FAQs
Can I exercise during and/or after fasting? How should I ease back into my exercise routine?
While exercise can help use up available blood glucose and move a person into a ketogenic, fasting state, vigorous exercise can stress the body and we do not recommend intense exercise during ProLon. So, while fasting, keep your activity light and do things like walking, yoga, and stretching. Listen to your body as you ease back into exercise after fasting. If it feels like it’s too much, it probably is. Don’t push yourself too hard and keep the intensity at a manageable level. Remember, your body needs to recover after... Read more...
Why should I not use tobacco products or other addictive substances while on the program?
Tobacco, vaping, and other addictive substances have not been studied as part of the ProLon program, but we recommend against their use together with ProLon. Read more...
Do you have any advice about eating ProLon® food?
You bet! Take extra time to enjoy your food. Eat slowly. Enjoy each spoonful of soup. Savor the flavor and texture of every olive and cracker. Doing this program is a great opportunity to reconnect with your senses of smell and taste, and with how pleasurable eating is meant to be. Read more...
Can I fly during a ProLon cycle?
There are no contraindications to flying during use of ProLon, but you may have challenges if you need to eat on a long flight because the soups, the primary components of each day’s meals, are designed to be prepared over the stove or with a microwave. You could elect to prepare the soups in 3fl oz of hot water, and add hot water in flight; or you can reserve your olives, L-Bar, and/or Choco-Crisp Bar to eat while in flight and opt for soups before departure and after arrival when... Read more...
Can I start Day 1 of ProLon® the night before with one of the dinner soups?
You may have a light dinner the night before starting ProLon, however we recommend that you use the food provided according to the instructions, starting with breakfast on the morning of Day 1 to ensure that you get all of the benefits of ProLon. Read more...
What if I get really hungry as I'm doing ProLon®?
Keep in mind that there’s a difference between cravings and hunger. Cravings are normal while doing ProLon, and generally pass within a short period of time. To address cravings, keep yourself distracted, and drink sparkling water (unflavored, unsweetened) and/or non-caffeinated, herbal teas. Like cravings, hunger also generally passes quickly, and we strongly recommend against eating "extra" food, which could take your body out of the fasting state. If your hunger is intolerable, as a last resort before breaking your fast, you may have a slice or two of apple, OR... Read more...
Can I eat the day’s food at different times?
According to the trial design, the order and timing in which you eat each day’s items does not impact the outcome. You can consume the entire day’s contents in a single sitting, though we do not recommend doing so as you’ll have many hours of no nutritional intake and you may get very hungry or may experience increased side effects from fasting, like headache and fatigue. Read more...
Can I drink electrolyte beverages while on ProLon®?
If you really feel the need, you can have a zero-calorie electrolyte beverage as long as it doesn't contain: additional additives like preservatives and colors; nutrients like carbs, fats, or protein; or any additional natural or artificial flavors. Read more...
Can I replace the L-Bar with a Fast Bar or other types of nuts?
Due to the carefully studied, carefully formulated macro- and micro-nutrient ratio in the L-Bar, there is no substitute which meets its exact profile. Although Fast Bar is very similar to ProLon’ s Nut L-Bars, there is a slight difference in size, calorie count and sugar content Any substitute will likely differ from the ratio and amount of specific macro- and/or micro- nutrients and may interfere with the benefits of the diet. If you elect to simply omit the L- Bar, please note that changes in the food included in the program,... Read more...
What if I can’t do a ProLon cycle exactly one month apart?
Participants in our clinical trial all maintained as close to 25 days from the completion of one cycle to the beginning of the next, so we cannot say exactly what impact delaying or starting cycles early might have. In general, the closer you can keep to the clinical trial distance timing, the more likely you are to achieve similar results. If you want to start the cycle more than 5-10 days early or more than 5-10 days late, we suggest discussing this with your healthcare provider Read more...
What should I eat after my ProLon cycle?
You can refer to the Transition Day Meal Plan, but in short, we advise you to keep your meals light and small. Start with liquid foods, like soups and fruit juices, followed by things like rice, pasta and small portions of meat, fish and/or beans. Download the Transition Day Meal Plan here. After you’ve finished your ProLon cycle, we recommend ordering from our sister company Nutrition for Longevity (N4L). N4L is an organic, meal delivery service based on clean food, the longevity formulation developed by Dr. Valter Longo, and medically... Read more...
Should I do a day of water fasting after completing ProLon®?
We do not recommend doing any additional water fasting after completing ProLon, as this has not been tested in any of our studies and may be unsafe in certain people. We have tested the ProLon program extensively for safety and effectiveness, and strongly advise following the recommended transition diet on day 6. Read more...