Repair The Body On A 36-Hour Fast - How To Do It Correctly For The Best Benefits | Pradip Jamnadas

Summary

The video transcript discusses the practice of fasting for health benefits, outlining a gradual approach from 18-hour to 36-hour fasts and eventually to 3-day water fasts. It emphasizes monitoring blood pressure and blood sugar levels, adjusting medications accordingly, and the importance of ketosis in autophagy and other health benefits. The conversation also addresses the potential for fasting to be misused by those with eating disorders or addictive behaviors, highlighting the need for caution and professional guidance in such cases.

Takeaways

• 🕊️ Fasting protocols are used with patients, varying from 24-hour to 7-day fasts, with the aim of reducing health risks such as cancer.
• 📈 Monitoring vital signs like blood pressure is crucial during fasting, with medication adjustments made based on readings.
• 💊 For patients on blood sugar medications, oral agents are continued during fasting, and insulin dosages are halved during 24-hour fasts.
• 🚫 Insulin is completely stopped for fasts longer than 24 hours to prevent hypoglycemia.
• 📊 A gradual approach to fasting is recommended, starting with 18-hour fasts, then 24-hour fasts, and eventually moving to longer fasts like 36-hour or 3-day water fasts.
• 🥗 The transition to longer fasts includes a 36-hour fast once a week, skipping one main meal and having the next meal the following day.
• 🔍 Ketone testing is used to monitor the onset of ketogenesis, indicating physiological benefits such as autophagy and growth hormone production.
• 🌡️ Longer fasts, such as 36-hour fasts, are used to prepare patients for even longer fasts and to assess their readiness and response.
• 🏔️ 3-day water fasts are used for patients who have reached a weight loss plateau, helping them to continue shedding weight.
• 🚨 There is a potential risk of triggering eating disorders or addictions with fasting, and it's important to approach it with caution and professional guidance.
• 🧘‍♂️ The discussion highlights the importance of considering both physical and emotional health, as well as the potential for addiction in various aspects of life.

Q & A

What is the significance of monitoring blood pressure during fasting?

Monitoring blood pressure is crucial during fasting to ensure it does not drop too low, which could be dangerous. Patients are advised to take their blood pressure twice a day and adjust their blood pressure medications accordingly.

How are blood sugar levels managed during fasting periods?

For patients on oral agents, these medications are continued during fasting periods. Continuous glucose monitoring is used, especially for patients on insulin, to adjust insulin dosages and prevent hypoglycemia.

What is the initial fasting protocol for patients?

The initial fasting protocol involves an 18-hour fast period, during which patients continue their oral medications and monitor their blood sugar levels closely.

How does the fasting protocol progress from 18-hour fasts to longer fasts?

After two weeks of 18-hour fasts, patients progress to a 24-hour fast, reducing their insulin dosage by half initially and completely stopping insulin if the fast extends beyond 24 hours.

What is the purpose of a 36-hour fast in the fasting protocol?

A 36-hour fast is introduced to prepare patients for longer fasts, especially those who are overweight or metabolically deranged. It helps them enter a state of ketogenesis, which is beneficial for autophagy and other physiological processes.

How often should patients undertake a 36-hour fast according to the protocol?

Patients are advised to undertake a 36-hour fast once a week for two consecutive weeks as part of their fasting regimen.

What is the biochemical advantage of fasting for 36 hours?

By 36 hours, most patients enter a state of ketogenesis, which is associated with benefits such as autophagy, growth hormone production, and mitophagy.

How does the doctor determine when patients are ready for a 3-day water fast?

Patients are gradually prepared for a 3-day water fast by first undertaking 18-hour and 24-hour fasts, then 36-hour fasts, and finally progressing to the 3-day water fast if they feel motivated and are doing well.

What is the role of the 3-day water fast in the fasting protocol?

The 3-day water fast is used to help patients who have reached a weight loss plateau or to provide additional benefits for those who are overweight or metabolically deranged.

How does the doctor address potential issues with addiction to fasting?

