Happy Wednesday! My planned 48 hour fast went well, thankfully I was able to get out of my work dinner so that meant I could fast without awkwardness or feel guilted into having dinner. 😂 I will break my fast today at my work lunch and then fly home this evening. It really does make trips so much simpler when I use that for my fasting time.
I asked AI about the benefits of fasting and I think it's a pretty great list so I thought I would share. Have you experienced any of these benefits? What does your fasting routine look like? Of you haven't tried it yet, why not?
Benefits of Fasting:
Weight Loss:
Caloric Restriction: By not eating for a period, you naturally reduce your caloric intake, which can lead to weight loss.
Metabolic Shift: Fasting can shift your body from using glucose for energy to burning fat, including visceral fat, which is linked to various health issues.
Improved Insulin Sensitivity:
Fasting can lower blood sugar levels and reduce insulin resistance, which might decrease the risk of type 2 diabetes.
Cellular Repair and Autophagy:
During fasting, your cells initiate autophagy, a process where they remove dysfunctional proteins and regenerate new ones, essentially cleaning out damaged cells to make way for new ones.
Heart Health:
Fasting can lead to reductions in blood pressure, cholesterol levels, triglycerides, and inflammatory markers like C-reactive protein, all of which are beneficial for heart health.
Brain Health:
There's some evidence suggesting fasting might promote brain health by increasing levels of BDNF (Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor), which supports neuron health and may reduce the risk of neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's.
Cancer Prevention and Treatment:
Some studies indicate that fasting might make cancer cells more vulnerable to chemotherapy while protecting normal cells, potentially reducing side effects of cancer treatments. However, this is still under research.
Longevity:
Animal studies have shown that caloric restriction, including through fasting, can extend lifespan. While direct human studies are limited, the health benefits observed might contribute to a longer, healthier life.
Reduction in Inflammation:
Fasting can reduce markers of inflammation, potentially lowering the risk for various chronic conditions linked to inflammation.
Mental Clarity and Focus:
Some people report improved mental clarity and focus during fasting periods, possibly due to the body's increased production of ketones, which are an alternative energy source for the brain.
Digestive Rest:
Giving your digestive system a break can lead to less strain on the stomach and intestines, potentially improving symptoms for those with digestive issues.
Important Considerations:
Hydration: It's crucial to drink plenty of water (and electrolytes) during fasting periods to avoid dehydration.
Not One-Size-Fits-All: The benefits can vary greatly depending on individual health, the type of fasting (intermittent, water fasting, etc.), and how it's implemented.
Cheese is good! I ate a block of chipotle oven baked cheese with lunch yesterday and it was divine. I love it, but know that it halts any progress I'm making, and will even trigger eating in excess to where I'll gain weight. It's sad but I have accepted it. If I eat it in small quantities with a meal, it's ok, but I really have to work to keep it in check.
What's your favorite cheese? How do you incorporate it? Do you see negative results when eating it?
Happy Sunday! Sharing a video today from our week, one of the highlights. This was Wednesday evening church, normally they have a more casual prayer meeting where someone plays the guitar, but they were doing some construction in the fellowship hall so they had their prayer meeting in the sanctuary. No one was there to play the piano so my my Grandma did it, she's been playing the piano in church for probably 80 years.
For context, she's 88, she had a really bad fall 5 years ago now and hit her head and ended up with a lot setbacks, similar to having a stroke. She has a lot of dementia like symptoms also (I am sure related to her Type 2 diabetes), she really can't read music anymore, and she has trouble seeing well, and she needs to wear hearing aids to hear but hates wearing them, so on this night she didn't want to wear them. My 93 (almost 94) year old grandpa takes care of both of them on their farm. Anyway, on this night she sat down on the piano and led worship as people called ...
Happy Saturday! I hope you are all doing well. I know some people in the group have had some recent tough news for themselves or family members. It really puts the day to day issues we face into perspective, and reminds me to just focus on doing the best I can to be as healthy as possible. To those who are having a hard time, we are all here for you and sending you some prayers and support. 🙏🏼🙏🏼 Just focus today on doing the best you can and remember that food isn't going to bring you the comfort you are looking for.
Here is a little video of Penelopes performance from her piano recital l last night, she's been taking lessons for about a year and a half. 🎹🤍🖤
*Livestream Monday night at 4pm pst/7pm est
Happy Friday!! I finally got back to walking yesterday. Our entire week in WV I didn't get many steps in, we took some walks in the woods but not a lot of miles. Since I came back I've been so busy and tired, at least that's my excuse, but really it's just hard to get back into the routine after not doing it for over a week. That's the hard part for me about exercise, the more I do it the easier it is to keep doing it. But as soon as I have a few days in a row where I don't make time to exercise, I just lose all motivation for it. However yesterday I got back to it!! 💪🏼💪🏼 I walked about 6+ miles during the day while working and hit 15k steps. Today is going to be very busy but I plan to get started early in the day.
How are you planning to get some movement in today?
Happy Thursday! I am all thrown off this week on what day it is. 😂 It's been good to be home but busy getting back into our routine. Chris and the kids started getting things organized yesterday to kick off their school year. They always start by setting some goals for the year and mapping out a plan on how to accomplish them.
Normally I like to focus on short term goals and daily non-negotiables, but I thought it might be fun to set a longer term goal for the rest of this year.
What is one thing you want to accomplish still in 2025?
Started my 7 days off yesterday. Today we are in Lafayette, California. I feel every time I am off, I have to travel somewhere else. 2 weeks ago was Texas. Today is California. Not long ago it was Missouri. This is not over yet. In 2 weeks is back to Texas and from there to Colorado and Back to New Mexico and Arizona to work.
I gave myself a headache typing that.
The thing is, it's really hard to keep it Carnivore when you're on the move. So I followed @Lauraespath's advice and packed some beef jerky and beef sticks to keep me loyal. For meals out I have been eating burgers with no bun. Just mustard and cheese. Delicious no matter where. Specially when you're hungry. Now, I need to say this. What is the meat in California made with? $30 a pound!!!??? And I thought NM was expensive.
I left pics of Lafayette's reservoir and the kids.
Oh well. I hope everyone is having a good week.
