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BITESIZE | The Benefits of Fasting for Weight Loss, Health and Longevity | Dr Pradip Jamnadas #333

Feb 3, 2023 15m 19s 7 insights
TRIGGER WARNING: This podcast discusses fasting, and its advice may not be suitable for anyone with an eating disorder. If you have an existing health condition or are taking medication, always consult your healthcare practitioner before going for prolonged periods without eating.  It’s not just what we eat that’s important for our health and longevity, but also when we eat, and how much. Feel Better Live More Bitesize is my weekly podcast for your mind, body, and heart.  Each week I’ll be featuring inspirational stories and practical tips from some of my former guests. Today’s clip is from episode 236 of the podcast with Dr Pradip Jamnadas, a Florida-based consultant cardiologist and a clinical assistant professor. In this clip, Dr Jamnadas shares a beginner’s guide to fasting and describes some of the dramatic and restorative processes that take place in our bodies when we start to take periodic breaks from food. Thanks to our sponsor http://www.athleticgreens.com/livemore Support the podcast and enjoy Ad-Free episodes. Try FREE for 7 days on Apple Podcasts https://apple.co/feelbetterlivemore. For other podcast platforms go to https://fblm.supercast.com. Show notes and the full podcast are available at drchatterjee.com/236 Follow me on instagram.com/drchatterjee Follow me on facebook.com/DrChatterjee Follow me on twitter.com/drchatterjeeuk
Actionable Insights

1. Prioritize Natural Whole Foods

Before starting any fasting, or as a general health principle, eliminate all artificial, processed, sugary, pulverized, or powdered foods for 2-3 weeks, and eat only natural, whole foods like grass-finished meat, organic chicken/eggs, and natural vegetables. This prepares your body for fasting by reducing sugar withdrawal symptoms and supports overall health.

2. Ensure Adequate Sleep

Prioritize getting at least seven hours of sleep daily to support overall health and well-being.

3. Cultivate Pleasure & Happiness

Actively seek and engage in activities that bring pleasure and happiness into your life to avoid the negative physiological impacts that can arise from stress, bad habits, or lack of joy.

4. Eat Infrequently, Only When Hungry

Align your eating with your body’s natural design for feeding-fasting cycles by consuming food only when genuinely hungry, rather than frequently, to allow insulin levels to drop and mobilize fat stores, which improves health markers like blood pressure and weight.

5. Gradually Introduce Meal Skipping

After 2-3 weeks of eating a natural diet, begin skipping individual meals randomly (e.g., skip breakfast one day, lunch another) for about two weeks, ensuring to drink plenty of water. This helps your body adapt to periods without food and realize that nothing bad happens, making the transition smoother.

6. Practice 18:6 Intermittent Fasting

For two weeks, on weekdays, consume only two meals within a six-hour window, resulting in an 18-hour fasting period where only water, black tea, or black coffee are permitted; on weekends, allow up to three meals but no snacks. This is a progressive step in fasting to allow the body to burn fat and achieve health benefits.

7. Implement One-Meal-A-Day Fasting

Progress to eating only one meal on three specific days (e.g., Monday, Wednesday, Friday), while maintaining two meals on other weekdays and up to three meals (without snacks) on weekends. This further empowers individuals by demonstrating control over hunger and deepening the benefits of fasting.