The doctor recognizes that some patients may develop an addiction to fasting and advises them to stop if they are overdoing it. They may also refer patients with eating disorders or other addictions to a psychologist who specializes in addictions.

What is the potential risk of promoting fasting in patients with eating disorders?

Promoting fasting can be triggering for patients with eating disorders, and it is important to be cautious and considerate of this when advising patients on fasting protocols.

Outlines

00:00

🍽️ Fasting Protocols and Medical Monitoring

The script discusses various fasting protocols, starting with 24-hour fasts and extending up to 7-day fasts, and their potential impact on reducing lifetime cancer risk. It emphasizes the importance of medical supervision, including monitoring blood pressure and adjusting medication accordingly. For patients on oral diabetes medications, the script suggests continuing these during fasting periods but halving insulin dosages during 24-hour fasts and stopping insulin completely for longer fasts to avoid hypoglycemia. The gradual introduction of fasting, such as starting with an 18-hour fast and progressing to a 36-hour fast, is recommended to prepare patients for longer fasts. The 36-hour fast involves skipping one meal and having the next meal the following day, which is suggested to induce ketogenesis in most patients.

05:00

🚱 Ketosis, Autophagy, and Long-term Fasting

This paragraph delves into the biochemical advantages of fasting, such as ketosis, autophagy, growth hormone production, and mitophagy. It describes the use of ketone test strips to monitor when patients begin to produce ketones, which is a sign of entering a state of ketosis. The script mentions that by the 36-hour mark, most patients are in ketosis, experiencing benefits like autophagy. The gradual approach to fasting is reiterated, with the 3-day water fast being a favorite for its effectiveness in weight loss and overcoming weight loss plateaus. The paragraph also addresses the psychological aspects of fasting, including the potential for addiction and the importance of balance in eating habits.

10:02

🧘‍♂️ Addressing Addiction and Emotional Health in Fasting

The final paragraph addresses the broader implications of fasting, particularly the risk of triggering or exacerbating eating disorders and addictions. It acknowledges the need for caution when recommending fasting to patients and the importance of considering emotional health and mental well-being. The speaker discusses the potential for overdoing fasting and the need for professional guidance for patients with addictive behaviors. The paragraph also touches on the broader issue of addiction in society, including not only to food but also to instant gratification from digital devices, and the importance of addressing these issues holistically.

Keywords

💡Fasting

Fasting, as discussed in the video, refers to abstaining from food for a certain period of time. It is a practice that has been associated with various health benefits, such as reducing lifetime cancer risk and aiding weight loss. The script mentions different types of fasting, including 24-hour, 3-day, and 7-day fasts, and emphasizes the gradual approach to fasting to avoid adverse effects like 'keto flu'.

💡Blood Pressure

Blood pressure is the force exerted by circulating blood on the walls of blood vessels. In the context of fasting, it is crucial to monitor blood pressure to ensure it does not drop dangerously low. The script advises taking blood pressure readings twice a day and adjusting blood pressure medications accordingly, without stopping them abruptly.

💡Blood Sugar

Blood sugar refers to the glucose levels in the bloodstream, which is vital for the body's energy. The script discusses the management of blood sugar levels during fasting, especially for patients on oral agents or insulin. It mentions the use of continuous glucose monitoring devices and the adjustment of insulin dosages to prevent hypoglycemia during fasting periods.

💡Ketogenesis

Ketogenesis is the process by which the body produces ketones, which are alternative energy sources to glucose when the body is in a state of fasting. The script explains that after a certain period of fasting, most individuals will enter ketogenesis, which is indicated by the presence of ketones in the urine and is associated with benefits like autophagy and growth hormone production.

💡Autophagy

Autophagy is a cellular process where the body recycles its own waste and damaged components to maintain health. The script connects autophagy with fasting, suggesting that fasting can trigger this process, which is beneficial for cellular health and potentially reducing the risk of diseases like cancer.

