Sunday Magazine

As a registered dietitian who fields questions on the daily about nutrition and weight loss, I’ve noticed that fasting has overtaken the keto diet because the buzziest weight-loss topic. Of the various ways to fast, my clients have tried several, then have I. But one trending method was compelling enough on behalf of me to buy , and to recruit my husband to undertake along side me. The five-day meal program called ProLon is really a fasting-mimicking diet. In other words, the plan shifts your body into fasting mode and allows your cells to reap the advantages of fasting, while still allowing you to eat a limited amount of food. Here’s a primer on what the diet is, its benefits, cost, potential downsides, and more.

What intrigued me most about ProLon is that it’s supported years of research from one among the foremost well-known longevity experts within the country, and therefore the studies on its outcomes are impressive. It’s also in line with my very own eating philosophies: ProLon is 100% plant-based, gluten-free, and non-GMO, with no artificial additives. ProLon was created by Valter Longo, PhD, director of the Longevity Institute at the University of Southern California in l. a. . The company’s research partners include well-respected organizations, like the Mayo Clinic and therefore the Texas-based MD Anderson Cancer Center. After over a decade of studies in both animals and humans, Dr. Longo developed a patented eating plan that activates the body’s fasting mode, but provides enough food to simultaneously nourish cells and support metabolic balance. This “fasting with food” approach also reduces a number of the risks tied to extreme fasting, which can include very low blood glucose and/or vital sign , reduced immune function, fatigue, and low productivity. The specific combination of limited plant protein, calorie restriction, good fats, and low-glycemic index carbohydrates in ProLon regulates the body’s nutrient-sensing pathways, meaning cells believe they’re not being fed. At an equivalent time, the diet triggers anti-aging pathways liable for cellular repair and regeneration.

ProLon is taken into account to be a kind of periodic fasting, as against time-restricted feeding (for example, narrowing your eating window to 4-8 hours a day) and intermittent fasting (such as eating just 500-600 calories two nonconsecutive days a week). The studies on ProLon’s outcomes are pretty remarkable, particularly as long as the plan is simply five days long . One published study compared an impact group with no diet intervention to a gaggle that followed ProLon five days a month for 3 months. The ProLon group lost weight and belly fat while maintaining lean muscle mass. They also experienced reductions in vital sign , cholesterol, and CRP, an inflammatory marker, additionally to a rise in somatic cell production, also as reduced levels of insulin-like protein (IGF-1), a hormone linked to cancer risk when elevated. According to scientists, these health-protective results appear to be limited to the precise makeup of the ProLon plan, and aren't seen in other periodic fasts, like a juice cleanse, or maybe a extended term keto diet. The latter has actually been shown to trigger unhealthy outcomes, including constipation, vitamin and mineral deficiencies, and increased cholesterol. In addition, the bulk of the ProLon results were sustained, even after participants resumed their normal diets. for instance , 115 days after the protocol, 60% of the load lost and reductions in waist measurements were maintained. Other research-based ProLon outcomes noted include reductions in glucose, insulin, triglycerides, and vital sign , also as improved stress resistance and cognitive performance. Based on all of this incredible research, i used to be excited to undertake ProLon myself, especially before advising clients about the plan. My husband, Jack, agreed to undertake it with me, and after ordering ProLon online, our kits arrived by mail. 

ProLon’s packaging is stellar. The sleek, modern, glossy white kit jogged my memory of unboxing a replacement MacBook or iPhone. Inside sits five smaller boxes, marked Day 1, Day 2, etc. Each contains all of the food allowed for that specific day, which is formed from 73 carefully chosen plant ingredients. The protocol doesn't allow you to vary the order of the times or swap foods from one day’s allotment to a different . You can, however, decide how you’d wish to arrange your daily meals, although a suggested menu card is provided. Foods provided include dried soup blends (which require adding hot water), proprietary nut and cocoa-based bars, pouches of olives and kale flax crackers, and a couple of supplements, including algal oil for plant-based omega-3 fatty acids, and a multivitamin/mineral. The kit also contains herbal teas and an outsized bottle wont to sip a flavored glycerol-based drink, which is employed days two through five to assist maintain fullness. A very straightforward instruction sheet is provided, which lays out the way to follow the plan. An FAQ on the brand’s website answers additional questions on things like coffee (one cup of black per day is allowed), adding lemon to water (one wedge per day is OK), sprinkling herbs into the soup (one teaspoon per day is permitted), and drinking soda water (fine, as long as it’s all natural with no artificial sweeteners). 

