Fast/Feast cycling

fasting
n1
stall
(eat more) #101

this is on my radar :blush:

(I am a Dog (Dog's eat until they burst!)) #102

I will be making bacon mayo later this week!

(Andrea Johns) #103

Iā€™ve seen several people referring to cold fingers as a cue to end a fast. Iā€™ve never heard that before. Can you explain?

(Siobhan) #104

There is some speculation that its a sign that metabolism is slowing because warmth/temp regulation to the fingers and toes is the first to go when energy consumption is slowed.

However Iā€™ve also seen that salt can help, or that you can push through it, etc so I guess it depends on the person. for me it was paired with worsening mood and anxiety (also signs of slowed metabolism) so I took it as a sign and stopped.

(I am a Dog (Dog's eat until they burst!)) #105

Yes, cold fingers is a common symptom during a fast! I just completed a 46-day fast and I was cold most of the time.

I used extra salt, like 2-2.5 teaspoons a day, to help alleviate the symptoms but was still cold. I did wear sweats during the day and even put an extra blanket on the bed at night for comfort. Exercise often helped to generate more heat so I went for frequent walks as I work from home and live in Florida.

I pushed through the chills but have seen many others who decided not to. It is something to be aware of and is not, it itself, a danger sign in your fast. The Fasting Talk podcast addresses this in a couple of episodes if you want to hear it from some experts.

(Siobhan) #106

Yeah Iā€™m new to fasting so trying to take it slow. Carl though I think is more experienced but it might just be experimentation.
Iā€™d love to get one of those breath monitors that measures BMR but I donā€™t think they make home versionsā€¦ lol

Ultimately you have to go with your gut on when to stop not any one particular sign.

(James storie) #107

The one time I made bacon grease mayo it didnā€™t turn out very good. It was great right when I made it but after it chilled, it lost all flavor except the bacon grease. It wasnā€™t much different from eating bacon grease with a spoon. Any one else have this happen?

(Blyss (Old @Charmaine)) #108

@Lueloff wellā€¦ I do sometimes eat it neat out the jar LOL. :stuck_out_tongue_winking_eye: Iā€™ve also started adding it to baked goods for additional fat as well as cooking more with it. Iā€™ve increased my use of it in making like a bacon fat broth and soups. Like this week, I added about 2oz in the chili I made.

(Blyss (Old @Charmaine)) #109

I donā€™t know what you put in it, but I do know that no matter what mayo you make it can end up tasting like straight bland fat if itā€™s not seasoned enough. For a plain mayo, I rely on salt, paprika, mustard powder, lime (or lemon juice), and red wine vinegar (or acv). No matter if I make baconnaise or regular mayo, I try different flavor - chili lime, Old Bay and so on.

(G. Andrew Duthie) #110

One of the things Iā€™m looking into in my own n=1 experience with fasting is where iodine fits in. If youā€™re supplementing with iodized salt this may be a non-issue for you. My last extended fast, I ended up very cold and feeling crappy, so I ended the fast early, and it appears given some testing I had done that the cold in my case may have been driven by low triiodothyronine (T3), which Iā€™m thinking may have in turn been driven by low iodine. When I fast, I do supplement salt, but neither of the salts that I have on hand at the moment contain iodine, so given that Iā€™d fasted for 5 days, itā€™s possible that I did not have sufficient iodine to allow the thyroid to do its job.

I offer this, not as medical advice, but as my n=1 experience and thoughts on that experience based on the correlation between my symptoms (cold, feeling crappy, and lower HR) and those of hypothyroid.

Once I started eating again, I felt fine, but Iā€™m making it a point to get more iodine in, though as with most things, thereā€™s a sweet spot, and not 100% agreement on exactly where that sweet spot is.

Just another potential piece of the puzzle to consider while fasting.

(G. Andrew Duthie) #111

You say that like itā€™s a bad thing. :wink:

Hmmā€¦that gives me an idea. I made some keto Mounds bars the other day, using 100% cacao bar melted with Lilyā€™s chocolate chips as the base layer. But that layer was still pretty hard once cooled. Maybe if I added some bacon nectar, it would soften up the final product a bit, and add a hint of lovely bacon flavor. Not sure how well thatā€™d go with the coconut, but still worth trying, I think.

#112

Did you use another oil besides the bacon grease?

(Blyss (Old @Charmaine)) #113

@devhammer it would go well. Iā€™m Charmaine Blyss and I support this endeavor! :+1:

I started putting the bacon fat in stuff because I somehow ended up with this abundance of fat because I wasnā€™t using it up like I had been initially. So when I made some keto ā€˜cornbreadā€™ this week, I put it in there. I tried a piece with peanut butter and my keto raspberry syrup, and you know what? It was delicious!

So yeah, use the bacon fat in some keto sweets. After all people love chocolate covered bacon, so itā€™ll define work. Aaaaand, something I havenā€™t done in a long time was sautĆ©e raw almonds in bacon fatā€¦ thatā€™s ~really~ tasty.

(Blyss (Old @Charmaine)) #114

Fun part of fasting is freeing up my lunch break to read. LOL

Fasting is a game changer.

(Arlene) #115

It is estimated that iodine, like magnesium is deficient for many people, if not most, at least in the US. Lack of iodine depletes energy, increases anxiety and mood disorders, makes us cold, and much, much more. This is a subject worth learning about.

(Jessica) #116

Sounds familiar. Thank you!

In two weeks Iā€™m going to see my (new) doctor anyway, because since going keto Iā€™m feeling dizzy more often. Iā€™ll ask her to make a blood test (even though the receptionist already sounded like my minor issues werenā€™t really worth the doctors time).

(Arlene) #117

I hope this new doc understands ketogenic eating. If not, you need to do your own research. Sounds like you may need more salt (the real kind; like himylayan pink, etc.). Also, keep in mind that blood work is only helpful for some issues. Many issues donā€™t even show up in blood work, or they show up incorrectly.

(G. Andrew Duthie) #118

That. Sounds. Drool-worthy.

Not sure if youā€™re here in the states, or elsewhere, but I get labs done when I want them, and pay cash. I donā€™t have to ask anyoneā€™s permission, and if I have questions, I can always take the labs to a competent doc to discuss.

And I certainly donā€™t have to deal with the opinion of someone who is not a medical professional as to whether my issues are worth someoneā€™s time. Personally, if that is how your current docā€™s staff behaves, Iā€™d let the doc know, and if they tolerate it, Iā€™d look for another new doc.

(Jessica) #119

Iā€™m in Germany. My insurance would cover this if the doc thinks itā€™s necessary. The thing is, that he can charge approximately double if I want it done as a private service (? Is that correct?).

So basically most independant doctors here will ultimately look after their own profit and do this only if you pay for it yourself. I donā€™t have a problem with that, but thatā€™s not my first sentence when I call to make an appointment. Found my mistake :joy:.

(Blyss (Old @Charmaine)) #120

@devhammer it really is. Awesome to use for topping stuff. Or just eating as a stand alone.