💡Growth Hormone

Growth hormone is a peptide hormone that stimulates growth, cell reproduction, and cell regeneration in humans. The script mentions that fasting can lead to an increase in growth hormone production, which is one of the physiological benefits of fasting.

💡BDNF (Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor)

BDNF is a protein that supports the growth and survival of neurons and is associated with learning and memory. The script implies that fasting can stimulate the production of BDNF, suggesting a potential neuroprotective effect of fasting.

💡Mitophagy

Mitophagy is the process by which damaged mitochondria are removed from cells. The script suggests that fasting can induce mitophagy, which is beneficial for cellular health by maintaining the integrity of mitochondria.

💡Eating Disorders

Eating disorders are mental health conditions characterized by abnormal eating habits that negatively affect a person's physical or mental health. The script acknowledges the sensitivity of fasting advice for individuals with eating disorders and the potential for fasting to trigger harmful behaviors in those susceptible to disordered eating.

💡Addiction

Addiction, in the context of the script, refers to a compulsive engagement in rewarding stimuli, substances, or behaviors, despite adverse consequences. The discussion includes the potential for fasting to become addictive and the broader issue of addiction to substances like sugar or behaviors such as overuse of digital gadgets.

💡Keto Flu

Keto flu is a term used to describe the symptoms some individuals experience when transitioning into ketosis, such as fatigue, nausea, and headaches. The script warns against the abrupt start of fasting to avoid such symptoms and emphasizes the importance of a gradual approach.

Highlights

24-hour fasting and 3-day fasts have been used with patients to reduce lifetime cancer risk.

Blood pressure should be monitored twice daily during fasting to prevent drops.

Blood pressure medications should not be stopped abruptly during fasting.

For blood sugar management, oral agents are continued during fasting, and continuous glucose monitoring is advised.

Insulin dosage is reduced by half during a 24-hour fast and completely stopped for longer fasts to avoid hypoglycemia.

A gradual transition to fasting is recommended, starting with 18-hour fasts and progressing to 24-hour and 36-hour fasts.

Patients are accustomed to one meal a day, and a 36-hour fast involves skipping one meal to extend the fasting window.

The 36-hour fast is beneficial as it usually induces ketogenesis in most patients.

Ketone testing with keto sticks can help patients understand when their body starts ketone production.

The transition to longer fasts, such as a 3-day water fast, is done gradually to avoid 'keto flu' and other adverse effects.

3-day water fasts are used for patients who have reached a weight loss plateau.

Fasting can be triggering for people with eating disorders, and caution should be exercised when recommending fasting regimens.

There is a potential for addiction to fasting, and it's important to balance the benefits with the risks of overdoing it.

Patients with eating disorders or addictions may require additional support from psychologists specializing in addictions.

The modern world's instant gratification culture, including smartphones and processed foods, can contribute to addictive behaviors.

Changing the type of food consumed can help eliminate addictive substances and behaviors.

A balanced approach to fasting and eating is crucial to maintain long-term health benefits without leading to extremes.

