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148: The 17 Hour Fast with Dr. Frank Merritt

When it comes to strategies for having more energy, health, or vitality we tend to think of what to add in instead of what to take out.

I remember the first time I did an actual fast. I didn’t want to stop. It was cleanse where I drank a concoction of maple syrup, lemon juice, and cayenne pepper. Just that for 18 days. While that clearly isn’t a sustainable fast to do regularly, it did get me in the habit of fasting one day a week for many years.

With the pace of life, our habits around eating and the in your face nature of the modern world, taking the time to pause and self-reflect is becoming more important. I believe creating a habit of a weekly fast can give us that much needed pause.

Inspired by his best friend’s battle with cancer, Dr. Frank Merritt has engineered the fasting protocol, The 17 Hour Fast, which offers maximum benefits from a minimum fast that promotes an enriching mind, body and soul experience. Drawing on years of medical practice as well as VitalityPro research protocols developed with iconic athletes, respected nutritionists, and behavioral/exercise psychologists, The 17 Hour Fast embodies a minimum effective dose (MED) strategy harnessing powerful health and performance advantages of longer fasts while avoiding many of their pitfalls. Furthermore, The 17 Hour Fast is carefully synchronized and choreographed with diurnal/nocturnal hormone patterns, sleep hygiene, personal growth and relationship building techniques and suggested training/recovery activities to create a potent combination for success.

The 17-Hour Fast is founded on a bedrock of cutting-edge scientific data and presented in an intuitive and approachable way by Dr. Merritt and acclaimed writer Phil White (Unplugged, Game Changer, and Flight Plan).

Today we’ll dive into The 17 Hour Fast and how to get started making it a habit.

In this episode you’ll learn

  • Fasting as a an effective reset button
  • The power and accessibility of a minimum effective dose when it comes to a fast
  • The problem with some fasts and how that affects an individual in the long term
  • How the fast fosters accountability and sustainability
  • Easing into the fast and coming off the fast
  • The disadvantage of all the time on 24/7 news, social media, and outside influences and how the vacation night of the fast can keep that in check
  • Switching from sympathetic active mode to rest and repair parasympathetic mode
  • How to overcome some common stumbling blocks heading into The 17 Hour Fast
  • The unexpected benefits of the fast in helping make time to prioritize the people who are most important to us
  • How setbacks, failure and adversity make you stronger and better
  • Approaching the fast for athletes and non-athletes
  • How the fast can help you get back in touch with what your body actually needs

Click to Tweet Frank’s quote

“Iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.

– Proverbs 27:17

Connect with Frank on social media

Facebook | Website | Instagram

VitalityPro

 Facebook | Website

Resources

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