5 Thought Friday
Writing this 4 days into a 5 day fast, so this may explain the content below. With that, here are my 5 Thoughts for the week!
1. What I am currently reading, viewing, or listening to:
Dr. Peter Attia podcast with Dr. Jason Fung - Fasting and its antidote to health problems - watched at 1.5x.
If you want to understand the benefits of fasting, I would listen to the entire episode. It is a great set of theories around how fasting improves our bodies.
2. Gratitude Practice (for improved happiness):
Grateful for my courage to start the Chinese New Year with my longest fast ever (118 hours).
Thanks also to all my Chinese and non-Chinese friends for wishing me and my family well for the Year of the Tiger. It has also been fun passing out the “red packets” to wish individuals a prosperous and healthy new year!
3. Wellness ideas to consider:
I am still on the journey to complete my level 1 Precision Nutrition (PN) wellness certification. This article talks about PN’s take on fasting and long-term caloric restriction. In summary:
Period fasting (> 2 days) tends to produce more pronounced changes in growth factors and metabolic biomarkers, indicating that it may provide greater health benefits.
All in all, fasting seems like a better bet than long-term caloric restriction for those focusing on longevity (and those comfortable with self-experimentation).
Caveat: There is simply not enough data to confirm this theory, so trust your “gut” and experiment on what is best for you!
4. What I’m eating, drinking, buying, or whatever else is on my mind:
Eating: Absolutely nothing!
Drinking water, coffee, and tea along with lots of electrolytes this week (sodium, potassium, magnesium). Also drank small amounts of bone broth on days 4 and 5 of my fast, since my blood sugar levels were quite low.
However, this is why my ketone levels were over 5.0 and my autophagy was in high gear. Listen to Dr. Attia and Dr. Fung in #1 above or check out this article from Healthline, which explains it in layman’s terms.
5. Quote(s) I am Pondering:
“I used to resent obstacles along the path, thinking, “If only that hadn’t happened, life would be so good.” Then I suddenly realized, LIFE is the obstacles. There is no underlying path.” Janna Levin, Professor
This is the exact reason I try to experiment and challenge myself in areas like fasting. Life is full of obstacles and challenges with no defined path; so get out of your comfort zone and experiment with new things. You may find you love it!
Happy Friday!
Mike