Transcripts

I know you have used 24-hour fasting

with patients I know you have used three

day fasts and you have also shared in

previous conversations some very

powerful statistics one in particular I

remember on a 7-Day fast you shared a

statistic a bit of research from Boston

in terms of what that does to your

lifetime cancer risk so maybe you could

talk about some of these longer fasts

and then practically how do people start

going about that yes yes so absolutely

so at all times they are supposed to

take the blood pressures twice a day

make sure that the blood pressure not

going down to because that do not stop

the blood pressure medications right off

the bat so on the blood pressure

medication reduction will be done

depending on your blood pressure

readings as far as blood sugar is

concerned if they are oral agents I'll

continue those oral agents while they're

doing the 18-hour fast periods even the

24-hour fast I'll keep them on it and I

will ask them to monitor the blood sugar

use now continuous glucose monitoring

the the the the little uh devices I only

advise those on on patients who are on

insulin when I'm fasting them because I

want to make sure that their insulins

don't drop off but when a patient is

taking insulin and he does the 24-hour

fasts I drop the insulin levels by half

first I mean insulin dosage by half and

I monitor the blood sugars and then when

they go beyond 24-hour fast I stop

insulin completely completely completely

I stop it completely because I don't

want them to become hypoglycemic so oral

agents I will

continue insulin I will discontinue if

I'm doing more than 24 hours but I

monitor the blood sugars very closely

and then that brings me to a little

longer fast before I go to longer fast I

make them do a 36-hour fast so I'll make

them do that once a

week once a week means that evening

rolls around skip that meal also and

then have yourself a breakfast treat

yourself for the breakfast the next day

and that brings it to 36 hours so I make

them do at least 136 hour fast for maybe

you know two consecutive weeks and then

I'll take them to higher levels can I

just clar can I just clarify that so the

36-hour fast the way you have found it

most beneficial for most of your

patients is what you skip one evening

meal to the next evening meal how when

when does fasting time I know you can do

it any way you want but what have you

found to work can we just clarify that

yeah so the patients already are used to

having only one meal a day okay so then

I'll say skip that one meal and then

have the next meal when you're supposed

to have then that'll bring you to 36

hours so for most patients these days

they're having their evening meals

because it's more social they're having

it with so they'll skip breakfast

they'll skip lunch evening comes down

they're supposed to eat and I tell them

skip it and go and have breakfast the

next day that brings them 36 hours I

guess if they're already used to having

one meal a day then actually skipping

that evening meal it's kind of I don't

know just go to go to bed early as well

you know sort of you know it's yeah I

like that so what stage do you take them

from this two meal a day which is this

uh you know this six-h hour eating

window you know you you do that

initially for the 18 hour fast then you

take them to 24 hours to you with just

one meal a day is that how you do it

that's exactly how I do it and then

they're doing one meal a day 5 days a

week weekends they're going to have two

meals they do that for two weeks and

then I say okay you've been doing this

for two weeks now you've been having

only one meal a day next few weeks one

day a week you're going to go to 36 and

the way you're going to do it is you're

going to skip that one meal also and

then have a breakfast the next day so

that'll bring you to the and I want to

see how you feel and most of them come

back saying I just missed the meal in

the evening I watched the movie and went

to

bed so why am I going from 24 to 36

because I want to get them ready for

longer fast especially if they

tremendously overweight and they're

metabolically deranged what's the

biochemical Advantage between 24 and 36

at by 36 hours almost all of them will

be in some degree of

ketogenesis so it's hard to know who's

going to start spilling ketone at 18

hours 24 hours 30 or 32 hours it's hard

to know that so when I prime

them then I'm finding that there's

longer and longer periods of ketogenesis

that means they go into Ketone

production at 16 hours so long as they

made their dietary changes gradually got

into this the ketogenesis phase starts a

little bit sooner at about 16 hours and

the most motivated patients say that oh

I want to know I said okay if you want

to know then go to the Pharmacy and pick

up some keto sticks and just test your

urine and tell me when you started

spilling the ketones so after 24-hour

fast almost all of them are spilling

ketones and when they spilling ketones I

know what's going on with their

physiology at that point I know that

they're getting the benefits of some

degree of autophagy growth hormone um

bdnf production and mitophagy I know

that's happening because they they're

spilling ketones so spilling ketones so

that's another motivating thing in the

patient who's showing me the interest

and the ones I really want them yes give

them the tool take this home check your

ketones that's what I find so

fascinating so by 36 hours they're

making the ketones so they'll do that

for a couple of weeks where they now

went to 36-hour fasts once a week for

