So, the other day I found this little gem on Twitter, which, in an oversimplified way summarizes diet and lifestyle choices postulated in this blog up to this point:
✅Drink more water
✅Aim for more sleep
✅Move your body daily
✅Connect with nature
✅Gratitude
✅Eat less processed foods (grains, sugar, seed/vegetable oils), and more ancestral/real whole foods (i.e., meat, fish, eggs, & natural fats)
✅Intermittent Fasting
Perfect.
While this list includes many of the points made up to this point, I haven’t unpacked the fasting component of how and why this is one of the key cornerstones for health and longevity. So, let’s dive into the idea of intermittent fasting and time-restricted eating – and especially WHY this is so important for our health as an anti-aging and obesity tool.
Two names: Dr. Jason Fung, M.D. & Dr. Ben Bikman, Ph.D.
I’ve been following Dr. Ben Bikman quite closely for a couple of years now. He’s a consummate researcher and professor at Brigham Young University teaching pre-med students human endocrinology, physiology (among others), but especially includes the intricacies of insulin’s role in the human body. And thank God, because I’ve not learned of any other professors of medical students doing what he does. But for audiences like me, Dr. Bikman is quite the amazing teacher, as he is able to clearly, and in easy-to-understand way describe EXACTLY what high insulin levels (caused by excessive carbohydrate consumption, i.e., grains & sugar) ultimately does over time to our bodies with regard to obesity and diabetes, and of paramount importance, how insulin is part of almost every chronic disease, and how eating low carb foods and fasting can reverse these conditions.
As a reminder with regard to insulin’s role for obesity and diabetes, the most common manifestation of diabetes are high levels of glucose flooding the body, causing the inability of fat storage cells to absorb excess glucose from the blood. At this point, the kidneys will flush water out because they cannot absorb the high levels of glucose, causing a person to urinate a lot. This common feature of diabetes is a consequence of high glucose levels.
A metabolically healthy person can push the glucose out into their cells for energy very well, and in a fasted state, they will use fat for fuel.
But, a metabolically challenged person is trying to burn glucose all the time – and when they are in a fasted state, they do not make the shift to burning fat – they stay in sugar burning mode because their insulin is too high, and they can feel a sense of anxiety, panic, lethargy and hunger. So, if someone is insulin resistant, it can take up to 48 hours of fasting to get those levels down.
However, if a sugar burning person can become ‘fat adapted’ (which is highly recommended prior to any attempt at fasting protocols), attempts to fast will be a lot less difficult, and physiologically/metabolically beneficial – especially for diabetics.
This is where Dr. Jason Fung, a nephrologist (kidney specialist) in Toronto, Canada comes in. His practice has gained world-wide recognition and success for treating diabetic patients, often with some degree of kidney disease (and women with PCOS).
His primary method of reversing his patients’ debilitating effects from diabetes?
Fasting.
Known internationally as the leading authority regarding fasting protocols via books, podcasts, and websites (see below), he’s a virtual one-stop shop for any and all things fasting.
Take a look:
Intermittent Fasting the Most Powerful Healing Tool [Dr. Jason Fung]
Dr. Jason Fung on Intermittent Fasting [Treating Type 2 Diabetes]
Truly, the links above will give you a big-time leg up in terms of understanding fasting and its beneficial effects on the body, especially in terms of resetting the body’s metabolism. With that said, fasting remains a controversial topic, so it’s important to understand how and why fasting mitigates obesity and diabetes problems, and contributes so vitally to our health.
Next: The Power of Fasting (or Not) Part II