Goldhamer Says Water Fasting Reverses Obesity and Chronic Illness

Goldhamer称纯水断食可逆转肥胖与慢性疾病 在医疗监督下的仅饮水断食通过触发细胞自噬并重置代谢健康，能够动员内脏脂肪、清除毒素并解决高血压和PCOS等慢性疾病。 Alan Goldhamer博士探讨了医疗监督下纯水断食的生理机制与临床结果。他解释了长时间断食如何耗尽糖原储备、将能量生成转向酮体、触发细胞自噬，并在保留瘦体重的同时选择性动员内脏脂肪。Goldhamer博士分享了相关数据与病例研究，证明断食在逆转3期高血压、实现长期癌症缓解、使PCOS恢复正常以及排出脂溶性环境毒素方面的功效。最后他认为，真正的健康无法通过药物购买，而必须依靠基础生活习惯以及不添加盐、油、糖的纯天然植物性饮食来获得。 在医疗监督下的纯水断食能带来显著且持久的健康益处，包括减少内脏脂肪、减轻全身细胞炎症以及使血压恢复正常。 (0:00) 一项具有里程碑意义的临床试验显示，连续收治的174名高血压患者全部（174人）通过纯水断食和饮食改变，在无需用药的情况下血压完全恢复正常。 (2:16) 断食期间充分的身体静养至关重要，这能最大限度减少瘦组织流失并确保最大程度燃烧内脏脂肪。 (3:43) 断食会触发代谢转向利用酮体，提升β-羟基丁酸水平，进而直接刺激大脑产生具有神经保护作用的BDNF。 (4:43) 细胞自噬能够清除细胞代谢废物和衰老细胞，而长期热量限制最多可延长100%的寿命。 (11:54)

Dr. Alan Goldhamer argues that therapeutic water-only fasting reverses chronic metabolic, autoimmune, and oncological conditions by eliminating visceral fat, inducing autophagy, and resetting biological systems disrupted by dietary excess. However, he maintains that durable recovery requires a permanent whole-food, plant-based diet free of added salt, oil, and sugar rather than lifelong pharmacological management. Metabolic Adaptation, Visceral Fat, and Autophagy (4:43) Within 16 to 48 hours of fasting, the human body exhausts glycogen stores and shifts primary fuel consumption to ketones, specifically beta-hydroxybutyric acid, which stimulates brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF). Dr. Alan Goldhamer emphasizes that strict physical rest is necessary during a fast to prevent gluconeogenesis—the breakdown of lean muscle tissue for glucose—thereby ensuring the body selectively burns fat reserves. DEXA scans from Goldhamer's facility demonstrate that during a typical two-week water fast, patients lose roughly 10% of total body weight, 20% of total body fat, and 40% of inflammatory visceral fat, while lean mass recovers to above baseline levels within six weeks of refeeding. At the cellular level, fasting accelerates autophagy, clearing senescent cells and pre-cancerous debris. Interpreting rodent studies where calorie restriction and intermittent fasting extend lifespan by 30% to 100%, Goldhamer reframes longevity science: fasting does not double lifespan so much as overfeeding cuts natural lifespan in half. Reversing Hypertension, Autoimmune Disease, and Lymphoma (22:42) Over 40 years treating more than 25,000 patients, Dr. Goldhamer asserts that therapeutic fasting resolves chronic conditions conventional medicine considers irreversible. In a landmark study of 174 consecutive hypertensive patients co-authored with Dr. T. Colin Campbell, and a subsequent Mayo Clinic study of 27 patients, nearly all subjects normalized blood pressure without medication, with 76% sustaining normal levels and weight loss at one-year follow-ups. Fasting also provides relief for autoimmune and gastrointestinal disorders like ulcerative colitis, rheumatoid arthritis, and Crohn's disease by eliminating dietary oxidative stress, repairing gut permeability, and depopulating the microbiome—including an over 80% reduction in harmful Fusobacteria documented in a 2024 study. In oncology, Goldhamer cites a BMJ Case Reports publication documenting a stage III follicular lymphoma patient who achieved complete remission after a three-week water fast and remained cancer-free past 10 years on an SOS-free diet. He cautions that fasting is not an isolated cure; returning to ultra-processed foods will prompt disease recurrence. Overriding Satiety and the Pleasure Trap (13:21) Dr. Goldhamer attributes modern chronic disease epidemics to the 'pleasure trap.' Human evolutionary biology rewards calorie-dense foraging with dopamine surges; however, modern ultra-processed foods—constituting roughly 70% of the average diet—exploit this by pairing concentrated salt, oil, and sugar (SOS) to artificially bypass stretch and nutrient satiety signals. Refined carbohydrates induce sharp insulin and glucose swings that degrade cognitive clarity, while excess sodium forces fluid retention and stimulates passive overeating. Goldhamer explains that fasting resets the autonomic nervous system and triggers taste neuroadaptation, restoring gustatory sensitivity so unseasoned whole plant foods become genuinely palatable. For daily prevention, he advocates an overnight 12-hour fast, extending to a 16:8 window for weight management, and suggests healthy individuals consider an annual one-week water fast to reset their metabolic baseline and gut flora. Clinical Protocols, Refeeding Risks, and Safety (19:56) Extended water-only fasts spanning 5 to 40 days require strict medical screening and twice-daily monitoring. Dr. Goldhamer warns that unsupervised fasting carries genuine clinical risks, including orthostatic hypotension from rapid blood pressure drops, fainting injuries, and cardiac dysrhythmias from electrolyte imbalances. Fasts are halted if markers breach safety limits, such as serum potassium falling below 3.0 mmol/L. The refeeding phase (realimentation) represents the most delicate physiological window, taking roughly half the fasting duration. It follows a strict sequence: starting with fiber-free juices to gently elevate blood sugar without triggering refeeding syndrome or post-fasting edema, progressing to raw fruits and vegetables, steamed starches, and ultimately an SOS-free whole plant diet. Maximum 40-day fasts remain rare, utilized by only 1% of clinic patients suffering from severe debility, intractable chronic pain, or advanced disease. Dr. Goldhamer concludes that fasting provides an unmatched therapeutic reset by allowing innate biological healing mechanisms to operate without metabolic interference from digestion. However, he stresses that fasting is an acute intervention rather than a permanent lifestyle; the true determinant of long-term survival is whether patients can permanently overcome learned helplessness and sustain an SOS-free, whole-food plant-based diet in an environment culturally engineered for chronic overconsumption.