Overall, I’ll admit that getting through the five days wasn’t easy, especially for Jack, who is taller with a muscular build and features a more physically demanding job than mine. Day one began just fine. In fact, it had been a touch of a breeze. That day provides the foremost food, and every one of it had been tasty and enjoyable. It also wasn’t a big switch, because we’re already plant-based. And having all of our food for the day pre-planned made it decision-free and straightforward to follow. By nighttime i assumed , “OK, I can do that , it’s only five days.” But by day two i used to be already missing fresh foods . I typically eat five cups of non-starchy veggies every day , plus two cups of fruit, additionally to fresh avocado and plant proteins like lentils and beans. By the second day, i used to be already craving a salad or my usual fresh fruit and spread snack. I grew weary of eating only packaged foods more quickly than anticipated, but i used to be committed to seeing it through. Jack, who normally eats much larger portions and significantly more calories, was already feeling the hunger. However, he was encouraged by a discount in bloating and was already feeling lighter. Day three was far and away the foremost difficult on behalf of me . sometimes it felt like everything was in movie , and that i was 100% hangry. My hubs, on the opposite hand, experienced a euphoric-like high and mental clarity which will accompany fasting, which unfortunately I never quite achieved. Day four was slightly easier, because we were over the hump. But the dry packaged food had become pretty unappealing, and that we were doing anything to form it more palatable. I soaked the kale flax crackers into my soup to combine up the feel , we savored every morsel of the bars, and Jack drank the juice from the olive pouches. We were also not sleeping well and were pretty distracted by thoughts of foods we couldn’t wait to eat again. By day five we were ready for ProLon to be over. We were both experiencing fatigue and to be honest, it’s a touch of a blur. But what I do remember is that around midnight that night we broke down and drank smoothies before getting to bed. The ProLon protocol encourages slowly transitioning back to solid food on day six, but on night five we threw within the towel. I whipped up a couple of frozen cherry smoothies with plant protein powder and almond butter (which by the way tasted absolutely incredible after five days of packaged food), and that we finally slept soundly. RELATED: The 12 Best Weight-Loss Tips, consistent with a Nutritionist

I didn't weigh or measure myself, since weight loss isn’t one among my goals, and after five days my clothes fit about an equivalent . (Note: this is sensible , because the research shows that those with the very best BMIs experienced the best weight loss results.) Jack lost 12 pounds and three inches from his waist. Now, a number of this was undoubtedly thanks to water weight and fewer bloating. After resuming his normal diet, he maintained a few one-inch waistline difference and 6 pounds of weight loss. However, his calorie needs are much greater than mine, at about 2,200 per day. ProLon provides 1,100 calories on day one, and 750 calories days two through five, which was too extreme of a shift for Jack. That said, I even have had male clients try ProLon with excellent results, but they weren’t as muscular as Jack, so i feel everyone’s experience may be a bit different. within the three-month study mentioned earlier, the typical weight loss was 5.1 pounds, primarily from abdominal fat. And just in case you’re wondering, no, you ought to not extend the program past five days or complete quite one cycle per month. After three months, the corporate encourages repeating the diet “from time to time” when trying to find rejuvenation.

