As a weight loss and anti-aging specialist, I urge my patients to do bone broth “mini-fasts” twice a week. It’s the single biggest key to losing weight quickly and safely, and it allows my patients to lose dozens or even hundreds of pounds easily. That’s why it’s a core feature of my Bone Broth Diet.

And you know what? Mini-fasting two days a week won’t just strip extra pounds off you; it may even save your life. According to a story today in the Wall Street Journal, fasting can protect you in these ways:

By reducing symptoms of autoimmune disease. Fasting appears to kill autoimmune T cells and regenerate healthy new cells. In a new study, researchers found that severe calorie restriction reduced symptoms of multiple sclerosis (MS) in mice and completely eliminated them in 20% of the animals. It also led to regeneration of myelin, the protective nerve sheath that’s damaged in MS.

By lowering your risk of developing metabolic syndrome, diabetes, and heart disease. Periodic fasting leads to loss of belly fat, improvements in blood sugar, reduced inflammation, lower blood pressure, and a lower resting heart rate.

By improving the efficacy of cancer treatments. Animal studies show that periodic fasting can help reduce the side effects of chemotherapy and make this treatment more effective by weakening cancer cells.

By reducing asthma attacks. Studies show that intermittent fasting appears to prevent asthma exacerbations.

And that’s not all. There are also hints that intermittent fasting (a.k.a mini-fasting) may reduce your risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease or Parkinson’s disease. What’s more, it appears to lengthen your lifespan.

And mini-fasting, far from being abnormal, is something our bodies are designed to do. In our ancestors’ time, when food was scarce and hunters often returned empty-handed, people frequently went for days without eating. Over time, our bodies learned to use this “down time” for resting, cleansing, and renewal.

Of course, typical fasting is hard for many people (as the researchers note in the Wall Street Journal article). I’ve solved this problem by having my patients do two “mini-fasts” each week in which they replace meals with up to six cups of bone broth. This rich, satisfying broth gives them the benefits of fasting without the hunger and cravings that make regular fasting so difficult.

So if you’ve avoided intermittent fasting because you think it’s too hard, try doing bone broth mini-fasts twice a week. The broth is simple to make, and the mini-fasts are painless. And you won’t just be trimming off extra pounds—you may be adding extra years to your life.

Keep Thinking Big & Living Bold!