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.
"It is a program that focuses on people with metabolic syndrome and insulin resistance through intermittent fasting therapies."
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.
"If I eat a meal that's a little higher in carbs and sugars, I'm craving and I need to eat in a couple of hours. That should be a sign that something ain't right."
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.
"The main focus is time-restricted eating. The idea of eating full meals, whole foods, and avoiding snacking."
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.
"Doing only one meal a day or what's commonly known as OMAD. There's a big trend behind this. I don't think that works out very well long term."
Fasting may help resolve rheumatoid arthritis
A listener shares how a fasting program at True North helped her body heal from rheumatoid arthritis.
"Her body is in the process of healing from rheumatoid arthritis. You should start a blog and tell people how you did that."
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.
"The less you eat, the longer you live. If you fasted one day a week, that's roughly 150 meals you're not eating in a year."
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.
"Anytime you consume anything, you're going to have an insulin response. So it depends what you're trying to do."
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.
"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."
