It has amazed me how worked up people get if you say you are fasting. “Why are you starving yourself???” Not by a long shot, folks.
“I could never go without breakfast!” Of course you could. You think you will die or pass out? Very few people who do not have some kind of metabolic problem will actually pass out. People who eat a lot of carbs might get a bit shaky. Reduce carb intake and this kind of thing doesn’t happen.
“I could never go 24 hours without eating! Why are you being so unhealthy???” Again, yes, you could. People have been fasting by necessity (no food available, impending medical procedure or problem, religious exercise, etc.) for as long as there have been people. They aren’t any different than you in terms of ability to go just one day without food. As to being unhealthy, no, a planned fast is not unhealthy as long as you have even a minimum of body fat, are not pregnant, and are in general decent health. Google “autophagy” or “benefits of fasting on metabolism.”
“What do you mean you can’t eat bread, pasta, potatoes, my dessert? One of them won’t kill you!” Of course it won’t, but it will raise my blood sugar, set me up for further carb cravings, and derail my progress.
People REALLY don’t want you to miss a meal and many sure as heck don’t want you to deviate from the old low fat high carb fat is evil plan.
@Nrdsb4 , I don’t choose to drink alcohol, mostly because it isn’t fun for me (I think I probably have the gene that a good number of Asians have that makes me flush quickly, get way more high than expected from alcohol, etc). And, of course, carbs.
People assume that I’m being judgmental, moralistic, etc. It’s like that with fasting. People will say that I look 10 years younger, have more energy, and then tell me that fasting isn’t good for you. Go figure.
If you are diabetic and on blood sugar lowering medications, this MUST be taken into account when fasting. Best to inform your doctor that you plan to begin IF or a certain duration of fasting (as opposed to asking permission) and develop a plan for how to handle your medication. This is absolutely crucial for anyone taking diabetes meds, whether it is insulin or one of the other meds. Truly low blood sugar can be fatal and is nothing to play around with. Non diabetics do not have this concern with intermittent fasting.
What most people in the US actually eat seems to be high carb and high fat – and usually the junkier carbs (added sugar and other refined low/no fiber carbs) and junkier fats (hydrogenated margarine/shortening, etc.), often in combination (the calorie bombs that get made by combining junkier carbs and junkier fats, such as deep fried carb foods).
I’ve been a nondrinker most of my life and get that reaction a lot. It’s always puzzled me because I’m very low key about it - you do you, I’ll do me. But it has gotten better as I think more people are no longer drinking/idolizing alcohol.
I do think some of the reaction to fasting when applied to IF is because they hear fasting and think starvation. I don’t think IF is that so a bit of a misnomer, IMO. Using the alcohol analogy, people who drink only occasionally aren’t intermittent teetotalers.
@IxnayBob Did you use a nutritionist or just research it all on your own?
If your insurance plan will cover a nutritionist consult/visit, you can ask your doc to write a referral for it. Doctors aren’t nutritionists (not typically) but they can add often add one to your health care team. Doesn’t hurt to ask. Or ask your insurance company. Especially if you have a diagnosed condition which is affected by nutrition.
My wife went keto in January and fasts as well. Since then she’s lost a bunch of weight (triple digits), lowered her blood pressure and blood sugar levels into a healthy range, has reduced her hypothyroid meds by 2/3rds, and eliminated most symptoms of Hashimoto’s. She has tons of energy, works out regularly and sleeps better as well. It’s been a life changer, truly an amazing transformation. As a nice side effect I’ve lost some weight as well after getting up to an all-time high a few years ago, even though I’m still a carb addict with a sweet tooth.
You need the right nutritionist, one who jives with your particular wants and needs and understands what you’re trying to do.
I think the reaction to fasting is because it seems a fad to many. And some advice out there probably does fall into that.
Thing about diabetes is: it’s deadly. No one size solution fits all. And you need to know your body, how it reacts.
The old info we grew up with was that we need regular intake of energy. Many find that not necessary, for them. But there are many scientists who feel too large a meal at any one time can cause other issues with the body, not just the metabolic processes.
Yes, there are some fads seemingly related to any food or nutritional behavior, even though such nutritional behavior may be valid for some people (not necessarily the same as those into the fad).
Nodding in agreement. I remember Dr. Jason Fung saying on The Drive (podcast) that his recent-immigrant patients seemed to have the least trouble with the idea of fasting due to familiarity with the practice, usually in a religious context. You want me to fast? Oh, okay!
