Episode Details

Whew! 

The recent Kion 5 Day Fast has now come to a close - and we had over 10,000 people participate (that's a whole lot of food that wasn't eaten).

During the fast, I received plenty of questions about fasting, such as:

Does coffee help or harm your fast? 

What can I do to improve my sleep during - and after - a fast?

What is the hormonal effect of fasting on males? And what about for women?

What is the best kind of fasting if your goal is body composition (fat loss, muscle gain/maintenance)?

Does fasting - especially 3-5 day extended fasts - slow down your metabolism?

What type of training is best while fasting, and what type of training should be avoided?

What other things can you do to enhance the benefits of a fast? (e.g. cryotherapy, enemas, etc.)

How should you prepare for - and break - an extended fast?

Is it OK to fast while breastfeeding or pregnant?

Does your ability to absorb food and supplements increase after a fast?

What are your thoughts on EAAs while fasting? Do they break a fast? And what about BCAAs?

And many more!

So in today's episode, I dive into an official fasting Q&A solosode. Enjoy! Here are the questions I'll be answering: -How does fasting for longevity differ from fasting for things like fat loss or circadian rhythm...7:45

• Decreasing calorie intake 20-40% is most optimal way to regulate aging and increase life span
• Inhibit mTOR pathway, stimulate autophagy, induce ketogenesis
• Autophagy: "self eating" - not to be confused with apoptosis, which is cell death
  • Autophagosomes to lysosomes "spring cleaning in your cells"
  • Eating shuts down autophagy; fasting increases autophagy
• mTOR: mammalian target of rapamycin
  • Energy enzyme
  • ATP becomes ADP
• Every time you eat, you activate mTOR and suppress autophagy
• Ketosis: using fat as the primary source of fuel
  • Less oxidative stress; slows the aging process
• My personal protocol:
  • 12-16 hour intermittent fast daily
  • 24 hour fast (dinner to dinner) twice a month
  • Fasting mimicking diet (FMD) 4x/year

-Does coffee help or harm your fast...16:50

• Black coffee can enhance fatty acid mobilization from adipose tissue, alertness, metabolism,
• Coffee without any calories added (coconut oil, butter, etc.) will help the fast

-I don't sleep well when I fast...20:05

• Carb intake at night (dinner time) assists with sleep
• Shut down the sympathetic nervous system to get to sleep while fasting
  • CBD (large amounts)
  • Sleep Remedy
  • Valerian
  • Passion Flower
  • Kava Kava
  • Chinese skull cap
• You  can get by on less sleep when you're fasting
• Don't forget the efficacy of breath work and meditation

-What is the hormonal effect of fasting on males vs. females?...23:40

• Lean and fit females do better with shorter fasts (12 hours); men are more versatile
• Insulin, growth hormone, responds favorably to a fast
• Noradrenaline increases with fasting
• Level of testosterone increase while fasting is unknown

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