TrueNorth Health Center 创始人 Alan Goldhamer 博士指出，医疗监督下的纯水断食与全食物无添加盐油糖饮食能调动内脏脂肪、启动自噬并重塑代谢，为逆转高血压、糖尿病及某些慢性病提供干预手段。 断食的代谢转换与器官保护机制 (4:43) 人类在断食 16 至 48 小时后，体内的肝糖原和肌糖原会耗尽，大脑的主要能量来源随之从葡萄糖转变为脂肪分解产物酮体（主要是 β-羟基丁酸）。这种生化转换避免了肌肉组织的过度糖异生产生，并刺激脑源性神经营养因子（BDNF）的合成，激活与高强度运动类似的神经保护通路。动物实验显示，定期的断食或 40% 的热量限制可使啮齿动物寿命延长 30% 至 100%。Goldhamer 博士对此观点重新定义，认为并非断食让人寿命翻倍，而是现代的过度进食将原本的潜在寿命缩短了一半。 在严密医疗监督的断食中，“完全静卧休息”是一项核心生理要求。若在断食期间保持高体力活动，身体为维持肌肉和大脑的额外糖分需求，会通过糖异生大量分解瘦肉组织；而在充分卧床休息状态下，机体能够优先动用深层内脏脂肪，最大限度保护瘦体重。断食还能启动自噬机制，清理衰老细胞、代谢废弃物及潜在的癌前病变组织，并促使体内滞留的多余钠盐通过利尿效应迅速排出，缓解体液潴留。 慢性病逆转与肿瘤案例的临床实证 (22:42) Goldhamer 博士强调，断食并非单一的减重技巧，而是针对严重代谢性与自身免疫性疾病的密集治疗干预。在其发表的早期标志性高血压临床研究中，174 名连续收录的高血压患者在接受断食与饮食调整后，全员停用降压药并恢复了正常血压；在与梅奥诊所合作的前瞻性研究中，27 名患者中有 26 名完全停药恢复正常，另 1 名药量减半。经过为期两周的纯水断食，双能 X 射线吸收测定（DEXA）显示患者平均减轻 10% 的体重和 20% 的总脂肪，而具有高度促炎性的内脏脂肪减少了 40%。随访表明，76% 的患者在断食后 1 年依然保持了正常血压和减重效果。 除了心血管疾病，断食对激素失衡及恶性肿瘤也展现了干预潜力。断食可通过重置肝脏功能与肠道菌群来改善雌二醇向雌三醇的代谢转化，使多囊卵巢综合征（PCOS）和月经失调患者的生育指标与周期恢复正常。《BMJ Case Reports》曾收录其机构的一例 3 期滤泡性淋巴瘤年轻女性病例，该患者在完成 3 周断食后肿瘤明显缩小并达到完全缓解，在严格坚持无盐油糖全植物饮食的配合下，随访 10 年以上仍维持无癌状态；另有一例骨转移 4 期淋巴瘤患者在经历了 3 周和 39 天两次断食后实现了长期缓解。Goldhamer 博士补充指出，临床上的所谓“治愈”往往指五年生存期，若患者重返高脂加工饮食，病情极易复发。 肠道菌群重建与免疫系统修复 (29:15) 消化道日常承担着巨大的代谢负荷，长时间纯水断食能暂时免除人体的消化做功，将细胞能量重新导向组织修补和废弃物清除。针对类风湿性关节炎、溃疡性结肠炎、强直性脊柱炎和桥本甲状腺炎等自身免疫性疾病，断食通过消除外源性膳食氧化应激与自由基，促使受损的肠道黏膜紧密连接蛋白完成自我修复，直接改善肠漏现象。 断食同时构成了肠道微生物群的“硬重启”。断食期间肠道内微生物总量出现断崖式下跌，有害菌与有益菌均被大幅清退。2024 年的一项研究显示，为期 7 天的纯水断食可将促炎性的梭杆菌属（Fusobacteria）数量减少 80% 以上。由于人体 90% 到 95% 的多巴胺与五羟色胺产生于肠道，这种菌群结构的推倒重建不仅缓解了肠易激综合征（IBS）和便秘，还能通过肠脑轴显著改善抑郁和焦虑等神经心理症状。 临床安全规范与再喂养操作阶梯 (19:56) 在 TrueNorth 进行的 5 至 40 天纯水断食，均严格使用模拟纯净雨水的分馏蒸馏水，完全禁止摄入任何补充剂、药物和食物热量。入选者必须通过肾功能、肝功能等全面血液筛查与病史评估，且每天接受两次医学指标监测。断食期最常见的直接安全隐患是体位性低血压，因血管张力快速恢复而血压陡降，易引发晕厥甚至跌倒外伤；受控脱水虽能产生激效应，但若发生严重的电解质紊乱，可能诱发心律失常。当血清钾离子低于 3.0 mmol/L 等临界安全阈值时，医疗团队会强制终止断食。 再喂养阶段（复食期）在生理安全上与断食期同等关键，其所需时间通常为断食总时长的一半（如断食 20 天需严密复食 10 天），否则可能诱发水肿乃至致命的再喂养综合征。标准的复食阶梯严格从早晨开始：先按每断食 1 周摄入 1 天无纤维新鲜蔬果汁（每日约 600 卡路里）平稳提升血糖，再过渡到生鲜果蔬，随后引入蒸熟的淀粉类蔬菜，最终平稳切换至长期坚持的无添加盐、油、糖（SOS-free）全食物纯植物膳食模式。 加工食品多巴胺陷阱与心理脱敏 (13:21) 现代人普遍面临的超重与慢性病危机，本质上源于食品工业利用盐、油、糖（SOS）对人类进化节律的劫持。高浓度的盐油糖并非完整食物，而是通过超量激活大脑多巴胺奖赏回路，强行覆写了人体依赖食物体积与热量密度建立的饱腹感信号机制，促使多达 70% 的日常热量来自于超加工食品。高盐还会通过被动过量进食加剧体液滞留。通过断食，味觉神经得以重新校准，患者对糖和盐的敏感度会显著恢复，原本清淡的全植物天然食物重新变得可口，从而摆脱对精制加工食物的病态依赖。 此外，断食在心理层面上打破了对饥饿的病态恐慌与习得性无助。传统医疗告知慢性病患者“终生服药且不可逆转”，导致患者丧失自愈信心，产生类似受困动物的放弃行为；而经历过断食的人能意识到短期的躯体不适并不等于致命危险，从而消除了漏餐便会导致生命危险的潜意识焦虑。对于健康人群，Goldhamer 博士建议日常保持 12 小时的自然夜间禁食窗口（睡前 3 到 4 小时停止进食），并可根据自身体检生化指标，每年开展一次为期一周的预防性断食。 Goldhamer 博士认为真实健康来源于健康的生活习惯，而非药物或补剂。然而，长时间医疗断食在临床上面临体位性低血压、心律失常及再喂养综合征等固有风险，严禁在缺乏医学监护下盲目开展；且该干预高度依赖患者后续终生严格维持无盐油糖全植物饮食，如何在现代致胖生活环境中长期保持依从性仍是严峻挑战。

## Background 本期内容由知名访谈频道《The Diary Of A CEO》（主持人 Steven Bartlett）于 2025 年 9 月 1 日在 YouTube 平台发布。节目特邀全球顶尖断食专家、TrueNorth 健康中心创始人艾伦·戈德哈默博士（Dr. Alan Goldhamer），深入探讨医学监督下的纯水断食如何深度动员内脏脂肪、清除全身慢性炎症，并逆转包括顽固性高血压、多囊卵巢综合征（PCOS）乃至恶性淋巴瘤在内的各类疑难重症。 ## TL;DR 戈德哈默博士系统阐释了在绝对静养与严密医学监护下开展 5 至 40 天纯水断食的底层生理机制。断食通过耗尽糖原促使机体能量中枢向酮体彻底切换，在最大限度保留瘦体重的同时精准靶向消耗高促炎性的内脏脂肪，并触发细胞自噬、飙升脑源性神经营养因子（BDNF）与重启肠道微生物群落。临床研究与追踪数据证明，该干预不仅创下了 174 例原发性高血压患者 100% 停药康复的医学突破，还使部分化疗耐药晚期肿瘤患者实现长期无癌生存。他进一步警示，断食虽具强大的自愈重置效力，但真正的终极挑战在于复食后如何抵抗现代超加工食品制造的“享乐陷阱”，建立终身自律的健康生活方式。 ## Atmosphere & style 整场对话在循证医学的严谨审慎与直面人性的哲学思辨之间自如切换，戈德哈默博士语气平实幽默却字字切中要害，与主持人充满求知欲且结合切身体会的深度追问相得益彰。现场陈列的 120 个实体餐盘带来了强烈的视觉震撼，打破了公众对“挨饿”的非理性恐慌，而博士对传统慢性病终身服药逻辑的辛辣解构更令气氛充满颠覆感。整期节目既像是一堂干货密集的代谢生理学大师课，又是一声直击现代人生活方式病灶、驱散“习得性无助”的深沉警钟。 ## Bulletin - [02:16](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jDG1m_b5Ih0&t=136s) Dr. Alan Goldhamer 团队对 174 名连续收治的高血压患者进行纯水断食干预，最终患者血压全部恢复正常且 100% 摆脱了对降压药的依赖。 - [24:23](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jDG1m_b5Ih0&t=1463s) DEXA 扫描数据显示，经过平均两周的纯水断食，受试者总体重下降 10%，而最具心血管与代谢致病风险的核心内脏脂肪骤降达 40%。 - [03:38](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jDG1m_b5Ih0&t=218s) 断食期间必须保持彻底静养以防止糖异生过度分解肌肉蛋白；此外，复食周期必须达到断食天数的 50%，以避免诱发致命的复食综合征。 - [29:22](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jDG1m_b5Ih0&t=1762s) 纯水断食能强效重塑肠道微生态，7 天水断食可使促炎有害菌梭杆菌属暴跌超 80%，并协同肝脏代谢过量雌二醇，从而有效缓解 PCOS 与严重痛经。 ## Key takeaways - [00:00](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jDG1m_b5Ih0&t=0s) 现代社会头号健康危机根源于持续的热量过剩，内脏脂肪如促炎性肿瘤般持续释放有害介质，诱发心脏病、糖尿病与癌症。 - [04:43](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jDG1m_b5Ih0&t=283s) 人类糖原储备在禁食 24 小时内耗尽，随后大脑能量供应切换至脂肪代谢副产物酮体，一个 70 公斤成年人在生理上理论可耐受 70 天禁食。 - [10:30](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jDG1m_b5Ih0&t=630s) 纯水断食与剧烈运动具有惊人一致的代谢效益，二者均能大幅拉升 BDNF 并逆转膳食过量所导致的系统性炎症。 - [11:52](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jDG1m_b5Ih0&t=712s) 细胞自噬不仅清理代谢废弃物与衰老细胞；限制热量喂养能延长啮齿动物 30% 至 100% 的寿命，本质是避免了过度喂养造成的折寿折损。 - [13:19](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jDG1m_b5Ih0&t=799s) 盐、油、糖并非真正的食物，而是从完整食材中提炼的高浓缩多巴胺刺激物，人为劫持并推迟了大脑的饱腹感知中枢。 - [18:18](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jDG1m_b5Ih0&t=1098s) 果汁断食本质上是低纤维的高糖“改良进食”，无法触发纯水断食专属的深层细胞自噬与生化重置程序。 - [29:22](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jDG1m_b5Ih0&t=1762s) 纯水断食在临床上能深度逆转胰岛素抵抗，并通过清空外源养分对肠道微生物完成系统级“关机重启”。 - [32:41](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jDG1m_b5Ih0&t=1961s) 雌激素代谢障碍是导致女性纤维囊肿与多囊卵巢综合征（PCOS）的主因，断食通过逆转脂肪肝畅通了雌二醇向雌三醇的降解通路。 - [37:32](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jDG1m_b5Ih0&t=2252s) 肠漏引发的未消化物质渗漏是诱发自体免疫疾病的核心诱因，断食使消化系统彻底停工，将代谢能量全数调配至肠黏膜屏障修复。 - [39:47](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jDG1m_b5Ih0&t=2387s) 临床纯水断食仅饮用分馏蒸馏水并不添加外源电解质，完全依托机体内源微量元素循环，但必须实施严密的血钾等生化底线监控。 - [44:12](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jDG1m_b5Ih0&t=2652s) 即使是客观健康的人群，每年进行一次为期一周的纯水断食亦能优化脂质与血压基线，并彻底重置味觉神经对盐油糖的过度依赖。 - [01:14:43](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jDG1m_b5Ih0&t=4483s) 断食最大的现实挑战并非挨饿过程本身，而是结束后重返充满超加工垃圾食品的现代社会时，如何抵抗社交压力坚守健康生活方式。 - [01:17:48](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jDG1m_b5Ih0&t=4668s) 传统慢病管理常给患者套上“终身服药”的心理枷锁导致习得性无助，而亲自通过断食逆转重疾能从根源打破宿命论并重夺健康主导权。 ## Detailed walkthrough ### [00:00](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jDG1m_b5Ih0&t=0s) 断食的惊人力量与现代代谢危机 断食被证实是应对现代社会头号致死与致残病因——高血压——最有效的干预手段。除了显著降压，断食还能切实改善胰岛素抵抗、提升认知能力，并在缓解抑郁和焦虑方面展现出强大的潜力。但断食的威力远不止于普通的减重，它最核心的作用在于深度动员和消耗“内脏脂肪”（visceral fat）。堆积在腹部及器官周围的内脏脂肪持续释放大量促炎物质，是诱发心脏病、癌症和糖尿病的元凶，而当今绝大多数人体内的内脏脂肪水平都远远超标。Alan Goldhamer 博士在过去四十年间致力于通过生活方式改善大众健康，他直言不讳地指出：“我认为每个人每天都应该进行断食。” 现代社会的大环境在机制上几乎是将人推向“肥胖、疾病与痛苦”的深渊，人群中高达 76% 的人超重或肥胖。大多数人误以为健康能够通过药片、补剂和冲剂买到，却对断食这种古老而经过科学验证的自愈工具视而不见。断食所引发的体内生化级联反应与高强度运动惊人地相似，例如都能促使脑源性神经营养因子（BDNF）显著飙升，从而保护大脑免受阿尔茨海默病的侵害。对于那些依赖常规药物无法改善病情的患者（包括多囊卵巢综合征/PCOS 患者），医学监督下的纯水断食带来了颠覆性的逆转效果。 - 断食能迅速动员产生促炎物质的内脏脂肪，切断心脏病、糖尿病与癌症的诱因链条。 - 运动所能触发的有益生化变化（包括提升对抗神经退行性疾病的 BDNF），在断食状态下同样会被激活。 - 人类基因组天生具备耐受和适应断食的生理本能。 --- ### [02:16](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jDG1m_b5Ih0&t=136s) 四十年坚守：从澳大利亚学徒到高血压临床突破 谈及自己的职业生涯，Alan Goldhamer 博士表示他毕生只专注于一个核心理念：“健康源于健康的生活方式（Health results from healthful living）”。