Another thing that stuck with me in the interview was Fung describing patients with bad foot sores due to advanced diabetes, and how quickly the sores would begin to heal after a 7 day water/broth fast.
In the case of H’s family, I’m not sure how much is his family in particular and how much is his country of origin. Both?
It’s like my MIL’s full-time job was feeding people. Family member gets home from being out. You hungry? I made this thing, let me serve you some. Next thing you know there is a huge bowl of something delicious in front of you. Neighbor stops by to say hi and chat? Rushes to the kitchen to get them something to eat. There was always something on the stove.
When she stayed with us for visits, it would make her VERY uncomfortable that I would not offer guests – especially family – something to eat when they stopped by (and she felt like she could not “take over” her DIL’s kitchen).
I can see where it would be extra hard to fast if food and serving food is considered not only polite, but a form of love.
@Midwest67 Remember, you’re trying to build muscle too, so if you’re thinking about IF AND trying to build muscle and add lbs to your lifts, it will take some additional effort and planning for/during those eating periods. The other issue is when you’re mid-fast, how your body will react during strenuous/rigorous exercise periods, if the fast and your exercise period overlap. Carbs = energy.
IF does go against the “normal” fad, which is usually to go all in on some supplement or food. IF, even though you can make it expensive by emphasizing very healthy fats (eg, avocado) or only eating pasture raised beef, is one of the only life changes that can be enjoyed by people of any SES. Low carb is more difficult on a budget, as most of the inexpensive foods are extruded grains, high sugar, margarine, etc.
I can’t afford for it to be a fad personally. Changing what and when I eat has, I believe literally, saved my life, eyesight, and extremities. I value those more than a slice of pizza, good as it is
Oh! Ha! No, I’m not interested in doing it! It’s hard enough to hit my daily protein goals in a normal window. And you are right – I want to build some muscle mass and put more weight on that bar!
I am just blown away by this (new to me) idea that fasting can produce such positive results for diabetics (& others).
For H? For his siblings? It could be life-changing AND life-saving.
Many of those immigrants don’t have the life expectancy we want. Many do fall to dread diseases, later.
When anyone says, eg, that critical foot issues heal miraculously based on x, I am driven to look at the research. Just saying it doesn’t mean it based on substantial “facts.” Lots of studies are small or anecdotal observations.
Look, I respect how Ix is doing this. He knew his diabetes before, he has a continuous monitor now, etc. Everything he’s written shows he’s watching.
But we each need to learn what works best for us, short term and in the long run. Do it in an informed way.
Be careful. My previous endocrinologist has a nutritionist on staff, and I saw her. She recommended the old school 6 small meals a day, low fat, whole wheat bread diet. When it didn’t work, it was because I didn’t have enough will power (although she never stated it that baldly). Blame the victim. So, they’d increase my basal insulin, since my pre-prandial dosage was getting alarmingly high. I believed them instead of my lying eyes.
They were well intentioned and believed what they were espousing. I think they were sad that I was clearly working my way to an early grave. The fact that Type 2 diabetes and metabolic syndrome became an epidemic during the low fat era never seemed to register. I liked them, they were nice people, but I will never get back the health I should have had years ago. Not to mention, I helped make them rich.
The internet made it easy. There are a handful of books that do a good job of summarizing the science. I gave up FaceBook, but when I still used it there are groups that follow Dr Fung. Once you latch onto the basics, the rest follows pretty naturally.
Dr Fung, btw, makes a good living from books and his clinic, but has resisted the temptation to sell out. He’s a bit like Mister Rogers in that regard. He was a nephrologist who became tired of watching so many patients inexorably deteriorate.
I saw a nutritionist originally for another issue, but my like of the Diabetes 2 diet, at the time, wasn’t her area of expertise. So you need the right person for you.
She could give me conventional advice, but not specific to me. I liked her, but was on my own about the right path.
Yes, we need fat. But the question is how much. Especially if you’re dealing with other concerns- lipids, preventing or controlling heart disease, and much more.
Here’s my comment on web research. To learn more deeply about the D2 diet, I went to the ADA site. All the easily accessible info is general. Parly because diabetes is so serious and they want you to work with a pro, your numbers, your intolerances, etc.
But by googling deeply, I got around the first friendly comments, into the actual research. I advocate that. Not just who says what “works,” but the actual research. It’s striking when you find this study someone touts was 30 people in China and another couldn’t replicate the results.
