Yingxing Wang, co-founder of Eastover Estate and Eco-Village, the 600-acre residential retreat sanctuary in the heart of the Berkshires, just returned from Las Vegas, where she attended the A4M conference on anti-aging functional medicine. What she learned about the benefits of monthly fasting convinced her to offer a five-day, nutrient-packed fast as a standard retreat option at Eastover all year round. “This is the third year I’ve attended A4M, and it’s always packed with new research about cancer, chronic disease and memory loss,” Wang says. “There is a lot of science supporting the self-care practice of taking five days out of a month for a nutritious low-calorie, low-protein, low-fat fast. More than 20 years of research at USC has shown that such prolonged fasting is superior to calorie restriction, one- or two-day intermittent fasting or skip-a-day fasting.” In addition to trimming the waistline, this fast activates the body’s regenerative and longevity mechanisms, and it provides excellent nutritional support for chemotherapy patients, Wang says. During non-fasting days, participants can eat the way they normally do, although Wang strongly suggests incorporating the fast into three months of a six-month plant-based diet. Eastover will offer the fasting retreat every Sunday through Friday. In addition to enjoying chef-prepared meals that are designed with Chinese medicine and macrobiotic healing principles, participants will learn to replicate those meals at home in order to continue their fasting practice. They will also learn from a variety of special guests, such as experts in memory loss, macrobiotics, nutrition, qigong and tai chi.
Location: 430 East St., Lenox, MA. For more information, visit Eastover.com.