早在小学时代，他就笃定了这条人生轨道。完成美国的医学学业后，他远赴澳大利亚，跟随当时全球医学监督纯水断食领域的泰斗亚历克·伯顿（Alec Burton）学习。在那里，他亲眼见证了颠覆常规医学认知的奇迹——那些本被断定无法痊愈的慢性病患者竟然彻底好转，严重高血压患者不仅血压恢复平稳，还彻底停掉了降压药。 返回美国创立 TrueNorth 健康中心后，Goldhamer 博士团队开展了极其严谨的临床观察。在一项针对 174 名连续收治的高血压患者的研究中，174 名患者的血压全部恢复正常，无一人需要继续依赖降压药物。这项轰动性的成果发表后，团队在主流医学期刊上相继发表了数十篇关于饮食与纯水断食的同行评审论文，并出版了专著《断食能否拯救你的生命》（*Can Fasting Save Your Life?*），系统阐述了只要人类停止错误干预、“给身体让出道路”，机体与生俱来的自我修复机制就会爆发出不可思议的治愈力。 - **174 例高血压临床研究**：174 位连续入组的高血压患者在水断食疗程后，血压恢复率达 100%，全部摆脱降压药。 - 师承澳大利亚断食先驱亚历克·伯顿（Alec Burton），深耕医学监督下的纯水断食长达四十年。 --- ### [03:38](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jDG1m_b5Ih0&t=218s) 纯水断食的黄金法则：为何“彻底静养”是保肌关键 当被问及市面上五花八门的断食概念时，Goldhamer 博士明确界定了其临床采用的断食定义：“在完全静止休息的环境下，彻底禁绝一切热量物质摄入（仅饮水）”。他特别强调，“静止休息（complete rest）”是实现断食治疗效果最大化不可妥协的组成部分。 许多人误以为在断食期间大量运动可以加快掉秤，但这种做法极其危险且背离初衷。当机体的肌糖原和肝糖原耗尽后，若处于高强度活动状态，大脑与肌肉的运转需要更多葡萄糖，此时机体将被迫通过“糖异生”（gluconeogenesis）分解宝贵的瘦体重（即骨骼肌等肌肉组织）来合成葡萄糖。因此，唯有在充分休息的状态下断食，身体才能最大程度动员脂肪分解，并将肌肉流失降到最低；运动虽能加速掉秤，但减掉的全是瘦组织而非纯脂肪。 ```mermaid flowchart TD accTitle: 断食状态下的代谢分支图 accDescr: 展示断食期间完全静养与剧烈运动对身体能源消耗的不同路径及结果 A["进入断食阶段 (耗尽糖原储备)"] --> B{"身体所处状态"} B -->|"完全静养 (Resting Protocol)"| C["激活生酮与脂肪氧化"] C --> D["最大化燃烧脂肪 / 保护瘦体重肌肉"] B -->|"剧烈活动 / 运动 (Active State)"| E["机体急需大量额外葡萄糖"] E --> F["触发严重糖异生 (Gluconeogenesis)"] F --> G["过度分解肌肉组织 (丢失瘦体重)"] ``` --- ### [04:43](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jDG1m_b5Ih0&t=283s) 能量开关切换：从燃烧糖原到燃烧脂肪 人体对断食的生理适应是一套高度精密的演化机制。在常规饮食模式下，大脑是一个极其贪婪的葡萄糖消耗机器。日常摄入面包、米饭等碳水化合物后，身体将其分解为葡萄糖供能。人体储存在肝脏和肌肉中的糖原储备仅能维持大约 24 小时；一旦禁食超过 24 小时，糖原消耗殆尽，机体就面临一个严峻的十字路口：要么继续通过分解蛋白质肌肉来合成糖分，要么彻底切换底层能量来源。 人类演化出的超强生存机制正是将耗糖大户——大脑——的燃料供应从葡萄糖切换至脂肪分解产物（酮体）。如果人类没有这种代谢开关，禁食一周左右就会陷入蛋白质重度消耗的彻底饥饿状态，进而死亡。得益于这种脑部由燃烧糖向燃烧脂肪的平稳切换，一个体重 70 公斤的成年男性在生理上理论上拥有维持多达 70 天断食的能量储备。人类的大脑容量是黑猩猩的 2.5 倍，是一个巨大的能量黑洞；如果远古祖先在春季食物匮乏时无法让大脑改用脂肪供能，人类物种早就已经灭绝。 - **24小时临界点**：人体内的糖原储备大约在禁食 24 小时内完全耗尽。 - **脑部能源切换**：大脑从主要依赖葡萄糖转变为利用脂肪酸分解产生的酮体，避免肌肉蛋白被过早耗尽。 - **理论断食上限**：得益于脂肪向酮体的转化能力，一名 70 公斤的健康成年男性理论上具备支撑长达约 70 天禁食的生理潜力。 --- ### [07:17](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jDG1m_b5Ih0&t=437s) 演化机制的错位：从“饥荒求生”到“帝王之病” 对于主持人提出的质疑——“身体具备这种生存机制，是否就代表断食一定有益健康？”Goldhamer 博士给出了深刻的演化医学解释。在远古自然选择的严酷环境下，机体的首要任务是“吃饱并活下来不被吃掉”。食物匮乏、捕食者威胁和极高的幼年夭折率，使得只有那些能够高效度过饥荒的优胜者基因得以繁衍。 ```mermaid flowchart LR accTitle: 饮食过剩引发富贵病的演化机制 accDescr: 展示远古稀缺环境下形成的适应机制在现代人造高热量社会中如何导致慢性病爆发 subgraph Ancient ["远古祖先环境"] A1["食物极度匮乏"] --> B1["演化出生存节约机制"] B1 --> C1["仅帝王贵族偶发过量饮食"] C1 --> D1["帝王病（痛风、心血管病）极度罕见"] end subgraph Modern ["现代工业社会"] A2["加工食品与化学添加剂"] --> B2["劫持大脑饱腹感中枢"] B2 --> C2["全人群持续性热量过剩"] C2 --> D2["76%超重/肥胖、慢性病与内脏脂肪泛滥"] end ``` 然而在当代，这套本用于应对匮乏的天然生物机制，被置于一个前所未有的反常环境——持续不断的“膳食过剩”（dietary excess）。在古代，心脏病、糖尿病、自身免疫疾病和某些癌症被统称为“帝王之病（Diseases of Kings）”，只有极少数能持续暴饮暴食的达官显贵才会患上痛风与心血管病，普通平民根本无缘得此重疾。如今，食品工业通过添加糖、盐、油脂等化学添加剂欺骗大脑的饱腹感知机制，驱使大众陷入停不下来的过度进食。帝王之病彻底普及为平民通病，造成 76% 人口超重或肥胖，并伴随大量的致命内脏脂肪沉淀。 ### [08:58](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jDG1m_b5Ih0&t=538s) 内脏脂肪的危害与断食的代谢转换 Dr. Alan Goldhamer 深入剖析了深藏于腹腔与脏器周围的“内脏脂肪”（visceral fat）。他形容这种脂肪不仅具有促炎性（pro-inflammatory）、高代谢性（hypermetabolic）和肥大增生性（hypertrophic），而且其行为模式“就像一个肿瘤”（"It acts like a tumor"）。在现实中，许多人身上或许只多出了 20 磅的脂肪组织，其中仅有 2 磅属于内脏脂肪，但正是这区区 2 磅的内脏脂肪，在持续释放大量促炎介质，直接诱发心脏病、癌症、糖尿病以及各种自身免疫性疾病。荒谬的是，在现行医疗体系中，这些疾病往往被割裂为互不相关的独立病症，患者不得不奔波于各个科室寻找不同的专科医生；而追根溯源，它们的核心诱因几乎都指向膳食过量、多余脂肪特别是内脏脂肪堆积所引发的系统性慢性炎症。 当主持人 Steven Bartlett 询问人体在断食期间究竟会经历哪些生理剧变时，Dr. Goldhamer 解释了人体燃料系统的核心切换。断食的最初 16 小时、24 小时至 48 小时内，随着肝糖原储备逐渐耗尽，大脑、肝脏与肌肉开始发生渐进式代谢重合：大脑的能量供应彻底从几乎纯粹依赖葡萄糖，转向依赖脂肪代谢的副产物——酮体（ketones），其中最核心的能量分子便是 β-羟基丁酸（beta-hydroxybutyric acid）。 ```mermaid flowchart TD accTitle: 膳食过量与断食干预的体内生理代谢分支 accDescr: 对比长期膳食过量导致内脏脂肪堆积与炎症，以及断食启动代谢切换产生酮体与保护机制的双向路径。 subgraph ExcessPath ["膳食过量通路"] A1["膳食热量过剩"] --> A2["内脏脂肪累积"] A2 --> A3["持续释放促炎因子"] A3 --> A4["心血管病 / 癌症 / 糖尿病"] end subgraph FastingPath ["断食代谢转换通路"] B1["启动断食 (16-48小时)"] --> B2["耗尽糖原储备"] B2 --> B3["生成 β-羟基丁酸 (酮体)"] B3 --> B4["上调 BDNF 与启动自噬"] end A2 -.->|"断食 / 运动消除"| B1 ``` --- ### [10:30](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jDG1m_b5Ih0&t=630s) BDNF、运动与断食的惊人重合 伴随血液中 β-羟基丁酸水平的显著升高，人体内脑源性神经营养因子（BDNF）的合成也会大幅增加。Dr. Goldhamer 指出，BDNF 是一种关键的神经化学物质，能强效抵御大脑免受氧化应激损伤，从而预防阿尔茨海默病（Alzheimer's disease）与痴呆症（dementia）。他援引了一项经典的大鼠对照实验：研究人员将 30 只大鼠置于完全相同的笼养环境中，唯一的区别是给其中一半大鼠的笼子里配备了跑轮。结果显示，经常在跑轮上奔跑的大鼠完全没有患上阿尔茨海默病。深入探究其背后的保护机制后，科研人员发现运动剧烈拉升了大鼠体内的 BDNF 水平。 令人惊叹的是，断食同样能引发 BDNF 的剧烈飙升。事实上，运动所带来的所有心血管与代谢改善指标，在纯水断食中都能找到一一对应的化学变化。这种现象在直觉上似乎很反常——毕竟断食需要机体静止休息，而运动是剧烈消耗——Dr. Goldhamer 揭示了背后的本质联结：“我认为运动和断食的共同之处，在于它们都在撤销膳食过量所带来的恶果。”两者都在迅速削减体内多余的脂肪储备（尤其是致命的内脏脂肪），消除慢性炎症，从而形成极其相似的健康保护伞。 --- ### [11:52](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jDG1m_b5Ih0&t=712s) 细胞自噬与寿命：并非延长，而是避免折寿 当断食持续推进，身体会自然激活“细胞自噬”（autophagy）。Dr. Goldhamer 形象地将其描述为身体的“大扫除”管家系统：细胞自噬会主动识别并吞噬清除衰老细胞（senescent cells）、代谢废物残渣以及潜在的癌细胞。在实验啮齿动物的研究中，如果让动物“随意进食”（ad libitum，想吃多少就吃多少），寿命往往处于普通基线；但若对它们实施周期性断食，或者进行系统性的限热量喂养——仅仅将喂食量控制在自由进食量的 60%——大鼠的寿命竟然能延长 30% 到 100%。 面对这一主流抗衰老界津津乐道的数据，Dr. Goldhamer 提出了一个颠覆性的视角：“大家往往看反了这个问题。并不是断食让寿命翻倍，而是过度喂食将寿命斩断了一半（"It's not that fasting doubles your lifespan, it's overfeeding cuts it in half"）。”他强调，无节制进食导致了脂肪积聚、内脏脂肪增生与全身性炎症，硬生生剥夺了生命本应享有的自然寿限；而断食和热量限制，仅仅是清除由于营养过剩造成的代谢毒害，让人体回归本该拥有的完整寿命潜力。 --- ### [13:19](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jDG1m_b5Ih0&t=799s) 盐油糖陷阱：大脑饱腹感机制如何被劫持 既然核心在于避免过量摄入，为什么人类不能简简单单地“少吃一点”，而必须依靠断食？Dr. Goldhamer 直言，现代食品工业在食物中人为添加了各种干扰物质，彻底蒙蔽了人类的大脑饱腹感调节机制（satiety mechanisms）。正常情况下，如果一个人只吃纯天然的完整植物性食物（whole plant foods），胃肠和大脑能够非常精准地接收到热量充盈的信号并及时叫停。然而，一旦食物中加入了“盐、油、糖”（salt, oil, and sugar），饱腹感阈值就会被严重推迟。 Dr. Goldhamer 严正强调：“盐、油、糖根本不是真正的食物。它们只是从完整食物中强行提炼出的超浓缩化学成分，又被重新注射回食品中。”加入它们唯一的目的就是挑逗味蕾、制造美味，而“更好吃”在神经生物学层面的本质，就是刺激大脑释放过量的多巴胺（dopamine）。远古人类在食物极度匮乏、面临生存危机的环境中演化，大脑天生偏爱高能量密度的浓缩食物，并以多巴胺给予愉悦奖励以鼓励摄食；然而在今天这个浓缩化学成分取之不尽的时代，人类古老的演化本能彻底沦为了工业加工食品的奴隶。只要摄入这些超浓缩加工品，过度进食就成为必然，“唯一的问题只是你多吃了多少，以及要为此承担怎样严重的健康后果”。 - **饱腹感机制被劫持**：盐、油、糖能显著延缓身体发出“吃饱”的生理信号，导致摄入远超代谢所需的热量。 - **多巴胺神经诱惑**：高热量密度食品直接诱发多巴胺大量释放，在现代丰裕环境中构建出难以自拔的“快乐陷阱”。 --- ### [15:09](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jDG1m_b5Ih0&t=909s) 间歇性禁食与限制进食窗口的实际应用 针对现代人的饮食困局，间歇性禁食（intermittent fasting）或时间限制性进食（time-restricted feeding）成为了一种行之有效的工具。Dr. Goldhamer 介绍，他们中心推行了整整 40 年的一条基本原则是：在晚上入睡前 3 到 4 小时坚决停止进食。这样结合睡眠，每天就能自然获得 12 小时的禁食窗口。对于有减重需求的人，可以将夜间禁食时间再向次日早晨顺延 4 小时，并在早晨进行晨练以优先动员并燃烧脂肪，从而形成经典的“16:8 断食”（16 小时禁食，8 小时进食窗口）。 Dr. Goldhamer 犀利地指出，将进食时间严格压缩至 8 小时之所以有效，是因为它精准截断了大量“非饥饿性进食”。很多人在深夜吃完丰盛的晚餐后依然嘴不停歇，往往不是生理上感到饥饿，而是出于“无聊、疲倦或精力耗竭”。