ProLon isn’t cheap. One kit costs $249, so about $50 per day, although this does include a consultation with a registered dietitian or NP . Strenuous exercise shouldn't be preformed while following the plan, and activities like driving long distances, prolonged sun exposure, or being during a bathtub or sauna should be avoided. Researchers say that exercise may very well negatively impact the result of the fast, so if anything, only slow walking, stretching, and lightweight yoga are advised. The plan also encourages listening to how you are feeling , as side effects like lightheadedness can occur. You should not try ProLon if you’re pregnant or nursing, underweight, or have a history of an disorder . And anyone with a chronic medical condition, including type 2 diabetes, or heart or disease , should get a doctor’s approval before trying ProLon. As for allergies, all of the ingredients in ProLon food are visible online, so if you've got any food allergies or intolerances you ought to check to ascertain if you'll follow the plan. ProLon states that the diet isn't appropriate for those with allergies to nuts or sesame, for instance . In my opinion, the pros of ProLon are supported the research about its unique benefits beyond weight loss. I also practice time-restricted feeding, but a number of the longevity outcomes in Dr. Longo’s research are unique to the ProLon protocol. Bottom line: i will be able to do ProLon again, but Jack is unlikely to hitch me, and that i agree that it’s not ideal for him. While it had been challenging, i feel it'll be easier on behalf of me to finish again—now that i do know what I’m in for! For clients who inquire from me about ProLon, I offer a couple of caveats aside from those above. First, if any quite strict eating plan tends to trigger you emotionally, skip ProLon. In other words, if a previous cleanse led to a pizza binge by day two, ProLon isn't the plan for you. If you’re a premenopausal woman, don’t schedule ProLon just before your period, when cravings are often more intense. And if your work is physically demanding, it’s safest to attend to follow ProLon once you have five consecutive days off. Finally, don’t go it alone. If you don’t have a big other, friend, or loved one to try to to it with you, follow ProLon under the supervision of a registered dietitian who can coach you thru the five days. I’ve done this with clients, and therefore the support and personalized guidance can invaluable. ProLon are often an investment in your health. Just make certain to look at if it’s the proper one for you before you hit the ‘add to cart’ button.

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Before the 20th century, the term was uncommon in English, and it had been used either to ask the outline or study of the useful arts[3] or to allude to the study of the economic arts but to the economic arts themselves.[5] Scientists and engineers usually like better to define technology as engineering , instead of because the things that folks make and use.[7] More recently, scholars have borrowed from European Dictionaries and students have offered a spread of definitions. The Merriam-Webster school dictionary offers a definition of the term: “the use of science in industry, engineering, etc., to create useful things or to unravel problems” and “a machine, piece of kit , method, etc.,

That’s created by technology.”[8] Ursula Franklin, in her 1989 “Real World of Technology” lecture, gave another definition of the concept; it’s “practice, the way are often most broadly defined because the entities, both material and immaterial, created by the appliance of mental and physical effort so as to realize some value. during this usage, technology refers to tools and machines which will be wont to solve real-world problems. it’s a far-reaching term which will include simple tools, like a crowbar or wooden spoon, or more complex machines, like an area station or accelerator . Tools and machines needn’t be material; virtual technology, like computer software and business methods, 

Fall into this definition of technology.[12] W. Brian Arthur defines technology during a similarly broad way as “a means to satisfy a person’s purpose.”[13] The word “technology” also can be wont to ask a set of techniques. during this context, it’s the present state of humanity’s knowledge of the way to combine resources to supply desired products, to unravel problems, fulfill needs, or satisfy wants; it When combined with another term, like “medical technology” or “space technology,” it refers to the state of the respective field’s knowledge and tools. “State-of-the-art technology” refers to the technology available to humanity in any field.

When you consider the word ‘technology’, what involves mind? it’d sound like something from a sci-fi show, or something that has got to run on electricity. Technology makes us consider the very complex, but energy doesn’t need to be complex. Technology is that the use of knowledge domain for practical purposes or applications, whether in industry or in our everyday lives. So, basically, whenever we use our knowledge domain to realize some specific purpose, we’re using technology. Well, there’s slightly more thereto than that. Technology usually involves a selected piece of kit , but that equipment are often incredibly simple or dazzlingly complex. It are often anything from the invention of the wheel, all the high to computers and MP3 players.

What is technology? during this lesson, you’ll learn the solution thereto question and find out the various sorts of technology that we use, from the straightforward to the complex. once you are through, take a brief quiz to check your understanding.

