- Fasting has been a part of almost every human culture for centuries — sometimes for spiritual reasons, other times because there wasn’t enough food to feed everyone every day.
- Intermittent fasting is when you restrict food every day for a period, and eat your food for the day during a shortened window of time.
- Intermittent fasting results vary, but people report more energy, a clearer mind, immune benefits, better sleep, and more
- Here are 8 podcast episodes to get you on the right track with intermittent fasting.
Fasting may seem like it’s on trend at the moment, but it’s nothing new. Fasting has been a part of almost every human culture for centuries — sometimes for spiritual reasons, other times because there wasn’t enough food to feed everyone every day.
Intermittent fasting is when you restrict food every day for a period, and eat your food for the day during a shortened window of time. For example, you’ll take 18 hours off of eating and take in all of your calories for the day in a 6-hour window in the afternoon to evening.
You’ve heard about the amazing benefits — more energy, a clearer mind, reduced disease risk, better sleep. Over the past five years, various guests, from world-class athletes to biochemists to innovative physicians have talked to Dave on the Bulletproof Radio podcast about their experience with intermittent fasting. Their reasons for getting started are as varied as their backgrounds. Ahead, learn more about why you need intermittent fasting in your life, and what you can expect from adopting the practice.
Glow From The Inside Out: Autophagy and Women
Naomi Whittel, author of “Glow15: A Science Based Plan to Lose Weight, Revitalize Your Skin and Invigorate Your Life”
As a pre-teen, the life stage when young girls become hyper-aware of appearance, Naomi Whittel had a few autoimmune conditions that outwardly affected her skin. Like many people with chronic conditions, Whittel experienced frustration of treatment failures followed by eventual success with natural remedies.
Whittel grew up on a biodynamic farm with parents who favored natural wellness, so her life experience primed Whittel to make a career of natural wellness. She started a successful supplements company, sold it to one of the largest supplements companies in the game, and became CEO of that company. She eventually developed the Glow 15 program, an inside-out skincare program based on autophagy – giving your cells the chance to clean out waste and repair themselves for youthful, glowing skin. Much like the Bulletproof Diet, Whittel recommends intermittent fasting and protein fasting to stay youthful inside and out.
What the Godfather of Intermittent Fasting Eats
Mark Mattson, Ph.D.
Feasting & Fasting
Brad Pilon
Brad Pilon did his graduate work on the effects of short-term fasting and human health. After spending years in the bodybuilding industry, where it is common practice to eat every three hours and mainline protein to prevent your muscles from shrinking, Pilon found that fasting gives you an edge no matter what your health or physique goals are. Dave and Brad discuss old ways of thinking and how research and real-world evidence shatter conventional bodybuilding myths.
Metabolic Flexibility, Fasting & Sleep: A Fresh Look at the Keto Revolution
Mark Sisson
In this episode of the Bulletproof Radio podcast, Dave and Mark Sisson, author of “The Primal Blueprint” and “The Keto Reset Diet” talk metabolic flexibility — the idea that you know what works for you and you do that most of the time, and you change it up every now and again. Whether you spend some amount of time in ketosis, do an extended fast a few times a year, burn fat for a while, burn glucose for a few days… each period of doing something different teaches your body how to use what’s available. That leads to resilience, which is the best state your body can be in — the state where youadapt to whatever life throws your way.
Climb Everest In a T-shirt & Shorts. Survive Submersion In Freezing Water For Hours
Wim Hof
Best known for plodding through the Himalayas in shorts, Wim Hof is the ultimate example of a resilient human. Using a method of breathing he developed by self-experimentation, he competes in athletic events in extreme conditions without showing the physiological changes that people typically exhibit, like drop in core temperature. He credits intermittent fasting as part of his formula that allows him to access his autonomic nervous system (the system that regulates the things you don’t think about, like heart rate and body temperature) at will, which allows him to persist no matter what he’s up against.
Roundup, Aspartame & Intermittent Fasting
Dr. Joseph Mercola
In this episode of Bulletproof Radio, Dr. Joseph Mercola, DO, explains that if you take care of your insulin resistance, it snowballs and you resolve a lot of health problems since a lot of issues stem from improper insulin signaling. He talks about intermittent fasting as part of the larger goal of improving your insulin sensitivity.
Understanding Fat To Help You Lose Weight
Dr. Sylvia Tara
Dr. Sylvia Tara, PhD dives deep into one of the most misunderstood and demonized nutrients in the human diet, fat. She says that the key to losing weight is understanding the complexities of fat and making it work for you, not against you. Dr. Tara explains how intermittent fasting helps keep your insulin stable so that you lose weight, and she points out special considerations for the differences in the way women store and use fat.
Why You Shouldn’t Fear Fasting
Dr. Jason Fung and Jimmy Moore
If you want a comprehensive overview of the benefits of fasting, give this episode of Bulletproof Radio a listen. Dr. Jason Fung and author Jimmy Moore go deep into the science behind fasting, what’s happening with your hormones and in your cells when you fast, and the amazing results you can experience for yourself.
Toxic Mold, Intermittent Fasting & Vegan vs Low Carb
Dr. Amy Shah
In this episode of Bulletproof Radio, Dr. Amy Shah explains the snags that women often run into with intermittent fasting. Women’s hormones are more sensitive than men’s, so there are steps women can take to get all the benefits of intermittent fasting without the hormone fluctuations and stress on the adrenals. As a bonus, she gets into tips and tricks on how to get kids to choose healthy foods on their own.
Humans are built to fast. You get the signal to eat early in your fast, and later on, you start producing ketones for energy and you don’t feel the need to eat for a while.
That point is when the magic happens. Your cells get a break from digestion and pulling energy out of food, and switch to cleaning, maintenance and repair mode. The result is youthful, healthy cells that make your whole body work more efficiently. There are different ways to do it — the key to success with fasting is to find the right way for you.