当人们感到疲惫时吃下东西，食物带来的血糖刺激让人误以为自己刚才只是“饿了”，而实际上他们只是累了。他的忠告简单而朴素：“累了就去睡觉，无聊了就去做些有意义的事，只有真正饿了再去吃东西。”不过，他也客观指出了该方法的局限：对于每日消耗 3500 到 4000 卡路里的职业运动员或高强度劳动者而言，如果在 8 小时内只摄入高营养密度但低热量密度的全植物食物，很难吃够所需能量，这类特殊人群往往需要放宽至 12 小时的进食窗口。 --- ### [17:09](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jDG1m_b5Ih0&t=1029s) 认知功能的提升：生酮优势还是血糖过山车的终结？ 当 Steven 谈及自己的切身体会——在生酮或断食状态下思维极其敏锐、表达极为流畅，而在常规西方饮食模式下常常陷入脑雾、言语迟钝和创造力萎缩时，Dr. Goldhamer 给出了理性而深刻的医学澄清。 他指出，断食或生酮期间认知能力的显著飞跃，关键“可能并不是酮体赋予了你超能力，而是你终于摆脱了血糖过山车对认知功能的剧烈干扰”。在典型的西方饮食中，人们大量摄入精制碳水化合物，导致餐后胰岛素水平急剧飙升，随后强行将血糖砸入低谷。正是这种因血糖剧烈波动所引发的反应性低血糖与代谢震荡，在无形中削弱了大脑原本的认知活力与敏锐度。 ### [17:54](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jDG1m_b5Ih0&t=1074s) 血糖平稳与大脑认知：摆脱“过山车”效应 在日常高碳水饮食下，人体血糖与胰岛素之间不断经历剧烈的剧烈波动与拉锯，这种“血糖过山车”往往会直接干扰大脑的认知功能，引发餐后困倦与脑雾。当人体进入生酮状态或纯断食状态时，血糖和胰岛素水平会变得极度平稳，不再有暴涨骤跌的颠簸。对于需要进行高强度重要脑力工作的人而言，这种代谢状态的稳定能够显著提升专注度与思维清晰度。 --- ### [18:18](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jDG1m_b5Ih0&t=1098s) 果汁断食的真相：是改良进食，而非真正断食 面对主持人关于果汁断食（Juice Fasting）是否会导致营养匮乏、蛋白质不足或破坏肠道菌群的疑问，Dr. Alan Goldhamer 直截了当地指出：从生理学定义上讲，果汁断食根本不是“断食”。真正的断食是指完全杜绝摄入一切外源性热量与营养物质，而果汁断食本质上是一种“改良型进食”（modified form of eating），其特征是高糖分、极低甚至完全无膳食纤维。 尽管它无法触发纯水断食所具备的深层排毒与代谢转换，但果汁断食在临床转化上仍有独特的过渡价值。许多长期摄入高度精加工食品的人，大脑深陷在糖油盐刺激带来的多巴胺成瘾中。突然切断所有食物对他们而言极其艰难，而果汁提供了 600 到 800 卡路里的甜味与热量，既能带来相对的饱腹感，又能帮助他们阻断油腻加工食品的恶性循环。此外，果汁断食让身体依然处于“进食生理状态”，通常不需要复杂的药物调整，也无需在严密的医疗监护下进行；但 Dr. Alan Goldhamer 强调，他们发表的学术研究全部建立在严格的“5 至 40 天医疗监护纯水断食”之上。 --- ### [19:56](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jDG1m_b5Ih0&t=1196s) 40天纯水断食法则：分馏蒸馏水、严苛筛查与致命复食综合征 在 TrueNorth 健康中心，患者在长达 5 到 40 天的纯水断食期间，除了“分馏蒸汽蒸馏水”（fractionally steam-distilled water）之外不摄入任何东西，包括保健品和常规药物。Dr. Alan Goldhamer 解释，采用蒸馏或反渗透技术，是为了彻底清除自来水中的氯化物、氢化碳氢化合物等环境污染物，提供相当于未受工业污染的原始雨水般纯净的水源。 并非所有人都适合这种极端的断食干预。中心在接纳患者前会进行严格的病史审查和基础生化检测，重点评估肾功能和肝功能是否具备适应断食代偿的能力。在断食过程中，患者必须保持彻底的静卧休息，因为剧烈运动不仅会迫使机体分解精瘦组织（肌肉）来供能，还会加剧代谢负担；而静息状态则能最大限度减少肌肉损耗，将能量消耗精准锁定在脂肪、尤其是内脏脂肪上。此外，断食会引发机体的生理性脱水以及电解质浓度重组，必须进行严密的医疗监测。 断食治疗中最危险、也是最核心的阶段是“渐进式复食”（progressive refeeding）。如果长时间断食后恢复饮食过快过猛，会导致水钠潴留形成断食后水肿，甚至诱发致命的“复食综合征”（refeeding syndrome）。为了彻底规避这一风险，中心制定了严谨的复食方案：复食所需时间通常为断食总时长的一半（例如断食 20 天需要 10 天的受控复食）。之后，患者逐步过渡到不添加盐、油、糖的纯天然植物性饮食（SOS-free diet）。 ```mermaid flowchart TD accTitle: 医疗监护纯水断食治疗路径 accDescr: 展示从医疗筛查到断食休养再到渐进式复食的完整临床管理闭环。 subgraph Prep["阶段一：筛查与入选"] A["医疗病史评估<br/>与用药调整"] --> B["肝肾功能实验室生化筛查"] end subgraph Fasting["阶段二：纯水断食 (5-40天)"] C["仅摄入分馏蒸馏水<br/>（零补剂、零药物）"] D["绝对卧床静养<br/>（防止肌肉流失）"] E["生命体征与电解质监测<br/>（管理生理性脱水）"] C --- D --- E end subgraph Refeeding["阶段三：渐进复食与生活方式重建"] F["受控渐进复食<br/>（时长 = 断食天数的一半）<br/>预防复食综合征与水肿"] G["无盐油糖全谷植化饮食<br/>（SOS-free Plant-based Diet）"] F --> G end Prep --> Fasting Fasting --> Refeeding ``` - **水分标准**：使用分馏蒸汽蒸馏水，完全过滤氯与有机污染物，模拟未受污染的纯净雨水。 - **活动要求**：断食期必须静养；运动虽加快减重，但消耗的是精瘦组织而非脂肪。 - **复食黄金法则**：复食周期必须达到断食天数的 50%（如断食 40 天需复食 20 天）。 - **SOS 概念**：国际通用危险求救信号，但在营养学中代表使人“发胖、患病、痛苦”的三大添加物——盐（Salt）、油（Oil）、糖（Sugar）。 --- ### [22:42](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jDG1m_b5Ih0&t=1362s) 逆转顽固性高血压：梅奥诊所合作研究与长效行为重塑 来到机构寻求 5 至 40 天断食的患者，大多患有中心已发表论文所涵盖的慢性代谢疾病，其中最典型的便是顽固性高血压。Dr. Alan Goldhamer 回顾了与《中国健康调查报告》作者坎贝尔教授（T. Colin Campbell）合作的开创性研究：连续 174 位高血压患者在接受断食治疗后，全部成功摆脱药物并将血压恢复至健康标准。 近期，中心与梅奥诊所（Mayo Clinic）的医学专家合作完成了一项前瞻性临床研究。在完成断食干预的 27 名高血压患者中，26 人彻底停药且血压恢复正常，仅有 1 人将药量减半。在随后的跟踪回访中，该方案展现出了惊人的长期有效性：经过平均 2 周纯水断食加 1 周受控复食后，在长达一年的随访节点上，高达 76% 的患者依然保持住了减掉的体重，绝大多数人无需任何药物即可维持健康血压。断食不仅是一次强大的生理重置干预，更成为患者彻底摆脱致病饮食习惯、重塑长期健康行为的决定性转折点。 --- ### [24:23](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jDG1m_b5Ih0&t=1463s) DEXA数据解密身体重塑：内脏脂肪暴跌40%与疼痛心理学 断食所带来的改变绝非仅限于心理层面的自我暗示，双能 X 射线吸收仪（DEXA）扫描数据清晰揭示了机体成分在断食期间的剧烈重组。临床数据显示，在接受为期 2 周断食的受试者中： - 总体重平均下降 10%； - 全身体脂总量下降 20%； - 最具致病风险的核心**内脏脂肪（visceral fat）剧降 40%**； - 包含肌肉和水分在内的精瘦组织仅暂时性减少 6%。 更为关键的是，在断食结束 6 周后的复查中，患者体内的精瘦组织含量不仅完全恢复，其在体成分中的百分比甚至超越了断食前的基础基线。虽然随着复食，肌肉重新储存约 2 磅的肌糖原，肠道重新充盈膳食纤维，身体细胞充分补水导致体重秤上的数字有所回升，但深层脂肪的分解在复食后依然在持续进行。 除了肉体成分的巨变，断食还迫使患者经历深层的心理蜕变。Dr. Alan Goldhamer 指出，现代社会的通病是“对一切疼痛和不适产生病态抗拒”，人们总觉得任何微小的不适都是坏事，必须立刻吞下一颗药丸来抹平感觉。相比之下，运动员早已懂得“身体的不适往往伴随着积极的正向适应”。断食让患者直面身体排毒与代谢转换时的生理不适，彻底打破了对药物止痛的被动依赖，重塑了人与自身生理感受的内在连接。 ### [26:24](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jDG1m_b5Ih0&t=1584s) 纯水断食与单纯改善饮食的本质差异：内脏脂肪与药物脱敏 运动人群在断食过程中往往表现得比缺乏运动的人更好，因为他们习惯了在生理上适度挑战和推进身体极限。断食本身也是一种强烈的“毒物兴奋效应”（Hormetic effect）——向机体施加适度的生理压力，从而触发深层的自我修复机制。针对这一点，访谈中提出了一个极为现实的疑问：如果仅仅把患者饮食中的超加工食品彻底剔除，让他们转为高蛋白、高纤维的地中海饮食，既能改善健康，又不会损失断食期间可能消耗的那约 6% 的瘦体重（肌肉组织），难道不是一种更温和、更健康的干预手段吗？ 金哈默博士（Dr. Alan Goldhamer）对此给出了清晰的界定：如果一个人的唯一诉求只是普通减重，那么合理的饮食与运动确实就是核心。然而，纯水断食的不可替代之处在于其以极高效率专项“动员内脏脂肪”（Visceral fat）。尽管长期坚持运动最终也能消耗内脏脂肪，但对于罹患高血压、糖尿病和自身免疫性疾病的重症患者而言，越早清除器官周围的内脏脂肪与全身性炎症，就能越快摆脱对药物的依赖。药物本身会带来严重的副作用和代谢负担，绝大多数人并未意识到，高血压患者服药治疗的根本不是高血压本身，而是“在给导致高血压的错误饮食擦屁股”。一旦患者切换到真正促进健康的饮食，体内对降压药的需求几乎在当天就会开始骤降；此时如果医生不及时且大幅度减药，过量的降血压药物甚至会引发危险的药物中毒与机体停摆。 面对通过生酮饮食（Ketogenic diet）消除内脏脂肪的备选方案，金哈默博士指出了纯水断食与高脂生酮的根本区别。纯水断食在调动深层内脏脂肪方面效率极高，而大众熟知的阿特金斯饮食（Dr. Atkins diet）等高脂肪、高蛋白生酮模式存在严重的健康隐患。过量的动物蛋白摄入是诱发心血管疾病、癌症和慢性炎症的核心推手之一。人体作为一台精密运转的机器，生理设计本质上是以碳水化合物为主要燃料的代谢系统。人体仅需约 10% 的热量来源于蛋白质，摄入过量会直接损伤肾脏和血管。人类所必需的全部脂肪酸、氨基酸与碳水化合物，完全可以通过全谷全本草、无添加糖/油/盐（SOS-free, Whole Plant Food）的天然饮食足量获得，根本不需要依赖大量肉食、精炼植物油或精制碳水化合物。 - **减重与治病的边界**：若目标仅是体重秤上的数字，饮食搭配运动足矣；若目标是迅速逆转代谢综合征，必须强力清除内脏脂肪。 - **降压药物的真相**：降血压药压制的是高盐高脂饮食带来的血管张力毒性，饮食纠正后必须迅速撤药以防低血压休克。 - **蛋白质摄入红线**：人体适宜的蛋白质供能比仅为约 10%，过度摄入动物蛋白会显著拔高心血管与肾脏疾病风险。 --- ### [29:22](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jDG1m_b5Ih0&t=1762s) 纯水断食的核心卖点：逆转胰岛素抵抗与肠道微生态“重启” 如果将医疗监督下的纯水断食作为一项独特的临床干预手段，它的核心优势不仅在于急速消除内脏脂肪和闪电般降低血压，更在于它能深度扭转“胰岛素抵抗”（Insulin resistance）。目前现代医药体系中尚无任何一种特效药能够从根源上逆转胰岛素抵抗，但纯水断食却能做到这一点——在临床中心，相当高比例的 2 型糖尿病患者在断食后彻底恢复了正常血糖，且完全不再需要任何降糖药物。常规的生活方式调整虽然长期坚持也能带来相似改变，但断食所激发的重置深度是任何渐进式饮食法都无法比拟的。 金哈默博士用计算机的底层修复机制打了一个生动的比喻：“这就好比你的电脑系统崩溃死机了，你把它彻底关机再重启，虽然你不知道底层代码发生了什么，但它就这么恢复正常了。”断食对人体肠道微生物菌群（Gut microbiome）的作用正是这种“刷机重启”效应。人类肠道中寄居着数以万亿计的微生物，它们主导着食物消化与免疫防御，且其菌群结构完全由宿主的饮食决定：肉食者、纯素食者和高果糖/甜食者的肠道生态截然不同。在纯水断食期间，肠道失去了外源养分输入，微生物总量会发生断崖式下跌；而在随后的复食（Refeeding）阶段，医护团队通过精准把控重新摄入的食物构成，就能够定向重新繁育、定植健康的菌群结构。 这种微生态重置正是断食能够显著缓解溃疡性结肠炎、克罗恩病、慢性便秘以及肠易激综合征（IBS）等顽固消化系统疾病的关键。更为惊人的是肠脑轴（Gut-brain axis）的连带修复：人体内 90% 至 95% 的多巴胺与五羟色胺（血清素）实际上都是在肠道内合成的。当断食重塑了肠道菌群的平衡，不仅消化道得以休养生息，患者的认知功能、焦虑症以及抑郁情绪也能迎来根本性的好转。2024 年的一项前沿临床研究证实，仅经过为期 7 天的纯水断食，受试者体内有害的梭杆菌属（*Fusobacteria*）丰度就暴跌了 80% 以上，肠道微生态迅速倒向高度健康的基准平衡。 ```mermaid flowchart TD accTitle: 纯水断食重塑肠道微生态与神经内分泌机制 accDescr: 展示断食如何通过抑制有害菌、精准复食、清除炎症以及促进神经递质分泌来改善肠道与精神健康 subgraph FastingState["断食阶段：微生态强力清零"] A["停止外源养分摄入"] --> B["肠道微生物总量断崖式下降"] B --> C["有害梭杆菌属暴跌 >80%"] end subgraph RefeedingState["复食阶段：定向重植有益生态"] D["纯植物无油糖盐精细复食"] --> E["益生菌群占据主导生态位"] E --> F["修复肠粘膜与上皮屏障"] end subgraph ClinicalBenefits["全身系统性临床获益"] F --> G["消化道：逆转溃疡性结肠炎 / IBS"] F --> H["肠脑轴：恢复 90-95% 五羟色胺与多巴胺合成"] H --> I["精神认知：显著缓解焦虑、抑郁与脑雾"] end C --> D ``` --- ### [32:41](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jDG1m_b5Ih0&t=1961s) 性别差异与女性激素代谢：从多囊卵巢综合征到雌二醇排泄 当探讨断食对不同性别的影响时，女性特有的月经周期与复杂的激素波动使得干预机制呈现出鲜明的特征。男性通常不会遭遇乳腺纤维囊性病（Fibrocystic breast disease）、痛经（Dysmenorrhea）、经血过多（Menorrhagia）或多囊卵巢综合征（PCOS）等妇科疾患。现代医学研究表明，这些长期困扰女性的慢性病变几乎都与体内过量的“雌二醇”（Estradiol）水平高度相关。 雌二醇在健康机体内的正常代谢降解路径，依赖于肠道菌群与肝脏解毒功能的协同运作：雌二醇必须被肝脏与肠道菌群高效代谢转化为毒性较低的雌三醇（Estriol），随后通过尿液排出体外。如果宿主存在脂肪肝或肠道菌群失调，雌激素代谢排出受阻，就会导致雌二醇蓄积失衡，进而刺激乳腺及卵巢靶组织过度增生。纯水断食不仅能如前所述对肠道微生物完成系统级重启，TrueNorth 中心发表的临床影像与代谢数据更证实，断食能极其迅速地消融肝细胞内的异位脂肪堆积，逆转脂肪肝。随着肝功能与肠道环境的双重恢复，雌激素代谢通道彻底畅通，大量罹患乳腺纤维囊肿、重度痛经和多囊卵巢综合征的女性患者在断食后获得了极其显著的短期缓解与长期改善。 金哈默博士特别强调，断食虽然拥有如同“外科手术级”的强大重置效力，但它绝非一劳永逸的魔法。如果不能将断食期间的痛苦体验转化为改变日常饮食与生活方式的持久动力，长期疗效绝不可能维持。因此在住院断食期间，中心会对患者进行密集的高强度健康教育，确保患者在重获健康机能后，长期践行健康的生活习惯以锁住断食红利。 - **女性病理的核心驱动**：乳腺纤维囊肿、痛经与 PCOS 的根源通常直指雌二醇蓄积。 - **雌激素排泄轴**：雌二醇 $\rightarrow$ 经肝脏及健康肠道菌群代谢转化为雌三醇 $\rightarrow$ 随尿液安全排泄。 - **逆转脂肪肝**：断食能够清除肝脏异位脂肪浸润，从源头恢复内分泌激素灭活与解毒功能。 --- ### [34:17](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jDG1m_b5Ih0&t=2057s) 突破性案例：21天断食消除滤泡性淋巴瘤与医学界的质疑 为了说明严谨的断食疗法在重大器质性病变中的震撼表现，金哈默博士分享了一例发表在国际顶级医学期刊《英国医学杂志病例报告》（*BMJ Case Reports*）上的经典肿瘤案例。患者是一位年轻女性，不幸罹患了滤泡性淋巴瘤（Follicular lymphoma），并且体内肿瘤已经持续进展恶化了整整两年。 令人深思的是她最初在肿瘤专科就诊时的经历——主治肿瘤医生轻描淡写地告诉她：“饮食根本无关紧要，吃什么都不会改变病情，你想吃什么就吃什么。”然而，这位患者拒绝立即接受化疗，转而寻求并入住了金哈默博士的中心尝试纯水断食。在长达 21 天（3 周）的严格医学监护断食过程中，令人难以置信的临床现象发生了：医生与患者甚至“能够用手真切地触摸并感觉到这些原本坚硬的肿瘤在一天天缩小直至消失”。断食结束后复查的 CT 影像证实，原本持续恶化的淋巴瘤彻底消退。 在随访满一年时，临床团队将该案例整理撰写成文递交至《英国医学杂志》（BMJ）。然而，主流医学界的评审专家对此反应极其审慎，甚至充满了本能的怀疑。评审委员会回复称：“也许这个患者只是单纯运气好。虽然这个肿瘤确实恶化了整整两年，且确实在 21 天的断食期内消失得无影无踪，但这极有可能是极其罕见的‘自发性缓解’（Spontaneous remission）——极少数淋巴瘤患者在特定时期确实会出现无法解释的自愈现象。”因此，期刊委员会向金哈默博士团队提出了挑战：要求他们继续对该患者进行长达 3 年的严密追踪随访，以观望这种依靠断食与后续生活方式干预达成的肿瘤缓解是否能够真正维持，毕竟常规医学使用化疗干预后也极为注重复发周期。这一交锋生动展现了替代性代谢疗法在冲击传统肿瘤治疗范式时所面临的巨大阻力与极其严苛的证据要求。 ### [35:19](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jDG1m_b5Ih0&t=2119s) 淋巴瘤病例的长期追踪与“治愈”概念的医学真相 Dr. Alan Goldhamer 继续深入讲述那位淋巴瘤患者的追踪进展。传统药物治疗往往能够让肿瘤暂时缩小，但癌细胞极易卷土重来，这正是传统疗法难以从根本上降低全因死亡率的原因——病因本身并未消除。在对这位女患者的随访中，Dr. Alan Goldhamer 曾半开玩笑却又无比严肃地警告她，必须严格坚持指定的膳食方案，否则“后果致命，因为我会追杀你”。在为期三年的严苛追踪下，患者始终一丝不苟地恪守饮食规范，三周年时的 CT 检查结果证实她体内已完全没有任何癌细胞。Dr. Alan Goldhamer 将这一随访案例提交给《英国医学杂志》（BMJ），颇具讽刺意味的是，BMJ 最初居然拒收了这篇此前主动邀请他们提交的后续随访报告。经过申诉，期刊最终同意刊发。 时至今日，该患者已被随访长达 10 年之久，依然保持着无癌状态，并且持续践行全植物无添加（无糖、无油、无盐，即 Whole Plant Food SOS-free）饮食。随后，她将自己的抗癌经历公之于众，在多档播客中分享了这段历程，直接促使大量淋巴瘤患者慕名前往 TrueNorth Health Center。Dr. Alan Goldhamer 的团队随后发表了一份淋巴瘤病例系列研究。其中一位男性患者的情况更为严峻：属于恶性程度极高的四期淋巴瘤，癌细胞已发生骨转移，且对化疗宣告耐药。该患者最初前来接受了为期 3 周的纯水断食。起初，患者的肿瘤科主治医生极度抵触并持反对态度，担忧断食会导致体质过虚而无法承受后续治疗。然而，断食结束后患者的指标大幅好转，肿瘤医生甚至惊叹道：“这太惊人了，你何不回去多做几次？”于是他再次返回 TrueNorth，完成了另一次长达 39 天的纯水断食，病情取得了戏剧性的显著改善。这些病例报告均已正式发表于同行评审的学术期刊上。 当 Steven 询问这是否意味着该患者进入了“缓解”（Remission）状态时，Dr. Alan Goldhamer 严谨地厘清了医学概念：在淋巴瘤领域，这确实属于临床缓解，但绝不能称作“根除”（Cure）。正如肥胖和高血压无法被一劳永逸地“根治”一样——你可以通过断食和改善生活方式减掉脂肪并将血压维持在正常水平，Dr. Alan Goldhamer 手中就有高血压完全恢复正常长达数十年的病例，但只要当事人重新大口吞咽油腻、高脂、高盐的超加工垃圾食品，病情立刻就会死灰复燃。Dr. Alan Goldhamer 直言，“治愈”这个概念在现代医学语境下本就带有一定的误导性，医学界通常将患者接受治疗后存活满 5 年界定为“治愈”，但这完全不代表致病的底层机理得到了根治。 - **长期随访数据**：首位滤泡性淋巴瘤患者在 3 年随访期 CT 证实无癌，10 年随访期内依然保持无癌生存。 - **骨转移恶性病例**：四期化疗耐药淋巴瘤男性患者，先后经历 3 周纯水断食与 39 天深度纯水断食，实现临床指标的戏剧性逆转。 - **医学界对“治愈”的定义反思**：医学上存活 5 年即称治愈，但若不改变病理环境，任何慢性病和代谢紊乱都会卷土重来。 --- ### [37:32](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jDG1m_b5Ih0&t=2252s) 放弃120顿饭的生理代偿：自体免疫机制与肠漏修复 录制现场摆放着整整 120 个餐盘，直观展示了如果一个人进行为期 40 天的纯水断食，他们总共会与多少顿饭擦肩而过。面对如此震撼的食物体量，Dr. Alan Goldhamer 指出，人体消化、处理这 120 顿大餐需要消耗极其庞大的代谢能量。一旦通过断食将消化负担完全卸除，人体便能将原本用于消化的大量能量调配转向深层自我修复，全力解决体内长期积压的病理隐患——无论是过度沉积的内脏脂肪、糖尿病代谢异常，还是身体“自相残杀”的自体免疫性疾病。 许多人并不清楚类风湿关节炎、溃疡性结肠炎、强直性脊柱炎等自体免疫性疾病的根源在于免疫系统对自身组织的疯狂攻击。主流前沿理论认为，这一系列反应很大程度上源于肠道屏障受损，即所谓的“肠漏”（Gut Leakage）。当肠上皮紧密连接蛋白松弛瓦解，未被完全消化的物质直接渗入血液循环，具有基因易感性的个体其免疫系统便会进入极度高危的过敏激惹状态，开始攻击机体自身。若攻击靶点在甲状腺，便表现为桥本氏甲状腺炎（Hashimoto's thyroiditis）；若攻击关节，便表现为类风湿关节炎。各种名目繁多的慢性炎症，底层触发源往往都是肠道屏障渗漏。 ```mermaid flowchart TD accTitle: 肠漏导致自体免疫疾病与断食修复机理 accDescr: 展示从饮食破坏肠道紧密连接到诱发自体免疫疾病，以及断食如何阻断该损伤链条的修复路径。 subgraph PathologicalChain ["病理损伤链条"] A["不良生活方式与高脂加工饮食"] --> B["自由基过氧化损伤"] B --> C["肠道紧密连接瓦解（肠漏）"] C --> D["异物渗入血液循环"] D --> E["免疫系统过度亢奋激惹"] E --> F["攻击自身组织（甲状腺/关节/结肠等）"] end subgraph FastingIntervention ["断食修复机制"] G["全面停用固体食物"] --> H["切断氧化应激与自由基来源"] H --> I["代谢能量转向组织自我愈合"] I --> J["肠黏膜紧密连接修复闭合"] J --> K["长期维持 SOS-free 全植物饮食以巩固成效"] end PathologicalChain -.->|"断食干预切断恶性循环"| FastingIntervention ``` 进入断食状态后，机体首先彻底远离了引发肠漏的氧化应激损伤与自由基侵袭；其次，身体强大的自我修复程序被全面激活，受损的肠道紧密连接得以重新愈合闭合。断食结束之后，只要患者不再饮酒（避免酒精过氧化生成的大量自由基）、远离烟草、拒绝高脂及高温油炸食品，就能彻底阻断持续性的氧化损伤风暴。借助这种无糖、无油、无盐的全植物饮食，患者往往无须依赖副作用巨大且长期隐患重重的强效免疫抑制药物，即可稳定控制病情发展。 --- ### [39:47](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jDG1m_b5Ih0&t=2387s) 纯水断食期间的电解质监测与安全红线 关于长达 40 天的严苛断食期间是否需要补充电解质或复合维生素，Dr. Alan Goldhamer 给出了极为明确的回答：在 TrueNorth，患者在断食期间只被允许摄入纯水，机构绝不给患者额外补充外源性电解质或维生素粉剂。但绝不能脱离严密的医疗监护：医疗团队会对患者体内的电解质浓度及各项血液生化指标进行密切监测，确保人体自身的营养储备循环机制在正常运作。 人体在断食期间展现出了极高超的微量元素循环利用本能。只有当特定指标跌破安全底线时，医疗团队才会迅速干预终止断食。例如钾离子浓度：常规临床参考标准的下限约为 3.5 mmol/L，而在断食监护体系下，医学耐受安全阈值设定为 3.0 mmol/L。一旦患者的血钾水平跌破 3.0 mmol/L，或者血钠水平出现异常跌落，医生便会立刻终止纯水断食，迅速切入复食模式，提供特制蔬菜清汤或鲜榨蔬果汁以平稳恢复其电解质水平。 - **不添加人工补充剂的逻辑**：完全依托机体在无食物摄入状态下的自我营养回收再利用（Recycling）机制。 - **严格的安全阈值干预**：常规血钾标准下限约为 3.5，断食期间允许耐受降至 3.0；若跌破 3.0，必须立刻终止断食并予以干预。 - **终止保护原则**：在任何营养缺乏导致实质性临床症状出现前，通过精密生化指标监测防患于未然。 --- ### [40:41](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jDG1m_b5Ih0&t=2441s) 循序渐进的复食方案（Refeeding Protocol） 当结束长达 40 天或是短至 5 天的断食后，复食方案（Refeeding Protocol）的设计至关重要。Dr. Alan Goldhamer 强调，复食所需的天数与节奏有着极其严谨的科学比例：患者每进行一周的纯水断食，复食初期就必须经历约一天的纯蔬果鲜榨清汁过渡。以一个完成 3 周断食的个案为例，需要连续大约 3 天每天仅摄入大约 600 卡路里的新鲜蔬果汁。 这一阶梯式过渡策略背后有着缜密的生理考量： 1. **初期无纤维摄入**：最早引入的食物坚决不含任何膳食纤维，以防休眠已久的消化系统出现排异反应，即便产生轻微肠胃不适也能在短时间内消退。 2. **时序安排**：初次进食必须选在清晨而非夜间，以确保患者万一出现肠胃波动，不会恶化或打乱其夜间睡眠节律。 3. **糖分与水合控制**：在不给胰岛和细胞吸收负荷施加过载压力的前提下，温和补给水分并引入基础葡萄糖，将代谢引擎从深度生酮与自体吞噬状态平缓切换回摄食供能状态。 4. **渐进增加食物密度**：当肠胃完全适应无纤维清汁并稳定血糖后，才开始引入新鲜生蔬果（补充温和膳食纤维），随后逐步过渡到蒸熟的淀粉类蔬菜等高能量密度食物。整套复食周期大约占到断食总天数的一半时间，最终平稳过渡到需要终身维持的 SOS-free 全植物饮食基准。 在节目间歇，主持人 Steven 穿插介绍了本期节目的赞助伙伴。首先提到了电商平台 Shopify，Steven 感慨创业维艰，初创者往往以一己之力承担调研、排期、制作、品牌等多重角色，而 Shopify 支撑了全美 10% 的电商业务并提供全套 AI 及运营工具；紧接着介绍了智能安防系统 SimpliSafe，Steven 分享了此前工作室曾遭人入室洗劫摄像器材与关键硬盘的真实遭遇，强调该系统的户外主动防护与远程警报功能的重要性。