Perhaps the sort of technology that we’re most conversant in in modern life is electronic technology, usually just called electronics, which may be a complex sort of technology that uses electric circuits to realize a goal. Electric circuits also can vary in complexity. If you’ve got a glance at a circuit card with dozens of apparently random pathways mixed in with various components, you recognize how complex electronics are often . But, anything that runs on electricity is electronic. you’ll also split technology into types supported purpose. There’s industrial and manufacturing technology, medical technology, technology ,

Technology is usually a consequence of science and engineering, although technology as a person’s activity precedes the 2 fields. This new-found knowledge may then be employed by engineers to make new tools and machines like semiconductors, computers, and other sorts of advanced technology. During this sense, scientists, and engineers may both be considered technologists; the three fields are often considered together for the needs of research and reference.[17] basic and engineering. Within the immediate wake of war II, for instance, 

It had been widely considered within the us that technology was simply “applied science” which to fund basic science was to reap technological leads to do time. require continuous additions to knowledge of the laws of nature … This essential new knowledge is often obtained only through basic research project.”[18] within the late-1960s, however, this view The difficulty remains contentious, though most analysts resist the model that technology may be a result of research project.[19][20]

Viruses can live for a time on surfaces outside the physical body . consistent with the CDC, it's going to be possible to contract the virus liable for the present outbreak, SARS-CoV-2, by touching a surface or object with the virus thereon then touching your face. Researchers led by Dr. Vincent Munster of NIH’s National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) studied how long the virus survives within the air and on surfaces.

They mimicked how viruses are spread by an infected person onto everyday surfaces during a household or hospital setting, through coughing or touching objects. They compared the results thereto of the closely related SARS-CoV-1, which was liable for the outbreak of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) in 2002-2004.

The findings were published on St Patrick's Day , 2020, within the New England Journal of drugs . The scientists tested the viruses on plastic, chrome steel , copper, and cardboard. They also used a rotating drum to suspend the virus in aerosols, a mist of small droplets. this system was wont to determine if the virus could linger within the air. SARS-CoV-2 remained active on plastic and chrome steel surfaces for 2 to 3 days under the conditions during this experiment.


It remained infectious for up to 24 hours on cardboard and 4 hours on copper. The virus was detectable in aerosols for up to 3 hours. These times will vary under real-world conditions, counting on factors including temperature, humidity, ventilation, and therefore the amount of virus deposited. The results suggest that folks may acquire SARS-CoV-2 through the air and after touching contaminated objects.






 However, although the viruses were ready to infect cells within the laboratory, what proportion virus is probably going to cause infections in people remains to be studied. As the stability of SARS-CoV-2 seems almost like that of the sooner SARS virus, it’s not clear why


COVID-19 has led to a way larger outbreak. “These findings show that SARS-CoV-2 is really quite almost like SARS-CoV-1 in terms of stability within the environment,” says co-author Dr. James Lloyd-Smith at the University of California, l. a. . “This means we will learn from our experiences with SARS in 2002-2004 to realize insights into infection control,

Especially in healthcare settings. On the opposite hand, it indicates that the main differences within the epidemiology of those viruses probably arise from other factors—especially the power of SARS-CoV-2 to be transmitted by people not exhibiting clear symptoms.” “These results will inform future epidemiologic investigations which will be necessary to know spread of this virus person to person,” adds co-author

Dr. Susan Gerber of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The findings underscore the importance of hand washing and disinfecting frequently touched objects and surfaces. this will be done employing a regular household cleaning spray or wipe. attempt to avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth. And to assist prevent the spread of coronavirus, avoid close contact with those that are sick and stay home if you're sick yourself.

The National Institutes of Health today announced a replacement initiative aimed toward speeding innovation, this unprecedented global pandemic rapid and widely accessible COVID-19 testing. At an equivalent time, NIH will seek opportunities to maneuver more advanced diagnostic technologies swiftly through the event pipeline toward commercialization and broad availability.


NIH will work closely with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and therefore the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) to advance these goals. The stimulus investment supercharges NIH’s strong research efforts already underway focused on prevention and treatment of COVID-19, including the recently announced planned Accelerating COVID-19 Therapeutic Interventions and Vaccines public-private partnership Collins, M.D., Ph.D. “Now is that the time for that unmatched American ingenuity to bring the simplest and most innovative technologies forward to form testing for COVID-19 widely available.”






