The Complete Guide To Fasting

by Jason Fung

ketogenic diet (a low-carb, moderate-protein, high-fat diet) and intermittent fasting are excellent methods of reducing high insulin levels.

Excessive insulin causes obesity, and excessive insulin causes insulin resistance, which is the disease known as type 2 diabetes.

also included bouillon cubes to help with electrolyte imbalance. I’ve since learned that a better, healthier way to get these helpful effects is to drink kombucha and bone broth with sea salt.

The Alzheimer’s Antidote. She has a master’s degree

The most potent natural stimulus to growth hormone secretion is fasting.

I have reversed my insulin resistance with a fasting protocol of 18-hour fasts for 5 days followed by 2 days water-only fasting. I also water-only fast for 10–18 consecutive days every other month. After day 3, all hunger diminishes, ketones soar, and that’s when I feel invincible! I feel better at 51 than I ever felt at 21!

Precision Xtra meter from Abbott

The IDM fast permits water, tea, and coffee. Sugar, honey, agave nectar, and other sweeteners are not permitted. Artificial sweeteners or flavors are not allowed, but natural flavors such as lemon juice, mint, cinnamon, or other spices are.

The IDM fast also allows homemade bone broth, which both makes fasting easier and may help prevent salt deficiency during longer fasts.

Aim to drink two liters of water and other fluids daily. As a good practice, start every day with eight ounces of cool water to ensure adequate hydration. Add a squeeze of lemon or lime to flavor the water, if you wish. Alternatively, you can add orange slices, berries, or cucumber slices to a pitcher of water for an infusion of flavor. Diluted apple-cider vinegar in water may help lower your blood sugar.

All types of tea are excellent choices, including green, black, oolong, and herbal. Green tea is an especially good choice during a fast: the catechins in green tea are believed to help suppress appetite. Teas can be blended together for variety and can be enjoyed hot or cold. Spices such as cinnamon or nutmeg add flavor.

Herbal teas are not true teas because they do not contain tea leaves. However, they also are great for fasting. Cinnamon tea and ginger tea have both been used for their reputed appetite-suppressing power. Mint tea and chamomile tea are often used for their soothing properties. Because herbal teas contain no caffeine, they can be enjoyed anytime during the day or night. All teas, including herbal teas, can be enjoyed either hot or cold.

Fasting has no upper limit. In the 1970s, a twenty-seven-year-old Scottish man started fasting at a weight of 456 pounds. Over the next 382 days, he subsisted on only noncaloric fluids, a daily multivitamin, and various supplements, setting the world record for the longest fast. A physician monitored him during the fasting period and determined that there were no significant deleterious health effects. His body weight decreased from 456 pounds to 180 pounds. Even five years after his fast, he remained at 196 pounds. His blood sugar level decreased but remained well within the normal range, and he had no episodes of hypoglycemia.