Intermittent Fasting

A primer for newbies and old pros alike.
dlerner
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Intermittent Fasting

Post by dlerner »

Last question. What are everyone's thoughts on this? I would only consider the 12/12 or possibly the 16/8 and wouldn't be able to do it every day.
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TheresaB
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Re: Intermittent Fasting

Post by TheresaB »

As a member here, I assume you are ApoE4 positive. Dr Bredesen recommends intermittent fasting closer to 14 to 16 hours, there are just so many benefits - aids ketosis, autophagy, mitochondrial health. Fasting 16 hours may be difficult for you now, but you can work up to it. If you became keto adapted, also recommended as a 4 carrier, your body would use ketones for fuel, so your body would not scream for glucose after just a few hours of consuming adequate calories. I worked up to 16 hours, I used a little coconut oil in my coffee to help quell hunger and get me to the 16 hour point, then stopped the coconut oil, since it's not the best thing for 4s to be consuming.
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dlerner
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Re: Intermittent Fasting

Post by dlerner »

Thanks for the quick reply. Yes should have mentioned I'm a 3/4. Do you do it 7 days a week?
Is it still a benefit if it isn't done as many days?
DaleBru
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Re: Intermittent Fasting

Post by DaleBru »

My opinion is that you will get benefit each day you do it. Many people do it seven days per week for years.

An easy book is Delay Don't Deny by Gin Stephens.
Dr. Jason Fung is an authority with several books and videos.

You'll also hear OMAD for One Meal A Day and IF for Intermittent Fasting.

With regard to dementia, Dr. Mark Mattson at NIH is an authority. His Ted talk is good, I think.
Creekside
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Re: Intermittent Fasting

Post by Creekside »

Megan Ramos (works in Fung's practice) has suggested mixing it up and not training the body to expect the same thing every day. Fung has talked about eating breakfast with his family on the weekends. (Neither of these incorporated any reference to APOE status, just general fasting advice for lowering insulin.)
donbob
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Re: Intermittent Fasting

Post by donbob »

dlerner wrote:Last question. What are everyone's thoughts on this? I would only consider the 12/12 or possibly the 16/8 and wouldn't be able to do it every day.
I recommend fasting. Everyone has to fit fasting into their life, rather than the other way round. My routine is one 48 hour fast per week. The other days I have about a four hour eating window around mid day. On this schedule since July 2016.
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MarcR
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Re: Intermittent Fasting

Post by MarcR »

I began 16+/8- IF in 2012, and today I see it, along with food quality, as a linchpin of my dietary health strategy. IF is magical for me because it is cure, prevention, and confirmation all in one:

Cure. The low insulin period in every day allows fat cells to disgorge fatty acids to be burned as fuel. This promotes metabolic flexibility and cellular mitochondrial health throughout the body. In turn, healthier cells improve organ function, overall health, and sense of wellbeing.

Prevention. I have a large per-meal capacity and a tendency to overeat. The 16+ hour fasting commitment reduces my overall daily appetite. If I have a large first meal, I'm often not especially hungry for dinner six or seven hours later, and I will eat less. If I were skipping a midday meal instead of a morning meal, I would tend to eat heavily both times.

Confirmation. IF should be easy. When it's comfortable to go for 16, 20, or more hours without food, I know that my body is functioning correctly. Pangs should come and go without jittery or "hangry" feelings.

To reach the lower bounds of 16+/8- IF, I recommend an incremental approach, proceeding to the next once the current one has become comfortable:

Phase 1. Stop eating after dinner.
Phase 2. Delay breakfast one hour.
Phase 3. Delay breakfast two hours.
Daily IF. Skip breakfast.

That's it - IF can be as simple as not snacking after dinner and skipping breakfast.
aphorist
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Re: Intermittent Fasting

Post by aphorist »

I do 18:6. Sometimes 22:2.
buck3Maureen
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Re: Intermittent Fasting

Post by buck3Maureen »

Thanks Marc,
I have followed your path. Started IF as a Bredesen recommendation. As a person who would get up at 6AM and be eating something by 615AM, I was surprised by how easy it was for me. The final step to eliminate breakfast was done because I seem to spend a lot of time getting my breakfast ready and I always had a salad for lunch. So I decided to combine the two efforts. One big effort, one slow eat, and one big cleanup. Simple. Typical for me is for dinner to be done no later then 7PM, many days 6PM, then eating my AM meal around 10:30 or 11AM. I am not religious abut it though if I am hungry before bed I eat something.

Maureen
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Josiah
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Re: Intermittent Fasting

Post by Josiah »

I've been trying to maintain a 17/7 IF which sometimes slips back to a 16/8. My health coach thinks 14/10 is the IF "sweet spot". Everything I've read suggests the longer the fast the better so long as it's coordinated with your circadian rhythm and ends three hours before you go to bed. If I got my diet trip running very smoothly I could imagine trying 20/4. I might do it if I could figure out which supplements I could take during the fasting window without degrading the quality of the fast.
E3/E3 male age 84
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