Free, fast, and effective. not as hard as you think.

Care for yourself by fasting

High sugar on a blood test led me to investigate how I messed up my metabolism.  Below are links to information that caused me to start intermittent fasting 2 or 3 non-consecutive days per week.  My Ac1 dropped 5.5 points and I lost 20 pounds in 20 weeks. I plan to intermittently fast to reach my recommended weight per the BMI and then fast 1 or 2 days per week for maintenance.  In reviewing the studies, it seems fasting helps significantly no matter your diet.  There is a difference of opinion between low carbohydrate v. wholefood vegan diets.  I have posted links to both schools of thought here.   


Simple explanation Jason Fung

  Intermittent fasting quickly lowers insulin levels. Periods of low insulin force the body to burn stored sugar as fuel and, when that’s depleted, to burn fat. Insulin, a hormone made in the pancreas, helps the body use sugar for energy, but insulin resistance and prediabetes can occur when the body doesn’t use normal amounts of insulin properly. Diabetes is a leading cause of kidney failure.


Therapeutic use of intermittent fasting for people with type 2 diabetes as an alternative to insulin 


Intermittent Fasting is Medicine: Reversing Diabetes & Obesity, Dr. Jason Fung

Dr. Fung describes why medicines are problematic-they just allow more glucose into an already overloaded system


 Eat, Fast & Live Longer BBC Documentary

One astounding statement is that it didn't matter whether you ate a high fat or low fat diet, if people fast every other day cardiovascular risks dramatically lowered (at 41:15).  New neurons form when fasting (at 46:25). 


Weight loss can cause Diabetes 2 remission

Remission is a practical goal.  86% of those who lost 15kg or more were diabetes free.  


Tackling diabetes with a bold new dietary approach: Neal Barnard at TEDxFremont

This is a vegan focused theory that fat can block cell use of sugar keeping it in the blood. 


Does intermittent fasting cause muscle loss? Surprisingly, no.

In my own subjective test, I have been able to run longer and faster on fast days.


Fast Bio Hackers: WeFa.St


The Metabolic Effects of Intermittent Fasting

Modified fasting regimens appear to promote weight loss and may improve metabolic health. 


FAST-5.ORG

I like this site.  It is a simple idea.   Eat within a 5 hour window every day.  

He gives the books away for free.  Video here.


Intermittent Fasting and your brain

Fasting helps prevent Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases.  Calorie restriction does not.  

The fast, not calorie restriction, triggers brain protection.


A deep dive with Jason Fung and Peter Attia: very technical but great if you want understanding.

Why the common treatments for type 2 diabetes make things worse [42:30]

Fatty liver leads to fatty pancreas-fasting clears the fat and restarts functioning. [1:05]

Fructose, as in High Fructose Corn Syrup, fattens the Liver. [1:09]

Fat is a protective reaction to too much glucose and insulin. [1:14]

Insulin influences growth and may have cancer implications. [1:27]

Skipping breakfast is fine. [1:56]

If you don't feel well STOP.  Don't be rigid in your thinking.  There is always tomorrow.  [2:22:40]

Fasting is good for healthy people.  Drops insulin levels periodically and prevents diseases of hyperinsulinemia like heart disease, diabetes, cancer, stoke, alzheimer's, and obesity.  [2:32]

Fat in the diet keeps the gallbladder functioning helps avoid gallstones.  [2:39]


Plant based diets good as long as there are no refined carbs because they help with the complicating factor of heart disease.  

  1. Meta-analyses of cohort studies demonstrated that carbohydrates from whole grains and cereal fibers reduce the risk of developing diabetes while refined,[20],[101] low-fiber carbohydrates can increase the risk of diabetes.
  2.  Fiber, which is found only in plant foods, modulates postprandial glucose response, and is fermented by intestinal bacteria to produce short-chain fatty acids, which also improve the glucose response, insulin signaling, and insulin sensitivity.[112]–[115] Furthermore, fiber reduces the energy density of foods, promotes satiety, and has been associated with weight loss, which in turn reduces insulin resistance.[113] Dietary fiber has been linked to decreased markers of inflammation, which may also ameliorate insulin resistance.[17] Finally, a diet high in plant-based foods and low in meat is likely to exert beneficial metabolic effects by promoting shifts in the gut microbial profile, decreasing the production of trimethylamine N-oxide, a compound that has been tied to insulin resistance. 
  3. Plant-based diets improve insulin resistance even when there is no weight loss, and/or with statistical adjustment for body weight.