广告结束后，Steven 紧接着抛出了下一个核心疑问：对于那些本身没有任何重大疾患的健康人群而言，断食是否同样具有实质性的益处？ ### [44:12](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jDG1m_b5Ih0&t=2652s) 健康人群断食的预防性价值与“客观健康”的真相 针对自身并无严重疾病、感觉身体状态良好的人群，史蒂文·巴特利特提出了疑问：健康人是否也有必要进行断食？艾伦·高德哈默医生（Dr. Alan Goldhamer）给出了非常肯定的回答，并指出他们曾专门针对这一问题做过临床研究。虽然饱受慢性病折磨的患者在断食后会展现出惊人的好转，但当研究人员深入检测健康受试者的心血管代谢风险指标、体重、体脂率以及内脏脂肪时发现，即使原本处于“健康正常范围”的人，身体指标也能获得进一步优化：他们的胆固醇与血压降得更低，体脂比例也更加理想。在某种程度上，健康人出于预防目的进行断食，按比例而言获得的健康收益反而是最大的。 不过，健康人并不需要经历长达数十天的极端断食，通常只需 5 到 10 天的短程断食即可；那些需要长达 40 天的水断食，往往是由于体内存在根深蒂固、需要漫长时间才能彻底逆转的严重病症。高德哈默医生强调，断食的原则是“尽可能短，但要长到足以解决问题”——一个服用 5 种药物且血压高达 210/100 mmHg 的重症患者，所需的时间显然远多于未服药且血压为 140/90 mmHg 的人。 谈及日常维系，高德哈默医生建议健康人应将断食融入日常生活习惯： - **日常节律**：每天至少保持 12 小时的自然断食窗口。 - **年度重置**：在临床实践中，建议处于健康状态的人每年进行为期一周的医学监督水断食。 - **真实的健康比例**：大多数“自觉健康”的人在客观生物标志物面前往往经不起推敲。绝大多数无症状人群体内仍维持着过高的内脏脂肪、隐性炎性指标和血脂水平。根据严格的客观健康标准定义，真正达到健康指标的人口比例实际上仅有 2% 到 2.5% 左右，即使放宽标准，通常也不超过 12%。 ### [47:08](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jDG1m_b5Ih0&t=2828s) 年度断食与味蕾重置：健康者的神经与微生物重启 从受众的不同画像出发，对于身体基本健康、主要追求更佳状态的人群，高德哈默医生认为水断食的核心价值在于它是一段“强迫性的休息与内省”（forced period of rest and introspection）。在纷扰的生活中，它为人体与精神提供了全方位的系统重启契机。 在生理感知层面，断食能够彻底“重置味蕾”。高德哈默团队发表的针对味觉敏感度的研究表明，在断食之后，人对糖和盐的感知敏感度会大幅提高。在长达一年的生活里，人们往往不知不觉在饮食习惯上“不断滑坡”，摄入越来越多的重口味加工调料；而每年一次的断食能重新校准味觉天平，让人重新体会到天然纯净食物的美味，从而轻而易举地做出健康的饮食选择。此外，断食还能全面重启肠道微生物组（gut microbiome），显著提升认知功能，并可能提高大脑中多巴胺和血清素的水平，从根本上改善一个人的情绪状态以及对自我和周围世界的认知体验。 ```mermaid flowchart TD accTitle: 健康人水断食的系统重启效应 accDescr: 展示健康人通过短期水断食在味觉、神经、肠道及心理多维度获得的重置效益。 subgraph FastingState ["7天水断食过程"] Rest["强迫性身体休整与深度内省"] SensoryReset["清除味觉疲劳"] end subgraph PhysiologicalChanges ["生理与神经系统重置"] TasteSens["糖/盐感知敏感度提升<br/>（味觉校准）"] GutMicrobiome["肠道微生物组生态重启"] NeuroTrans["血清素与多巴胺水平优化"] end subgraph LongTermBenefits ["后续长期获益"] DietChoice["自发偏好天然饮食<br/>（终结饮食滑坡）"] CognitiveMood["认知能力提升与情绪提振"] end Rest --> FastingState SensoryReset --> TasteSens FastingState --> GutMicrobiome FastingState --> NeuroTrans TasteSens --> DietChoice NeuroTrans --> CognitiveMood ``` ### [47:57](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jDG1m_b5Ih0&t=2877s) 断食减重的机制与节奏：每天一磅与安全边界 针对那些仅希望通过断食减轻体重的群体，高德哈默医生阐述了具体的干预节奏与背后的生理考量。他指出，断食既是一种治疗手段，同时也是一种诊断过程——患者在断食期间的实际代谢反应，会动态决定最终的断食时长。 体内的每一磅多余脂肪都会对身体产生不可忽视的“下游病理后果”，因此帮助患者逼近理想体重至关重要。在纯水断食状态下，人体体重的平均下降速率约为“每天一磅”（about a pound a day）。例如，若一名患者目前体重为 170 磅，而其自身感觉最佳的理想体重是 150 磅（即超重 20 磅），在各项身体生化指标允许的前提下，进行为期约 3 周的水断食通常是一个合理且可行的周期。 但在减重过程中，医疗团队有着严格的警戒线： - **避免过度衰竭**：绝对不能让患者陷入极度消瘦孱弱（emaciated state）或营养储备枯竭的恶化境地。 - **动态生理监测**：断食期间必须每日严格监控身体电解质、器官功能和生理耐受度，确保其始终在自身的生理储备限度之内。 - **综合症状消退**：对于轻度超重并伴有轻度高血压、空腹血糖偏高或关节疼痛的亚健康人群，断食的目的在于消除这些前驱症状，使身体在进入复食阶段后能够持续走向更健康的状态，而不是在疾病轨道上恶化。 ### [49:27](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jDG1m_b5Ih0&t=2967s) 临床图表揭秘：内脏脂肪的优先动员与进化悖论 史蒂文指着诊所发表的四张临床研究图表，请高德哈默医生向非视频受众详细解读其所揭示的数据真相。高德哈默医生指出，第一组图表追踪了受试者在长达 65 天随访期内的总体重百分比变化轨迹：受试者在平均约两周的水断食期间减去了约 10% 的初始体重，随后在医疗中心进行了为期一周的严谨复食；令人瞩目的是，在 65 天后的回访中，受试者不仅完美保持了减重成果，总体重甚至还略有进一步下降。这表明在复食阶段，身体虽然在重新补充水分和恢复肌肉组织，但体内的脂肪依然在持续代谢分解。 随后，高德哈默医生重点剖析了关于“内脏脂肪质量”（visceral fat mass）的第二张图表，并深刻揭示了现代慢性病的进化根源： - **内脏脂肪与皮下脂肪的本质区别**：与分布在皮肤下方的普通皮下脂肪不同，内脏脂肪仅占体内脂肪的约 10%，主要包裹在腹部深处及内脏器官周围。它是一种体积肥大（hypertrophic）、代谢高度活跃的危险组织，会不断释放炎症因子，“其生物学行为如同肿瘤”。 - **进化适应带来的现代悖论**：人类基因是在资源极度匮乏的环境中筛选出来的。在远古时代，身体会穷尽一切机制拼命堆积脂肪以防饥荒，能囤积脂肪的人才能存活并繁衍后代。而在食品热量极大过剩的现代社会，这种“预设春天可能迟到、脂肪越多越好”的古老基因程序，直接导致内脏脂肪过度堆积，催生出各种过剩型慢性疾病。 - **断食期间的“组织动员智慧”**：当启动纯水断食时，人体会展现出高度的自愈智能，优先动员并瓦解这些最具毒性的内脏脂肪，同时竭尽全力保护神经系统等生命核心中枢（正如极端饥饿的动物即便饿死，其神经系统也不会枯竭）。这种靶向清除机制同样解释了断食对肿瘤的抑制作用——患者在断食中哪怕仅减掉 10% 的总体重，乳腺肿瘤等病灶却可能缩小 50% 甚至彻底溶解消失。 第三组图表则展示了血压指标的惊人转变：患者的血压在断食阶段大幅下降，而在科学复食阶段进一步下行并彻底稳定。随后只要坚持健康的生活方式与天然饮食，患者甚至能在彻底摆脱所有降压药物的情况下，将原本严重的三期高血压逆转至完全正常的健康水平。 ### [52:51](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jDG1m_b5Ih0&t=3171s) 血压大幅改善与瘦体重（Lean Mass）的反弹增长 回顾门诊的研究图表数据，Dr. Alan Goldhamer 指出，对于收缩压（systolic blood pressure）高达 180 mmHg 或更高的严重高血压患者，在完成水断食后收缩压平均下降了惊人的 60 点——并且这一降幅还未计入许多患者在基线测试时本身是服用降压药测得的真实差距。 面对图表中关于瘦体重（lean mass）的变化，Steven 询问断食期间瘦体重是否也会下降。Dr. Goldhamer 解释道，瘦体重包含体液和肌肉组织，在断食期间确实会因代谢分解和水分流失而暂时下降。然而，在断食结束后的科学复食（refeeding）和营养重建（realimentation）阶段，瘦体重会迅速恢复。更令人振奋的是，在为期 6 周的随访跟踪中，患者体内的瘦体重占比（含纯肌肉比例）实际上明显高于断食前的基线水平。 - **复食期的运动干预**：断食期间患者必须严格静养、不可运动；而在复食恢复阶段，患者会配合体能锻炼来促进肌肉合成与组织修复。 - **体成分结构重塑**：净脂肪在断食期间被大量消耗，复食阶段身体优先重建优质瘦组织，从而使肌肉占身体总成分的比例显著提升。 --- ### [53:31](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jDG1m_b5Ih0&t=3211s) 多囊卵巢综合征（PCOS）、月经周期与生育能力的重置 针对女性常见的内分泌挑战，Dr. Goldhamer 证实，他们的诊所已经接诊过数十例多囊卵巢综合征（PCOS）患者，该病症对纯水断食的反应非常积极且高度一致。通常情况下，诊所会优先建议患者通过饮食和生活方式调整来尝试逆转，只有在严格改变饮食仍无法完全见效时，才推荐采用医学水断食。 Steven 分享了切身经历：他的伴侣曾公开过自己患有 PCOS，以往月经极不规律，周期甚至长达 60 多天乃至完全不来；后来她通过生酮饮食（Ketogenic diet）、彻底戒除饮食中的糖分与精制碳水后，月经周期变得极其精准（恢复为标准的 28 天左右）。Dr. Goldhamer 对此深表赞同，并结合诊所案例解释了断食重置生殖内分泌的机制： ```mermaid flowchart TD accTitle: Fasting and Hormonal Reset Process accDescr: 展现断食如何通过代谢与菌群重塑促使月经周期和生育能力恢复的生理流程 subgraph Phase1["代谢与微生态重塑"] A["严格水断食干预"] --> B["改善肠道微生物组菌群"] B --> C["调节雌激素代谢<br/>（如促使雌二醇向雌三醇转化）"] end subgraph Phase2["内分泌周期重建"] C --> D["当下周期激素预设受阻解除"] D --> E["第二个月经周期功能完全正常化"] end subgraph Phase3["临床结果呈现"] E --> F["痛经、月经过多显著改善"] E --> G["排卵恢复，1~2 个周期内成功受孕"] end ``` - **解决不明原因不孕**：许多女性生理结构（输卵管等）完好无损，但因激素失调难以成功受孕。通过断食“系统重启”后，往往在 1 到 2 个周期内便能顺利怀上宝宝。 - **经期紊乱的恢复节奏**：痛经（dysmenorrhea）、月经过多（menorrhagia）等问题通常不会在断食后的第一个周期立刻见效，而是在第二个周期彻底恢复正常。这是因为机体下一个周期的激素调控早已提前成型，真正的激素重塑通常在断食后第 6 周的随访时显现出来。 - **关于“断食导致闭经”的误区**：Steven 提出从进化角度看，断食作为一种压力源，是否会让身体判定“缺乏资源孕育生命”而主动关闭月经。Dr. Goldhamer 澄清，只有当体脂降至极限过低、身体极度营养耗竭时（如高强度训练导致体脂过低的运动员），才会引发闭经（amenorrhea）；绝大多数进行医学断食的患者体内仍有充沛的能量储备，断食反而优化了激素代谢与肠道菌群，促进生殖机能的恢复。 --- ### [56:52](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jDG1m_b5Ih0&t=3412s) 意志力的重构与战胜对“挨饿”的非理性恐惧 除了生理层面的各项指标改善，断食还带给患者深远的心理蜕变与生活方式自信。许多人在未尝试断食前，满脑子都是对挨饿的非理性恐惧——Dr. Goldhamer 幽默地调侃道：“很多人以为自己搭乘从纽约飞往加利福尼亚或科罗拉多的航班时，要是没吃上飞机上发的那包椒盐卷饼（pretzels），他们就得活活饿死在路上，还真以为是那包饼干救了自己的命！” 一旦人们在专业监督下亲身经历过 5 天、10 天甚至 40 天的水断食，跳过一两顿饭在他们眼里便再也不是什么惊天动地的事。如果外出一时找不到健康的纯天然食物，他们能够从容不迫地选择空腹，静待下一顿健康饮食，彻底摆脱了“不吃就会立刻虚脱丧命”的神经质恐慌，从而在意志力、自律性与情绪韧性上获得巨大飞跃。 --- ### [57:55](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jDG1m_b5Ih0&t=3475s) 断食时长的极限与人群正态分布 关于人类能耐受的水断食极限，Dr. Goldhamer 提供了详实的理论数据与临床实践规范： | 范畴 | 对应时长与人群特征 | |:--- |:--- | | **理论极限** | 一位健康的 70 公斤成年男性，其体内储备理论上可支持约 70 天的断食。 | | **临床最长干预** | TrueNorth 诊所允许的最长水断食期限为 **40 天**；超过 40 天后人体系统会变得极其脆弱微妙，电解质平衡等指标需要极为苛刻的把控。 | | **40 天患者占比** | 仅占门诊总患者数的 **1%** 左右，属于极少数案例。 | | **主流正态分布曲线** | 绝大多数患者的断食周期集中在 **2 周至 4 周（10 天、14 天或 20 天）**，这是解决大多数慢性病的高频有效区间。 | 针对日常人群的实践建议，Dr. Goldhamer 强调并不需要人人频繁进行多周长断食，但他提出了阶梯式的健康建议： 1. **日常维护**：建议所有人每天保持 12 小时的基础夜间断食窗口； 2. **年度重置**：即便是完全健康的人群，每年也应当考虑进行一次为期 1 周的断食； 3. **针对性治疗**：慢性病患者则应根据彻底逆转病情所需的实际程度，在专业监控下实施个性化疗程。如果一次断食因储备有限无法彻底解决问题，可在一年内分两到三次定期推进。 --- ### [59:13](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jDG1m_b5Ih0&t=3553s) 水断食的安全风险、专业监测与大众认知误区 断食并非盲目挨饿，必须严防潜在的医学并发症。Dr. Goldhamer 列举了临床监管中最为关注的两大安全隐患： 1. **体位性低血压（Orthostatic Hypotension）**：长期高血压患者的大脑已经习惯了高灌注压状态。断食使血压急剧恢复正常后，患者站起时大脑供血一时无法适应，极易发生头晕甚至晕厥倒地，导致骨折摔伤； 2. **脱水与电解质失衡**：断食伴随的水分排出虽然属于激效反应（hormetic effect）、能有效激发身体的“愈合危机”（healing crisis），但若失控引起严重耗竭，可能诱发危险的心律失常（cardiac dysrhythmia）。 正因如此，专业机构必须对断食者实施每日两次的严格生理指标监测。Dr. Goldhamer 提到，他在其著作《Can Fasting Save Your Life?》（断食能拯救你的生命吗？）中详尽公开了所有水断食的临床标准化方案。撰写此书的一大初衷，就是为患者提供坚实的科学依据，避免他们的主治医生仅仅因为缺乏了解就认为断食患者“疯了”。 在访谈最后，Dr. Goldhamer 剖析了人们对断食根深蒂固的误解：大众总误以为不吃东西身体就会彻底崩溃、肌肉被全部吞噬、减下的体重在复食后会全数反弹且毫无体成分改善。这种恐惧深植于人类基因的生存本能中——在远古自然环境中，食物极度匮乏，获取能量是生存的第一要务，因此断食在演化历史中曾是不得已的生存应急机制。然而在现代营养过剩、充斥深加工毒素的环境下，科学规范的断食早已转化为激发生体自愈、重启细胞机能的强大医疗干预手段。 ### [01:01:24](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jDG1m_b5Ih0&t=3684s) 宗教共识与无法量化的心灵体验 各大古老宗教之间虽然教义各异，但 dr. Alan Goldhamer 指出，不管是犹太教、耆那教、印度教、伊斯兰教、基督教还是佛教，无一例外都对断食抱有极高的敬畏并保留着悠久的断食传统。这种跨文化的普遍共识绝非偶然，因为断食会深刻重塑人对自我以及周围世界的感知。主持人也深有感触地呼应道，断食自古以来就与冥想、头脑清明和深刻的精神体验紧密相连。Goldhamer 医生坦言，正是因为断食本身极具挑战性，它所带来的某些深层益处才往往难以用现代实验数据进行完全量化。 ```mermaid flowchart TD accTitle: 纯水断食的多重生理机制 accDescr: 展示纯水断食如何在排钠、排毒、自主神经系统平衡及味觉神经适应四个维度发挥协同修复作用。 subgraph Elimination["机体净化与代谢重置"] A["水钠排泄效应<br/>(Natriuresis)"] --> A1["快速排出多余体液与钠<br/>阻断被动过量进食"] B["深度排毒机制<br/>(Detoxification)"] --> B1["动员脂溶性化学物质<br/>排出蓄积的二恶英与重金属"] end subgraph Neurological["神经与感知重塑"] C["自主神经调谐<br/>(Autonomic Balance)"] --> C1["平衡交感与副交感神经<br/>超越传统物理与替代疗法"] D["味觉神经适应<br/>(Neuroadaptation)"] --> D1["重置大脑多巴胺敏感度<br/>挣脱加工食品享乐陷阱"] end Elimination --> Neurological ``` ### [01:02:05](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jDG1m_b5Ih0&t=3725s) 水钠排泄效应与“被动过量进食”陷阱 当主持人问及目前尚未深入探讨却最为关键的断食机制时，Goldhamer 医生首先强调了“排钠利尿效应”（Natriuretic Effect）。人体长期摄入过量食盐会导致机体必须储存大量水分以稀释钠的毒性，而在断食初期，身体会迅速将这些蓄积的多余钠和水排出体外，患者往往每天能排出数磅体液。他警告说，钠虽然是微量必需营养素，但本身具有半数致死量（LD50），“哪怕只生吞一汤匙盐，就会立即引发剧烈呕吐，摄入过量甚至会直接致命”。它不仅是高血压的元凶，更是导致肥胖的隐形推手。 对于没有热量的钠为何会让人发胖，Goldhamer 医生揭示了“被动过量进食”（passive overeating）的概念。在完全相同的饱腹基准下，如果不加盐，人们吃饱了糙米就不会再想吃第二口；可一旦加入食盐，大脑中的多巴胺系统受到强烈刺激，产生“美味”的错觉，使人在产生饱腹感之前无意识地吞下远超生理需求的食物量。 - **加工面食的本质**：普通面包本身每磅就含有约 1,500 大卡的热量，人们还会将其浸入油脂、“抹满凝固的牛奶脓液（黄油）”；若剔除盐、油、糖和酵母，它就变成了犹太逾越节用于自省苦修的无酵饼（matzah）——“没人会吃无酵饼吃到发胖”。 - **化学物质的运载载体**：水煮无味的牛肉并不诱人，精制小麦与肉类本质上只是将盐、糖、人工酱料与添加剂运送至舌尖味蕾的“化学载体”。 - **超加工食品危机**：现代人平均饮食中高达 70% 的热量来源于超加工食品，其间充斥的乳化剂等化学物质还在不断破坏肠道微生态。 ### [01:04:23](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jDG1m_b5Ih0&t=3863s) 脂肪活检暴露的毒素蓄积与快速排毒 Goldhamer 医生指出，若对现代人体进行脂肪活检（Fat Biopsy），在显微分析下几乎每个人的脂肪组织中都能检测出多氯联苯（PCB）、二恶英、农药残留以及各类重金属。断食是生物演化过程中进化出的强大自愈程序，能够极为迅速地调动并排出这些深层毒素。尽管部分反对者声称“断食排毒效率过猛会导致身体不堪重负”，但临床实践证明，这是人体与生俱来的代谢自洁机制。 更引人深思的是这些毒素的源头：脂肪活检中高达 90% 的蓄积毒素来自食用动物性食品。处于食物链顶端的牲畜会在其漫长生命周期中生物富集环境中的各种化学污染物，人类摄入肉类便承接了动物积攒一生的毒素。果汁断食或改良式代餐断食无法企及这一排毒深度，唯有纯水断食能彻底激活这一排泄通道，且“随着断食次数的增加，这种自愈机制的效率会越来越高”。 ### [01:05:33](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jDG1m_b5Ih0&t=3933s) 调和交感与副交感神经的失衡 断食对自主神经系统（Autonomic Nervous System）的调控同样立竿见影。自主神经系统掌管着人体一切不由自主意识支配的生命功能——例如在跑步时，心跳必须自发加速泵血以维持生存。该系统由交感神经（战斗或逃跑）与副交感神经（休息与消化）两套系统维系动态平衡。人类发明了包括推拿按摩、生物反馈、顺势疗法、整脊正骨、针灸以及深层放松在内的成百上千种医疗与替代疗法，其核心诉求都是试图重新调和这套自主神经机制。但在 Goldhamer 医生的临床经验中，没有任何一种外界干预的威力能与断食相媲美，它能对交感与副交感神经的失衡进行极其深刻的重置与调谐。 ### [01:06:39](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jDG1m_b5Ih0&t=3999s) 味觉神经适应：挣脱饮食“享乐陷阱” Goldhamer 医生将断食最不可思议的改变归结为“味觉神经适应”（taste neuroadaptation）。在长期食用高盐、高糖、高脂的标准现代饮食后，未经加工的原态蔬果在普通人嘴里就如同难以下咽的“淡味泔水”。然而在完成断食之后，味觉敏感度会彻底重启，“好的食物重新变得无比美味”。患者不仅不再渴望油腻加工食品，反而由衷地认为简单的原态天然植物性食物芳香扑鼻，且越吃越觉得美味。 针对主持人在践行生酮饮食时发现“连无糖饮料都甜得发腻、断酮后重返碳水却又失去这种敏锐度”的切身体会，Goldhamer 医生给出了解释： - **生酮本质是模拟断食**：生酮饮食在某种程度上属于“断食模拟饮食”，能触发类似的味觉重置机制。 - **罪魁祸首是精制碳水**：使人味觉麻木、丧失敏感度的并非天然碳水化合物本身，而是“精制加工碳水”。 - **落入享乐陷阱**：坚持以天然果蔬等全植物饮食为主的人能恒久维持极高的味觉敏锐度，但只要重新摄入超加工碳水化合物，神经系统就会瞬间跌回“饮食享乐陷阱”（Dietary Pleasure Trap）的循环中。 ### [01:08:39](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jDG1m_b5Ih0&t=4119s) 赞助插播：足部力量退化与赤足健康 主持人分享了日常训练与健康习惯中的一项颠覆性转变。哈佛大学进化生物学教授 Daniel Lieberman 曾做客节目并向他阐明：现代鞋履所配备的厚重气垫与足弓支撑，反而削弱了双脚与生俱来的肌力与天然功能，导致足部丧失原本的力量与灵活性，进而引发膝盖和背部等全身性疼痛。主持人透露自己曾深受足底筋膜炎困扰、双脚剧痛难忍，在经 Lieberman 教授建议后开始换穿 Vivobarefoot 赤足鞋，逐步重塑足部天然力量与运动模式，这一效果也得到了英国利物浦大学相关研究的有力证实。 ### [01:09:23](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jDG1m_b5Ih0&t=4163s) 寻求断食指导的下一步行动与安全警示 如果听众对纯水断食产生了浓厚兴趣并想知道下一步该怎么做，戈德哈默医生（Dr. Alan Goldhamer）介绍了一项非常实用的免费服务：听众可以访问其官网（truenorthhealth.com）填写注册申请表格，他本人会为他们提供一次免费电话咨询，评估断食是否适合他们，并为他们指引正确的方向。此外，对于渴望深入了解该领域的人，可以阅读他的著作《断食能拯救你的生命吗？》（*Can Fasting Save Your Life?*），书中为患者及其主治医生详尽阐述了如何安全进入断食状态、平稳度过断食期，以及断食所带来的各项潜在健康益处。 主持人在此处特别提出了安全免责声明：进行纯水断食前，公众务必寻求专业医疗建议和医学支持，必须向深谙此道的专业人士咨询，绝对不可自行盲目在家尝试。戈德哈默医生对此完全赞同，并着重强调了三项关键准则： - **候选资格评估**：必须通过详细的病史采集、体格检查和实验室化验，确认自身是否为合格的断食候选人。 - **断食期间管理**：必须确保在安静修养（restful state）的状态下断食，并维持恰当的水分补充。 - **严谨科学的复食**：断食结束后的重新进食过程极为关键，如果操作不当，可能会引发严重的健康问题（如再喂养综合征）。 ```mermaid flowchart TD accTitle: 医疗监督下的安全断食流程 accDescr: 展示从初步医学筛查到安全复食的标准临床流程。 subgraph Evaluation["阶段一：医学筛查"] A["提交申请与病史采集"] --> B["体检与实验室检验"] B --> C{"是否为合适候选人？"} end subgraph Protocol["阶段二：断食介入"] C -- 是 --> D["医疗监护下的纯水断食"] D --> E["保证绝对静养与充足水合"] end subgraph Refeeding["阶段三：科学复食"] E --> F["阶梯式渐进复食"] F --> G["建立长期健康生活方式"] end C -- 否 --> H["寻求其他常规生活方式干预"] ``` --- ### [01:10:52](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jDG1m_b5Ih0&t=4252s) 科学研究证据与终身追踪新课题 当主持人询问是否有特别深刻的案例能证明断食的力量（例如曾在 2015 年发表于《英国医学杂志》（BMJ）上的淋巴瘤治愈案例）时，戈德哈默医生表示，虽然个案引人瞩目，但更具说服力的是他们在 TrueNorth 进行的包含数十人乃至近 200 人的临床研究，以及这些研究中展现出的极其一致的客观数据。他指出，对于全球导致死亡和残疾的首要元凶——高血压及其并发症，纯水断食是迄今为止被证明最有效的治疗手段。患有原发性高血压的病人只要断食时间足够，血压都会趋于正常化；而如果患者后续愿意坚持那些看似“激进且危险”的日常做法——好好吃饭、规律运动、按时就寝，他们就能长期稳固这些疗效。 关于中心目前正在推进的前沿项目，戈德哈默医生透露他们正准备启动一项大规模研究： - **样本规模**：计划招募 2,000 至 3,000 名参与者。 - **追踪周期**：进行终身（for the rest of their life）随访追踪。 - **研究目标**：验证通过科学饮食、充足睡眠、规律运动以及周期性断食，能否帮助人们彻底避开生命末期平均长达 16 年的虚弱与残障（debility）状态，让人生最后 20 年成为最精彩、最健康的黄金岁月，而非最痛苦的折磨。 --- ### [01:11:39](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jDG1m_b5Ih0&t=4299s) 毁掉现代人生活的最大谎言与“三品质”准则 按照播客惯例，上一位嘉宾留下了一个匿名问题：“你认为毁掉大多数人生活的最大谎言是什么？”戈德哈默医生毫不迟疑地回答： > “人们误以为健康来源于药丸、药水、粉末和治疗手段，而不是源于健康的生活本身。健康是健康生活的直接产物，这意味着饮食、睡眠和运动。” 当主持人感叹现代商业社会充斥着操控大脑神经递质、诱人成瘾的机制时，戈德哈默医生指出，商业社会一直在向大众兜售“快乐陷阱”（The Pleasure Trap）——他们只挑你想听的讲，而不是告诉你真正需要知道的真相。“你想听的是如何避开艰难挑战却依然坐享其成，而你真正需要掌握的，是如何迎难而上、做好艰难的事情以换取真正的成功。”