Fasting Q&A with Dr Jason Fung: Fasting and Insomnia, Autophagy Research, HDL/Trigs Ratio, Perimenopausal Weight Gain, Weight-Loss Stalls, and More.
The Fasting Method Podcast
Megan Ramos Nutrition Inc
4.8 • 595 Ratings
🗓️ 29 April 2025
⏱️ 28 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Episode #202
In this Fasting Q&A episode, hosted by Coach Lisa Chance, Dr. Jason Fung answers questions from the TFM Community:
- I'm curious if TFM intends or would consider a 'fasting-mimicking protocol' to be published for its members, possibly a TFM Quick Guide? [01:22]
- When I fast I find that I have trouble falling and staying asleep. Is it the hunger increasing my cortisol or the effect of ketones? What are your thoughts on valerian or kava tea to help with fasting insomnia? [02:54]
- What's the latest research on autophagy? [05:12]
- What does research say about the relationship between the HDL/Triglycerides ratio and high coronary calcium scores? And, in general, what does the scientific literature say about potential interactions between statins and fasting regimens? [07:00]
- There is a hormonal cascade where our sex hormones are made from cholesterol. We know from member stories that female hormones become balanced on alternate day fasting regimen. In those success cases, how does alternate-day fasting affect the hormonal cascade so that it starts working properly again? [12:59]
- I was recently reading research that suggests that moderate weight gain during menopause, particularly in lean women, may offer a degree of protection against cardiovascular disease, due to the increased production of adipose-tissue-derived estrogen, which can partially compensate for the decline in ovarian estrogen levels following menopause. What are your thoughts on this? [15:27]
- Why might weight loss stall during a multi-day fast, even when following an extended-fasting protocol with proper hydration, electrolytes, and exercise? What factors could influence the rate of weight loss, and how can one determine if adjustments are needed? [19:02]
- Is there a problem with lowering metabolic rate during fasting? Do I need to worry about this? [21:13]
- The RR interval typically refers to the time between consecutive R waves in an electrocardiogram (ECG/EKG) and is a fundamental measurement in heart rate variability (HRV). Has the RR interval been studied in diagnosing gastroparesis, specifically for diabetes? [24:51]
LINKS
Cholesterol Ratio Calculator
https://www.omnicalculator.com/health/cholesterol-ratio
Longevity Summit video with Cynthia Thurlow on Dr. Fung's YouTube channel.
A Conversation with Cynthia Thurlow | Jason Fung
https://youtu.be/YeELPeaQEFg?si=88JJWDzyzjDPGK76
Please note that you need to be a member of the TFM Community to submit questions to the Q&A webinars with Dr. Fung but you can submit questions to our regular Q&A episodes here: https://bit.ly/TFMPodcastQs
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00:00 Intro
01:22 Fasting-Mimicking Diet Quick Guide?
02:54 Fasting and Insomnia
05:12 Latest Research on Autophagy
07:00 HDL/Trigs Ratio and high CAC Score
11:40 ADF and Balancing Female Sex Hormones
14:09 Weight Gain Protective in Perimenopause?
17:44 Weight-Loss Stalls During Multi-Day Fasts
19:55 Low/High Metabolic Rate
23:33 Heart rate Variability
Disclaimer
This podcast is for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional care by a doctor or other qualified medical professional. You should always speak with your physician or other healthcare professional before doing any fasting, changing your diet, taking or adjusting any medication or supplements, or adopting any treatment for a health problem. The use of any other products or services purchased by you as a result of this podcast does not create a healthcare provider-patient relationship between you and any of the experts affiliated with this podcast. Information and statements regarding dietary supplements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration and are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | lot of people, they want a high metabolic rate because they want to be able to eat and still |
| 0:06.5 | lose weight sort of thing or maintain their weights. I'm still not entirely sure that having a high |
| 0:12.8 | metabolic rate is actually a good thing. It's just like if you have a car and you're running the |
| 0:19.1 | engine at a very high rate. So you're going to use more gas, right? |
| 0:22.8 | That's fine. |
| 0:23.9 | And you're using more gas because your engine is revving at a higher rate. |
| 0:28.4 | But what happens in the long term? |
| 0:30.7 | Does it wear out faster? |
| 0:32.5 | So that's always a worry. |
| 0:35.3 | So people are always, they're so worried about a low metabolic rate, I'm not sure that that's a bad thing in the long term from the longevity standpoint. |
| 0:51.1 | Hello, everyone. |
| 0:52.5 | My name is Lisa Chance and I'm here this month with our very own Dr. Jason Fung. |
| 0:58.2 | So hi, Dr. Fung. How are you doing today? |
| 1:00.3 | I'm good. I'm glad spring is coming. |
| 1:04.7 | All right. So our first question is I'm curious if TFM intends or would consider doing a fasting-mimicking protocol to be published for its members, |
| 1:17.9 | possibly a TFM quick guide. I know we have fat-fast, both for plant-based and omnivores. |
| 1:24.6 | Is this a possibility, Dr. Fun? |
| 1:26.9 | Yeah, I think that certainly we can do that because |
| 1:30.2 | the fasting mimicking diet has a lot of good science behind it. So it's certainly great to see the |
| 1:37.6 | science and what they do is a five-day. It's not a full fast, but it's sort of a modified fast. What they do is they give you all the |
| 1:46.4 | food and stuff to take, so then that's fine. The only major problem is as expensive. There's nothing |
| 1:53.0 | wrong with the product. I mean, it's a little bit processed, but it's kind of pricey for five days. |
... |
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