Questions for Jason Fung and Megan Ramos

(Trish) #142

My question is regarding metabolism and fasting. If metabolism or BMR increases due to fasting, how long will this increase be maintained? Is it indefinite barring any recurrence of bad eating habits or just temporary, and if temporary then how long can one expect their BMR to remain elevated? Thank you.

(Victoria Mc Coy) #143

Good question - I’ve wondered that too.

(carl) #144

Jason says BMR does start to go down after a few days. Still, the benefits of longer fasts (autophagy) are higher after 3 days. So if you want to fast for weight loss, it might make sense to break a fast after a few days to bring up your BMR again, then continue fasting. If you want to fast for autophagy, do a longer fast. IDM typically puts their patients on regular IF with a longer fast every few weeks.

#145

My Q: Two questions about intermittent fasting:

Could Ginger supplementation be a force multiplier for everything IF and EF (plus, with the benefits of circulation/warming assistance during EF)? There seem to be lots of solid studies on the many benefits of dry Ginger capsules, and lots of eastern usage of Ginger tea during fasting. (I’ve been using Ginger capsules to reduce cortisol and speed belly fat recomposition as well as for its appetite suppression during IF, insulin management, anti-candida support and digestive enzymes - with super great results myself - and I’ve started to take it with my morning coffee even on fast days without derailing my progress…).

Also, your wonderful website’s Practical Tips for Fasting #12 mentions bone broth as a good fasting support - however a mug of good bone broth has around 10 grams of protein. I would like to use this during fasting, but am confused, as I thought protein spiked insulin and was not advised for this reason. I would love to be able to fast with bone broth though!

Thanks a million for any and all answers, you are much appreciated!!!

(Trish) #146

Thanks @carl I actually am hoping for both benefits, weight loss as I’m only half way there and still need to lose 35 pounds or so, and autophagy to assist with the whole loose skin issue post significant weight loss but more so for cell repair status post thyroid cancer and years of being overweight, generally unhealthy, and having had already 7 surgeries for various ailments. I IF daily in that I typically eat one or two meals a day (if 2, then usually a 6-hour eating window) and have started the zornfast monthly. Any thoughts on tweeting this for optimization?

(Andrew Roberts) #147

I found the first 3 days of my first 7 day fast difficult, so I had coffee with cream and bone broth. After that, I went to water only with electrolytes (Travis Kristifferson’s mixture of KCl and baking soda). I would think this gives the best of both worlds: fat to resist the peak of grehlin in the first days and autophagy in days 4-7. Hunger was minimal after day 3.

(Jeanne Wagner) #148

peresianketoOct '17
Keto rash, is it a hormone thing? I have a case around my eyes, so its pretty difficult to hide it, I love being in ketosis but this part sucks!

I’ve had keto rash for around two months on my lower back. It’s very itchy. However, it is consistently, very slowly, dissipating. It’s almost gone now. I’ll be happy when it is.

Keto Peeing and Cramps
Did i just throw away my 7 days on keto
Upset Stomach
New to ket
The Struggle IS SO Real!
#149

What is this exactly? Never heard of it.

This is smart approach, I tend to agree with you on this. Whatever gets you through to the magical days of day 4 onward. Plus I’m betting (cannot prove) that autophagy is happening to some degree on days where a little broth or cream is consumed anyway. And even if it’s minimal during that time, you can be darn sure that during the water/electrolyte only days of 4-7 there is some serious cellular cleaning going on.

(Andrew Roberts) #150

KCL is Potassium chloride - Morton’s Salt Substitute. The recipe is about 3/8 tsp of baking soda and I think 1/8 tsp of Morton’s Salt Substitute in 1l of water. It works great and is much cheaper than buying Endurolytes or one of the commecial electrolyte mixtures.

#151

Ok, misread that. I ordered some pure KCl a few months ago and mixed my own “lite salt” using that mixed with pink salt. It’s worked well. Much healthier and tastier than the Morton’s crap plus no fillers. Makes a great ketoade when added to water and a 1/2 teaspoon of calm magnesium.

(Bill DeVore) #152

I’ve used Cavender’s Salt Free Greek Seasoning, which uses KCL in place of NaCL for years in recipes, or a quick greek dressing. I see it has sugar in it, but not enough to make the carbs > 1 on the label. Anyone used this? Any issues?

p.s. it tastes great!