two weeks now at that point depending on

how motivated they feel and how well

they are doing now I'll go to more prol

long fasts and my favorite fast is the

3-day water

fast and most of the I'm telling you

greater than 95% of them when they've

graduated to this point where they've

gradually gone and done all this they're

able to do the 3-day water fast with no

difficulty

whatsoever and if they get cramps then I

tell them okay take a glass of water and

put a pinch of salt in it and just just

down it and you'll feel better but most

of them don't because they've adapt

themselves if you go into a 3-day water

fast too quickly you're going to get

more cramps but more important you're

going to go through what is known as

keto flu and you just feel terrible and

achy and just feel really bad so I do it

gradually but I must make them go to a

3-day water Fest I use it in that case I

also use it in patients who are able to

lose weight but then they reach a

plateau so now they're weighing 230 lbs

and I want them to have more weight loss

so they've been doing this now for a

month and they said look doc I just

can't shed any more weight now I've done

everything you're saying and I'll put

them on a 3-day water fast and lo and

behold they'll start losing weight again

so I use that in patients who've reached

the plateau going to the 3-day water F

thank you for sharing that I think

something I did want to bring up today

um

because I know a lot of people and again

we we're all influenced by the online

world or the patients that we've seen or

the online world that we inhabit

and you know I spoke to David CLA uh

this Harvard Professor who talks about

aging in a very very profound and novel

way

and you know when I put out that episode

with David A lot of people were saying

look asking people to skip meals uh is

very triggering for people with eating

disorders and I know Eating Disorders

are on the rise uh massively all over

the world certainly here in the UK and

and in

America so I think we need to be careful

about that uh I think it's worth me just

flagging that here that potentially this

advice is not for people with eating

disorders that's a sort of separate

issue well I'd welcome your perspective

on that um but also you know is it

possible that we take these things to

extremes I guess there would be some

people we mentioned Anna ly's book

before dopamine nation and um that we

are all we're living in a world of

addicts now and that you know she

mentions that the smartphone is the

modern day hypodermic needle which I

thought was a very provocative way but

but I I actually completely agree with

her of talking about

it there's Health there's physical

biochemical Health but there's also this

kind of emotional health and our mental

well-being do you think as much as you

love fasting do you think some

people they can sort of overdo it and

get so addicted to kind of that feeling

of fasting and actually go to an extreme

which potentially could become

problematic I think you're right it can

happen fortunately I haven't seen it

here with somebody I tell them stop now

stop stop this is enough now you should

be eating two meals a day and you know I

think that the pattern you need to

settle down in is for you I think that

two meals a day in a 6 or 8 Hour window

period may be a nice thing for you to do

chronically to maintain what you've

gained the benefits that you've already

gained um then I have seen any patients

who ignored that and contined to do the

3day water fasts on a on a weekly basis

or whatever or two weekly basis I

haven't seen that but but but you are

absolutely right that there are some

patients who clearly have an eating

disorder and they clearly have a type of

addiction and and they're going up at

night and they they creep downstairs and

they're eating away five bars of

chocolates and all this kinds of stuff

and those patients clearly do need help

and I will not deal with those on my own

I will supervise it but I'll send them

to a psychologist that

specializes in addictions because they

have to really spend time with that

patient about addiction behavior and

it's not just Behavior about the food

there may be other issues that are

actually triggering um because you see

you slide from one addiction to the

other to the other to the other so so

you can't take off this alone on its own

until you also take take care of the

sugar and maybe the the cell phone and

and other digital gadgets that gives you

the instant gratifications and and there

may even be other issues he may be a

gambler for you know or have other type

of deviant Behavior addictions so no

you're absolutely so recognizing those

with the biggest problems and addiction

is a huge problem and it's becoming more

more known now that uh the addiction is

to not only sugar but it's also addicted

to to to process food content process

foods and the content of processed foods

um are very addictive yeah I think

that's why you want to change the the

type of food that you so you're getting

rid of all the addictive substances in

the food The Addictive sugar in the food

and then addictive behaviors in other

aspects of your life as well so so it's

it's really looking at the whole thing

it's it's it's a huge problem it's a

huge problem and yes we are an addicted

nation and that's why it's making it so

easier for us to become addicted to food

later on in life because it starts at a

very young age yeah already getting

addicted to gadgets um and instant

gratification if you enjoyed that clip

here another powerful clip that I think

you are really going to enjoy