Dec 1
I’ve been doing intermittent fasting, well, intermittently for a few years now and have found that for me personally, it helps me eat intuitively and clears my brain fog. However, I’ve been hesitant to talk about it on the podcast because I know it isn’t a lifestyle that works for everyone, but when a listener recommended author Gin Stephens as a guest I knew that she was the right person to tackle this tricky subject.
Gin, who’s written multiple bestsellers on clean eating and intermittent fasting, doesn’t promote the lifestyle as a weight loss strategy or make any claims that it can “cure” your ADHD or anything like that; rather, she focuses on the research into the gut-brain connection and how what and when we eat affects our mood, our immune systems, our cognitive functioning, and our cravings, among many other things.
In this episode, Gin gives a great breakdown of what intermittent fasting is, the science behind it, and how to ease into it responsibly. We also talk about metabolic syndrome, how to find the foods that work best for your body, and much more. Again, intermittent fasting isn’t right for everyone, but if you’re curious to learn more about it, come join our conversation.
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"I guess the joke is on all of the teachers who said ‘Gin talks too much’ because I'm a podcaster and I get to talk for literally a living."
- Gin Stephens
"It's just a matter of reading those labels and finding the ones with the real food ingredients without the artificial flavors, the artificial colors. Have them help you pick it out and your kid, if the kid has a role in picking it out or helping you prepare the dinner, all of that, your kid is more likely to be willing to eat it."
- Gin Stephens
"So much of our health begins in our gut. And a healthy gut is gonna be a healthy you; our immune system, our mood comes out of our gut, our cravings. The more we learn, the more we know how powerful it is."
- Gin Stephens
- Gin discusses her experience with traditional publishing and self-publishing, highlighting the pros and cons of each approach.
- Gin shares her personal experience with intermittent fasting, mentioning improved mental clarity, reduced brain fog, and elevated mood.
- Gin explains that intermittent fasting helps teach the body to be metabolically flexible, allowing it to tap into fat stores for fuel instead of constantly relying on highly caloric foods.
[26:51 - 39:40] Intermittent Fasting Benefits and Metabolic Flexibility
- Gin explains that metabolic flexibility is how humans are designed to function, able to switch fuel sources as needed.
- Gin discusses the science behind intermittent fasting with experts in the field, highlighting the importance of autophagy in cellular health.
- Gin shares stories of people experiencing improved scar appearance after intermittent fasting.
- Gin explains how fasting affects insulin levels, leading to better fat burning and metabolic flexibility.
- Gin notes improved mood and cognitive function on ketogenic diet, despite high carb intake.
- Gin shares her experience of transitioning from a standard American diet to eating whole foods and intermittent fasting, and how her cravings for unhealthy foods have changed over time.
