Monthly Archives: March 2018

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Some interesting information about Alzheimer’s

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I recently had a friend send me a video about art and Alzheimer’s. It’s short, about 7 min long, but is very interesting. You’ll find it on YouTube here: https://youtu.be/I_Te-s6M4qc

While not directly related to Alzheimer’s, another friend sent me this article about how fasting for 72 hours can positively impact your immune system: http://awarenessact.com/study-finds-that-fasting-for-72-hours-can-regenerate-the-entire-immune-system/

And last but not least, Max Lugavere has announced the release of his first book, Genius Foods.  Max has been digging into the science of food and dementia for several years now, ever since his mom was diagnosed with early-onset dementia. I had the pleasure of meeting Max a few years ago when he spoke for an ElderCounsel conference on this topic.  I can’t wait to read the book!

Training Rides, Travel and food, Uncategorized

How I ended my fast

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This week I did a 4 day fast, and incorporated a high intensity interval workout on Day 3 which I blogged about, then on Day 4 I rode outside to see how I would feel.

I rode for just over an hour, and climbed for 45 minutes for a total of 1500 feet. My heart rate barely got under 169 the whole time, but I felt great otherwise. I drank Zip Fizz while riding, and I definitely tried to drink more than I normally would. This wasn’t difficult, because I felt very thirsty. But my legs felt surprisingly good, especially since I haven’t done a lot of climbing lately.

I waited to eat for about an hour after, then had a Stabilyze bar and some pistachios. About an hour after that I had half a hamburger, and that was pretty much all I could eat. My stomach handled it ok – not great, but ok.

The next morning I still wasn’t very hungry but I did eat a few pieces of bacon and a few bites of egg. Then at lunch I had more bacon (in my defense, the name of the restaurant where I ate was called Bacon Social), and an omelette along with berries. I felt really good after that meal,  and I think my stomach is back on track.

I’m hoping to ride outside today, so I’m not going to eat until I do some type of workout. I have to travel for work starting tomorrow, so I’ll probably stick to an intermittent fasting routine for the week until I can plan another longer fast.

I lost over 8 pounds during the 4 days. As of this morning I had gained 2 back, which isn’t surprising since much of the weight loss is due to water loss. I learned that I could still do a hard workout while doing an extended fast, which gave me confidence to fast more in the future. I’ll have to take a closer look at why my heart rate was so high. I do recall having a higher heart rate when I’ve ridden after fasting in the past, so it could be something that happens naturally when fasting. The other thing that was new during this period of fasting was the trouble I had sleeping. I had trouble falling asleep and would wake up after only a few hours of sleep. I don’t recall that happening in the past.

To summarize what I learned: 1) Hydration is the key to a longer fast (past one day) and when I drink more than I think I need, I can manage my headaches. 2) I can (and should) continue exercises as hard as possible while fasting.  3) I need to better understand why I wasn’t sleeping well. 4) I love the feeling of being in a fasted state!

Ketosis, Training Rides, Uncategorized

A fasting plus exercise first for me

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I’ve been experimenting with fasting for over a year now. I routinely do intermittent fasting, where I’ll skip breakfast and try to eat my meals within an 8 hour period. I’ve also done longer fasts, ranging from 2 days to 5 days. But when I’ve done the longer fasts (longer than 2 days) I’ve been nervous about doing a high intensity workout. Today I confronted that fear and I am so glad I did.

I’ve been fasting for 3 days, with nothing but coffee with cream and MCT oil in the morning and water throughout the day. Today I started drinking water with Zip Fizz because I was getting a headache from dehydration. I fast for a number of reasons – to help get rid of diseased cells, to cleanse my body when I haven’t been eating as well as I should, for weight management, and because I like how I feel when I’m fasting (most of the time).

I decided I was going to do a High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) workout on the trainer to see how I would feel. I did 30 minutes of interval work, where I would get my heart rate as high as possible, pedal easy for 30-60 seconds, and then do it again (starting with a warm up and ending with a cool down).

I felt great. I had done a similar workout on Sunday, and today I felt better (and stronger) than I did on Sunday when I hadn’t been fasting. I’m planning to fast another full day, and will try to ride  outside tomorrow (a longer ride) to see how I feel.

On prior fasts longer than 2 days, I’ve fought with dehydration headaches. This time I’ve been far more committed to my hydration than before, and it has definitely made a positive difference. One thing I did notice during today’s workout is that I did not sweat nearly as much as I did on Sunday…not surprising given the dehydration that occurs with fasting.

If you’re thinking about fasting, there are a number of great articles online, or if you’d like something more comprehensive, read The Complete Guide to Fasting by Jimmy Moore and Dr. Jason Fung.