ROY TAYLOR STUDY: WEIGHT LOSS CAN LEAD TO REVERSAL, WEIGHT GAIN RETURN TO DIABETIC STATE.

FOR THE FIRST TIME WE CAN SEE THIS HAPPENING BY MEANS OF SCANNING TECHNOLOGY.

IT PROVES THE TWIN CYCLE HYPOTHESIS OF DIABETES.

  1. Remission of type 2 diabetes is associated with a major fall in liver fat export.  Reducing weight by 30lbs takes the fat out of the liver.  Fat from the liver builds up fat in the pancreas.
  2. If you regain the weight the liver releases fat to the pancreas again triggering re-emergence of diabetes.
  3. These changes are reflected by intra-pancreatic fat content.
  4. Beta-cell dysfunction is related to raised intra-pancreatic fat.

HELPFUL SUPPLEMENTS AND PRODUCTS

Glucose increases loss of magnesium which regulates the heart.

Article here. Magnesium also helps glucose control

Green Tea helps suppress appetite on fast days

I like pique tea

Himalayan Sea Salt

A teaspoon added to a drink on fasting days helps balance electrolytes.

Video

Thinking about food: Slow, seasonal, organic, and whole.   Eat with others.


Video

Low carb + Fasting:  Good explanation.

Video

The shock of fasting leads the brain to create new cells. As neurons are coaxed to grow, the brain becomes more resistant to the effects of protein plaques that underlie cases of Alzheimer’s, or the damage inflicted by Parkinson’s 

Video

Astounding video on how hard it is to overcome ingrained thinking.  Insulin levels are key.  "Those with cardiovascular disease not identified with diabetes are simply undiagnosed." High insulin levels damage the heart.  Gestational diabetes around minute 49. Insulin assays can be had at Meridian Valley Lab.

FAQ

Does fasting interfere with sleep?

Fasting triggers the adrenal gland which can cause sleeplessness.  Exercise will help burn off that energy, avoid caffeine before bedtime.  

What about eating 500 calories on fasting days?

Eating something may be harder than eating nothing but 500 keto calories will not stop your body from kicking into ketosis which triggers fat burning and cell apotheosis.

Does fasting lower blood sugar?

Yes. Blood sugar is used up while fasting.    

Does fasting lower weight?

Fasting every other day, or eating one meal a day, will cause weight loss.  In my experience it is not as fast as you think but will average between 1/2 lb and 1 lb per week.  

Should I exercise while fasting?

Exercise and fasting go together.   Fasting increases maximal oxygen uptake 

(VO2 Max).  You can run faster and longer on days you don't eat unless you are doing a multi-day fast.  Pay attention to your body though and stop if you are not feeling good. 

Does fasting reduce muscle mass?

Fasting reduces fat in muscles but does not reduce strength. 


FASTING methods and TIPS

One meal a day or full day fasts

Drink plenty of water, tea or coffee.  Exercise normally. 

2 or 3 day fasts

Drink electrolyte water, tea or coffee.   Add a teaspoon of salt to one of your drinks.  Exercise normally.

3 to 7 day fasts

Drink electrolyte water, tea or coffee.   Add a teaspoon of salt to one of your drinks.  Take a multivitamin daily.  Exercise as long as you feel good.  Reintroduce food gently.  Start with a couple days of green smoothies, fruits and vegetables.  

Longer fasts

Think about getting medical monitoring.  Do all of the above.  Be careful.  Pay attention to your body.  Exercise as long as you feel good.  Reintroduce food gently.  Start with green smoothies, fruits and vegetables.   Spend half the days you were fasting building up to your normal food intake.   

All fasts

You may feel weak or faint especially around eating times and around food.  Usually, it is your body adjusting and adapting.   If you feel too bad, break your fast.   You can always fast later.  

A Simple Plan

Although, I am doing two or three 42-hour periods with no food (6pm stop on day 1, nothing on day 2, and a 12pm start on day 3) a simple plan that works is to pick two days out of the week to just eat one meal.   The rest of the week  eat in an 8-hour period every day.   Once you hit your desired weight drop down to one day per week with one meal and on other days stick to an 8 hour period of time where you eat.  The 16:8 plan.  


A harder adjunct to the plan:

Once a month do a longer fast.  2-6 day fasts start autophagy where weak cells are used by the body for fuel peaking at 48 hours of a water fast.  Eating protein or carbs stops it.  After having done this a few times, I can say that it cleans up skin problems and the research shows it uses fat from internal organs.