(Andrew Roberts) #153

Bill, the only reason I use KCL is on a fast. We have plenty of potassium in our food. Dr. Gabe Mirkin says the only cases he has seen of potassium deficiency have been bolemia-related. I don’t believe in salt substituting. In fact the most recent on salt is that the medical community has had this all wrong for 50 years or more. We need salt and even managing high blood pressure by salt reduction is a bad idea, because it does so by dehydration. Dr. Fung Tweeted a great interview on Dr. Oz with Dr. Nicolantonio, author of the The Salt Fix. I think the story on salt will be as mind blowing as low carb and high fat. The food guide and medical community was wrong on these two and now “three strikes your out.” Salt is good!

(Bill DeVore) #154

Yeah, agree, and I’m not replacing salt, I’m using this as an additional source of potassium - I liberally use many good quality natural salts in my cooking. But, I like the Cavender’s Greek seasoning, and if you need KCL during fasts, it could be a better tasting way of getting some. ~Regards

(Bill DeVore) #155

Ketostix (urine ketone testing)

I’ve heard all of the podcasts on how you should test blood, not urine or breath. The common issue I hear on the urine ketone testing is that it becomes inaccurate after you’ve been in keto for a few weeks. But, what if it doesn’t?

I started Keto on 22 Jan 2018, a little more than 6 weeks ago. During that time, I’ve been testing urine ketones mostly daily, or every other day, in the early evening (6 pm). I use the TRUEplus Ketone Test Strips from NIPRO Diagnostics, available at Walgreens. At the end of the first week, they were up in the dark purple range, labeled as 80-160 mg/dL. Since then, they have consistently been in the pink/light purple range - 15-40 mg/dL.

Why haven’t mine disappeared? Am I not keto/fat-adapting properly? Is my body not using ketones efficiently (they’re not getting used and output in the urine)?

Just curious, thanks in advance.

Why am I not "using" my ketones?
(What The Fast?!) #156

Menstrual cycle question:

Pre keto, I had a very normal cycle - every 28 days on the dot and it lasted for 5 days. I had minimal cramping and minimal moodiness. After starting ketosis year ago, it became very irregular. After a few months of keto, it normalized (kind of) but ever since I started doing more extended fasting (2-5 days at a time), it got way worse. In the last six months, they’ve been anywhere from 34 to 40 days apart and never consistent. Right now I’m over 6 weeks out from my last one and still waiting. No insulin resistance, low fasting insulin, and before keto, I’d had all my hormones checked (via saliva and blood) and everything was fine.

This may be relevant, as it shows other signs of my body disagreeing with keto/fasting: I’ve also had an extremely difficult time losing on keto (only 2 lbs lost in a year even though I have 20 to lose per my last DEXA) and I’ve gained back almost every pound lost from fasting almost immediately. I’m also typically hungry during a fast.

Any thoughts on the missing/late cycles, so far into this lifestyle?

#157

Hi Jeanne,
Mine is gone now after a few months keto and a few fasts, I think fasting for 2-3 days helps the detox process. Good luck!

(Jeanne Wagner) #158

Glad to hear it! I have done a couple of fasts, the longest was 5 days. I think after a week or so more of OMAD I will get back to it. I really feel like I could tell a difference in my body after the longer fast. I know I can go beyond 5 days. I kinda want to see how far I can take it.

#159

I’m interested to hear the response to this. I have been keto or zc for long periods off and on over the years, and during the times I was committed to it, my cycles changed, but weren’t necessarily irregular. I have also been an IFer for many years as well. I recently recommitted to keto back in march and have incorporated alternate day fasting along with my usual daily if-ing, since the weight will not friggin’ come off & I’m about 50lbs over right now. Probably more, but that’s what I’m focusing on right now. Anyway, the alternate day fasting seems to be working well, as long as I do some sort of workout for at least 30 minutes a day, but I missed my first period ever. That never happens, well except when I’m preggo! LOL It’s only been one, so I’m not particularly worried. In fact, hallelujah! I’m 40, a Mother and single af. I couldn’t care less if I never get another period again, honestly. But, if this continues, I know that something’s going on that isn’t quite right.

(Briton) #160

Is intermittent fasting beneficial even when taking insulin for type 2 diabetes? How do we effectively lower insulin in order to burn fat when we have to shoot up the very thing that is keeping us fat?

(carl) #161

Just in case you thought these questions were going into the ether, Megan Ramos answered several of them on this week’s Obesity Code Podcast.

http://obesitycodepodcast.com/live-q-and-a-with-megan-ramos/

Why am I not "using" my ketones?