Summary
Dr. Nadia Pateguana discusses the benefits and potential side effects of fasting, with a focus on intermittent fasting. She addresses the ongoing debate about fasting's effects on thyroid function and hormones like cortisol and adrenaline. The conversation explores who should and shouldn't fast, how to approach fasting safely, and whether the benefits outweigh the potential downsides for different populations.
Key Points
- Benefits and potential side effects of intermittent fasting
- Fasting's effects on thyroid function and hormonal balance
- Impact on cortisol and adrenaline levels
- Who should and shouldn't practice intermittent fasting
- Weighing benefits vs risks for different populations
Key Moments
IDM program uses fasting to reverse insulin resistance
Dr. Nadia Pateguana explains how the Intensive Dietary Management program uses intermittent fasting to treat metabolic syndrome.
"I work online full time and exclusively for IDM. So I am with the IDM program all the way. And it is a program that focuses on people with metabolic syndrome and insulin resistance through intermittent fasting therapies. Mm hmm."
Craving food hours after eating signals metabolic issues
Needing to eat again shortly after a high-carb meal indicates poor metabolic function, not a healthy fast metabolism.
"Need to eat in a couple of hours that that should be a sign that something ain't right. Yeah You've eaten a full meal and you need that although people have been told that no, this is a great sign It's a sign of a good metabolism. I think these are the same people that develop diabetes and obesity. So Obviously your metabolic system is not working. Well, mm-hmm"
Time-restricted eating is the foundation of fasting
Dr. Pateguana recommends time-restricted eating with whole food meals and no snacking as the primary fasting approach.
"at different times, different things will work. But I think the main focus is time-restricted eating. I think that's the main thing. The idea of eating full meals, whole foods, and avoiding snacking. And that's called time-restricted eating."
OMAD may not work long-term for most people
While eating more calories in a restricted window beats grazing all day, one-meal-a-day fasting is hard to sustain long-term.
"For example, doing only one meal a day or what's commonly known as OMAD, one meal a day. There's a big trend behind this where people are fasting for 20 to 24 hours and eating just one meal. I don't think that that works out very well long term. So again, your eating days should be two to three large meals. And then your fasting periods can be as long as you're comfortable with or as long as it's safe for you to do."
Fasting may help resolve rheumatoid arthritis
A listener shares how a fasting program at True North helped her body heal from rheumatoid arthritis.
"that allows you to think and tweak your program a little bit, right? So it's like reading a book. Sometimes, let me take these out real quick. Sometimes all you need is just one thing that is going to be sort of turn your life around from a book, right? So in this particular show, what I got from it was the idea of figuring out, like, what do you mean by breaking a fast? Because it all determines..."
A 6-hour eating window is sustainable long-term
Fasting from 6 PM to noon creates a manageable six-hour eating window that becomes easy to maintain over time.
"roughly meals that you're not eating in a year. Over the course of a decade, man, that's a lot of food that you're not putting through your system. And the age-old saying is true, the less you eat, the longer you live. And like those studies I was sharing about mice and longevity and increased lifespan as a result of calorie restriction and even intermittent fasting with these mice. So we were never really meant to go long periods of time"
Supplements during fasting can break autophagy
Consuming anything during a fast triggers an insulin response that can halt autophagy, so pure water fasts are best for cellular repair.
"could be incredibly beneficial for our health. Spirulina, amongst other supplements, is also good while fasting. Oh, hey, Maria. Yeah, yeah. That's awesome. Spirulina. It all depends. If spirulina, like she said, anytime you consume anything, you're going to have an insulin response. So it depends what you're trying to do. If you are trying to lose weight, then..."
Keto plus fasting led to 85 pounds lost, off all meds
A listener reports losing 85 pounds combining keto with 18-20 hour daily fasts, eliminating all medications and inflammation.
"Wow. So Ed is in our chat room talking about her experience doing keto and intermittent fasting together. Fasting for 18 to 20 hours a day, have been doing keto for over a year, lost 85 pounds off of all medication, no more inflammation, no more knee injections. Whoa, that's amazing. That's really cool. Thanks for sharing that. That's amazing. Gosh, you should start a blog and tell people how you did that."
