Methods for preventing and treating disease include (i) providing to a person a nutrient material including at least one of lipid or carbohydrate, wherein protein constitutes less than 5 percent of the materials caloric content (ii) instructing that, during a lower-protein time period of at least two days, the material be administered such that the persons intake of protein is less than 30 grams per day (iii) instructing that nutrition be administered to the person such that the persons bodily intake of carbohydrate constitutes at least 40 percent of the persons intake of calories during the lower-protein period and (iv) instructing that, during a higher-protein time period of at least 24 hours following the lower-protein period, the person receives an average daily protein intake of at least 40 grams.