Up to $500 million over all phases of development. The technologies are going to be put through a highly competitive, rapid three-phase selection process to spot the simplest candidates for at-home or point-of-care tests for COVID-19. Finalists are going to be matched with technical, business and manufacturing experts to extend the chances of success. If certain selected technologies are already relatively far along in development,


They will be placed on a separate track and be immediately advanced to the acceptable step within the commercialization process. The goal is to form many accurate and easy-to-use tests per week available to all or any Americans by the top of summer 2020, and even more in time for the flu season. “Americans are innovators and manufacturers ,” said Bruce J. Tromberg, Ph.D., director of NIH’s National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering (NIBIB).

“We need American tech experts, innovators and entrepreneurs to intensify to at least one of the toughest challenges we’ve faced as a rustic , to assist get us safely back to public spaces.” While diagnostic testing has long been a mainstay of public health, newer technologies offer patient- and user-friendly designs, mobile-device integration, reduced cost and increased accessibility both reception and at the purpose of care. RADx will expand the Point-of-Care Technologies Research Network(link is external) (POCTRN) established several years ago by NIBIB. The network will use a versatile , rapid process to infuse funding and enhance technology designs at key stages of development, expertly from technology innovators, entrepreneurs and business leaders across the country.

POCTRN supports many investigators from multiple universities and businesses through five technology hubs: Emory University/Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois University of Massachusetts school of medicine , Worcester Consortia for Improving Medicine with Innovation & Technology (CIMIT) at Harvard Medical School/Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston so as to roll out new products starting at the top of summer/fall 2020, a rapid, parallel process will allow quick throughput of projects. Projects are going to be assessed at each milestone and must demonstrate significant reach receive continued support. Department of Health and Human Services. For more information about NIH and its programs,

Researchers are making tremendous strides toward developing better ways to scale back our risk of getting the flu. And one among the newest ideas for foiling the flu—a “gene mist” that would be sprayed into the nose—comes from a most surprising source: llamas. Like humans and lots of other creatures, these fuzzy South American relatives of the camel produce immune molecules, called antibodies, in their blood when exposed to viruses and other foreign substances. Researchers speculated that because the llama’s antibodies are such a lot smaller than human antibodies, they could be easier to use therapeutically in avoiding a good range of flu viruses. this concept is now being leveraged to style a replacement sort of gene therapy which will someday provide humans with broader protection against the flu [1]. Recently, a world team, funded partially by NIH, has begun applying a number of this fundamental knowledge about llama antibodies to our ongoing battle against the flu. of experiments that have opened the door to the likelihood of a replacement flu-fighting “gene mist.” The work began with researchers giving llamas a reasonably traditional flu shot that contained three different influenza viruses and a viral surface protein called hemagglutinin from two other viruses, representing influenza A and B strains.





Those studies revealed the foremost essential portions of the four sorts of antibodies for recognizing influenza viruses, each targeting a special , highly conserved location on the surface hemagglutinin of flu viruses. A conserved location is one that has been maintained through evolution, meaning the antibody’s target are going to be present in most viral strains, instead of changing from year to year. tube studies showed that this quadruple threat effectively targets and neutralizes dozens of influenza A and B viruses, including several sorts of avian influenza, or bird flu. The antibody treatment completely protected the mice against many influenza viruses that otherwise would are deadly. Then, with collaborators at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, the team tried a special delivery method. noses of mice. The viral vectors then inserted the genes into tract cells, which successively produced the specified four-in-one antibody. every week later, the mice were exposed in aerosol form to varied , potentially lethal influenza viruses—but they were protected. The researchers are hopeful that an identical “gene mist” approach might provide humans with broad protection against multiple influenza strains. However, they acknowledge that such protection would gradually wear off because the cells lining the nasal passages turn over. So, counting on how long that takes, it’s possible that folks would still got to get an annual flu shot. Many questions remain to be answered before this “gene mist” approach to avoiding the flu could be ready for human studies to guage its safety and effectiveness. And there are other intriguing possible advantages. for instance , the rapid protection this approach might afford, along side its potential to neutralize many sorts of avian influenza, suggest it'd be called into action to assist quell an emerging flu pandemic much more swiftly than is feasible with traditional vaccines. Of course, none of this is often reality yet. As we glance to the flu season already underway, the simplest thanks to protect yourself and your loved ones is to urge your annual flu shot. So, if you’ve been procrastinating, don’t wait any longer! References: Wilson IA. Science. 2018 Nov 2;362(6414):598-602. [2] present antibodies barren of light chains.