Medications and ADF

#1

So happy to have found this forum. Thank you. My question is, I would like to now try ADF. However, I’m taking a certain medication that has to be taken with food. I have read that chia seeds can be mixed in a little water and taken with the meds. Apparently this suffices for taking meds with food and still keeps one in the fasting state. Any experience with this? Truth? TIA

#2

Welcome to the forum!

Eating anything with significant amounts of proteins, carbs & even fats over some amount will take you out of fasting. But it’s not something to worry about too much.

What’s your primary purpose of doing ADF? Is it mainly for weight loss? Or are you trying to increase autophagy to address/heal certain health issues?

If it is primarily for weight loss, then a bit of food on your fasting day for the purpose of taking medication won’t affect your weight loss that much. Stick to food that won’t spike your insulin so much - so, something with fat, maybe a little protein. Like if you have an egg or even the tablespoon of chia seeds, that’ll be fine.

If it is for autophagy then, yes, what you eat will stop autophagy temporarily. Again, I’d still say take the medication with something with fat & not so much protein/carbs. So again chia seeds or an egg will be ok.

#3

Thanks…my chia seeds is 0 net carbs . I think I will try this when i want to do an ADF. I’ve been clean fasting.

#4

Chia seeds have a bit of carbs but it’s not just carbs that can break a fast (technically). Protein and fats (after a certain amount) will break the fast too.

So generally, unless you are consuming something with no/miniscule carbs, protein or fat (think black coffee, black tea, water etc), you would have technically broken the fast.

But like I explained earlier, it’s not something to really worry about - especially if your primary goal is weight loss.

#5

Completely depends on the specific medication. Some won’t matter, some will make you feel like crap. Some can actually cause some damage.

#6

Thank you. I follow net carbs so the chia seeds I have are 0 net. Before I try this though, I’m contacting my doctor for his advice.

(KM) #7

I’d google “Fasting Mimicking Diet”. There’s been some research into which foods can be consumed in what quantity without throwing the benefits of fasting completely out the window.

(Bacon is a many-splendoured thing) #8

Welcome to the forums.

What is ADF? It’s not an abbreviation I recognise.

(Robin) #9

Alternate Day Fasting? Just a guess. Sounds familiar.

(Bacon is a many-splendoured thing) #10

Ah, that’s probably it. Explains the concern about a medication needing to be taken with food.

@Michele317 When they say to take a medication with food, it’s for a good reason. Sometimes the food is necessary for the medication to work properly, other times it’s because the medication can damage the stomach lining or cause other problems without food to protect the digestive tract. Depending on what the reason is, a small glass of milk might be all you need, and that shouldn’t interfere too badly with a fast.

I would strongly recommen consulting with your pharmacist/chemist to see what will happen if you take the medication without food. Doctors are often surprisingly ignorant about this sort of thing, but a chemist/pharmacist is usually very knowledgeable.