, the body will preferentially start breaking down muscle to conserve energy." Resistance training sends a signal to the body that lean mass is essential for survival and tells it to prevent excessive muscle breakdown, prioritizing fat for fuel. "For athletes like Mickelson, weightlifting also helps maintain neuromuscular coordination, joint integrity and power output," Rhodes said. "Strength training improves insulin sensitivity, enhances metabolic rate and ensures that weight loss comes primarily from fat rather than muscle." It's also important to refuel after a fast with adequate protein intake, the expert added. Ultimately, according to Rhodes, the best way to support long-term weight loss and metabolic health is to find a pattern of eating that works for the individual and can be sustained for the long haul. "During prolonged fasting, the body begins to break down both protein and fat for energy, which can lead to muscle loss." "While some find that periods of fasting are helpful in resetting their hunger and satiety cues and developing a better relationship with food, others may find it too restrictive and overwhelming, setting themselves up for failure and rebound binging down the road," he said. For more Health articles, visit "Every person is different, but prioritizing nutrient-dense, minimally processed foods that are rich in fiber, protein and healthy fats can aid significantly in reducing cravings and improving quality of life and meal satisfaction."