对此，主持人深表认同，认为“延迟满足”（Delayed Gratification）是 21 世纪最核心的生存品质，甚至所有成功学书籍都可以浓缩为这一页原则：为了长远的自我利益去行动，而不是屈服于眼前的短期诱惑。 戈德哈默医生进一步提出了一个人在寻找伴侣、员工或朋友时，以及审视自身时都应追求的三大核心特质： - **诚实（Honesty）**：意味着他们会直面并讲出真相。 - **正直（Integrity）**：意味着他们会坚定地做正确的事（do the right thing）。 - **聪慧（Intelligence）**：意味着他们懂得如何将事情做对（do things right）。 戈德哈默医生总结道，幸福且成功的人往往高度兼备这三者。有些人绝顶聪明却不走正道；有些人虽然诚实，却保留了关键细节而不讲出全部真相；只有三者合一，人生才有极高的概率获得持久的幸福与成功。 --- ### [01:14:43](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jDG1m_b5Ih0&t=4483s) 极端的 40 天断食患者与真实的“返世”挑战 在诊所中，仅有约 1% 的极端患者会进行长达 40 天的严苛水断食。在主持人的追问下，戈德哈默医生分享了一个典型案例： - **严重创伤患者**：一名女牙医在一场继续教育研讨会上不幸被户外的柱子砸中，导致创伤性脑损伤。 - **长期慢性痛苦**：在长达 16 年的时间里，她每天的每一分钟都在承受剧烈的持续性头痛（疼痛评级高达 8 到 10 分）。 - **断食与结果**：她在诊所完成了 41 天的水断食，头痛基本得以消除；在科学复食后，虽然出现轻微先兆症状，但她在 6 个月后又进行了第二次 40 天断食。至今已经过去 12 年，她再未发生过头痛。 戈德哈默医生指出，这些选择长时间断食的人，动力几乎全部来自于身体上的“剧痛、虚弱和对死亡的恐惧”。他们已经尝试了常规饮食改良、生活方式调整及药物治疗却屡屡受挫，TrueNorth 成了他们穷途末路的“最后一站”（last resort）。他回忆已故的著名同行约翰·麦克杜格尔医生（Dr. John McDougall）曾戏称 TrueNorth 是“最后的惩罚”——当麦克杜格尔用饮食调整依然无法治愈某些顽疾时，就会无奈地向病人道歉：“我很抱歉，但你只能去戈德哈默那里受罪了，祝你好运。” 然而，戈德哈默医生犀利地指出，断食本身其实并不是最难的部分： > “最艰难的事情根本不是断食。真正的挑战在于：当你断食结束，重新回到一个处心积虑想让你变得肥胖、病态和痛苦的世界中，你该如何保持健康生活、坚守原则，并承受特立独行所带来的社交压力。” 谈话的最后，戈德哈默医生幽默地分享了出门前妻子珍妮弗（Jennifer）对他的宽慰。妻子让他别紧张，说他每年演讲上百次、每次面对五六十人，这没啥区别。戈德哈默医生打趣地回答：“是的，这确实跟每次对五六十人讲话一样——只不过相当于我必须一刻不停地连讲 400 年！”在欢笑与感谢声中，访谈深入探讨了长断食背后从糖原耗竭、酮体产生到更高心理维度的复杂蜕变。 ### [01:17:48](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jDG1m_b5Ih0&t=4668s) 心理重塑与打破“习得性无助” 断食带来的心理转变往往是最容易被外界忽视的维度。史蒂文·巴特利特（Steven Bartlett）指出，断食不仅让人意识到自己有能力完成一件极具挑战的事，更是一场生理与心理的双重重塑——它重构并重置了多巴胺水平，让味觉在断食状态下重新校准适应，从而成为阻断旧习惯的强力干预手段。巴特利特分享了个人习惯：他每年都会进行一到三次生酮饮食（Ketogenic Diet），每次进入生酮状态，都宛如一次剧烈的“习惯清零”，能够强力重置他对食物的渴望与冲动。 艾伦·戈德哈默医生（Dr. Alan Goldhamer）随即切入现代医学的弊端并辛辣讽刺道，当高血压患者走进诊所时，常规医生的潜台词无异于：“听着，我们向你保证，只要你完全照我们说的做，我们保证你永远都好不了；你余生都得带着病，一辈子都得吃这些药。”然而，当这些患者通过断食真正治愈了这种被宣判为“无可奈何、毫无希望”的顽疾时，他们过往的整个世界观与现实认知都被彻底颠覆了。 巴特利特深有共鸣地指出，这正是心理学上的“习得性无助”（Learned Helplessness）。无论是经典动物实验中陷入绝境后彻底放弃自救的大鼠，还是现实中被告知“疾病无法逆转、你注定完蛋”的普通人，一旦被灌输了无能为力的宿命论，人们就会彻底放弃反抗、顺从于疾病。而亲自通过断食扭转健康状态，正是打破这种心理禁锢、夺回生命主导权的关键转折点。 - **多巴胺与神经重置**：断食与生酮状态不仅调整味觉阈值，还能阻断对超加工食品的强烈成瘾与冲动。 - **医学话术的反思**：戈德哈默医生痛陈传统慢病管理往往给患者套上“终身服药、绝无痊愈可能”的心理枷锁。 - **心理机制印证**：长期被灌输“无药可救”会导致如同实验动物般的习得性无助，而自我治愈的经历能从根本上重塑个体的现实范式。 ### [01:19:31](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jDG1m_b5Ih0&t=4771s) 现场邀约：前往 TrueNorth 的断食之约 对谈临近尾声时，戈德哈默医生向巴特利特发出了诚挚而热情的现场邀请：“当你准备好迎接一段改变人生的体验时，我们非常欢迎你来做客。”他建议巴特利特亲自前往 TrueNorth 健康中心体验一次断食，并夸赞他是一个绝佳的候选人，虽然整个过程会十分剧烈，但必将带来极其正向的生命蜕变。 戈德哈默医生还幽默地打趣许诺：“我们一定会确保只要你能自己走进来，就一定能平平安安地自己走出去。”巴特利特大笑着回应道，这绝对是他前往体验的“先决条件”，并由衷感谢戈德哈默医生的分享，鼓励他继续坚守并推广这项造福大众的事业。 ### [01:19:53](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jDG1m_b5Ih0&t=4793s) 独家内圈：DOAC Circle 社区招募 节目最后，巴特利特向观众发出了一项特别通知，宣布正式推出《CEO日记》（The Diary Of A CEO）的全新专属私人社群——“DOAC Inner Circle”（DOAC 核心圈），并首期仅限前 10,000 名加入者。 巴特利特透露，在节目录制现场有大量从未对外公开的精彩内幕，包括他在录音时 iPad 上的深度采访提纲、未公开的精选片段、与重磅嘉宾在幕后的私密对话，甚至包括从未释出过的整期神秘节目。加入该社群的成员将获得与巴特利特直接沟通的渠道，能够深度参与节目的未来规划，直接投票决定采访嘉宾人选及想探讨的对话议题。该社群通道开放名额有限，满员即关闭入口。 ## Notable quotes > [00:00](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jDG1m_b5Ih0&t=0s) 我认为每个人每天都应该进行断食。 — Dr. Alan Goldhamer > [02:16](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jDG1m_b5Ih0&t=136s) Health results from healthful living — Dr. Alan Goldhamer > [08:58](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jDG1m_b5Ih0&t=538s) It acts like a tumor — Dr. Alan Goldhamer > [11:52](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jDG1m_b5Ih0&t=712s) It's not that fasting doubles your lifespan, it's overfeeding cuts it in half — Dr. Alan Goldhamer > [15:09](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jDG1m_b5Ih0&t=909s) 累了就去睡觉，无聊了就去做些有意义的事，只有真正饿了再去吃东西。 — Dr. Alan Goldhamer > [44:12](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jDG1m_b5Ih0&t=2652s) 尽可能短，但要长到足以解决问题 — Dr. Alan Goldhamer > [01:02:05](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jDG1m_b5Ih0&t=3725s) 哪怕只生吞一汤匙盐，就会立即引发剧烈呕吐，摄入过量甚至会直接致命 — Dr. Alan Goldhamer > [01:11:39](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jDG1m_b5Ih0&t=4299s) 人们误以为健康来源于药丸、药水、粉末和治疗手段，而不是源于健康的生活本身。健康是健康生活的直接产物，这意味着饮食、睡眠和运动。 — Dr. Alan Goldhamer > [01:14:43](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jDG1m_b5Ih0&t=4483s) 最艰难的事情根本不是断食。真正的挑战在于：当你断食结束，重新回到一个处心积虑想让你变得肥胖、病态和痛苦的世界中，你该如何保持健康生活、坚守原则，并承受特立独行所带来的社交压力。 — Dr. Alan Goldhamer > [01:17:48](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jDG1m_b5Ih0&t=4668s) 听着，我们向你保证，只要你完全照我们说的做，我们保证你永远都好不了；你余生都得带着病，一辈子都得吃这些药。 — Dr. Alan Goldhamer > [01:19:31](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jDG1m_b5Ih0&t=4771s) 我们一定会确保只要你能自己走进来，就一定能平平安安地自己走出去。 — Dr. Alan Goldhamer ## Mentioned Dr. Alan Goldhamer, Steven Bartlett, Alec Burton, T. Colin Campbell, Daniel Lieberman, Dr. John McDougall, TrueNorth Health Center, Mayo Clinic, BMJ Case Reports, The Diary Of A CEO, DOAC Circle, Shopify, SimpliSafe, Vivobarefoot, Can Fasting Save Your Life?, The Pleasure Trap, 中国健康调查报告 ## Video description Dr. Alan Goldhamer is one of the world’s top experts on fasting, and the Founder and Director of TrueNorth Health Center, where over 25,000 people have reversed chronic illnesses through medically supervised, water-only fasting. He is also the author of books such as, ‘Can Fasting Save Your Life?’ and ‘The Pleasure Trap’. Is fasting more powerful than any diet pill?! Dr Alan Goldhamer reveals how this simple practice burns belly fat, boosts energy, clears brain fog…and may even cure depression! He explains: ⬛How to fast without losing muscle ⬛Why obesity is more deadly than most diseases ⬛How to fix your body with water-only fasting ⬛How fasting treats PCOS better than medication ⬛Why calorie counting doesn’t work ⬛Why the ‘pleasure trap’ is silently keeping you sick Topics: 00:00 Intro 02:16 What Have You Spent Your Entire Life Doing? 03:38 What Type of Fasting Are You Referring To? 04:43 What Happens to the Body During Fasting? 11:54 What Is Autophagy? 15:09 Difference Between Fasting and Calorie Restriction 17:14 Why Does Avoiding Carbs Improve Cognitive Function? 18:18 Juice Fasting 19:56 Who Are You Giving a 40-Day Water Fast To? 22:42 What Kind of Person Does a 40-Day Water Fast? 24:23 What Happens to Our Psychology When We Fast? 26:39 Could We Just Remove Processed Food Instead? 29:23 Why Would Anyone Do a Water Fast? 32:41 How Do Different Genders Respond to Fasting? 37:33 How Many Meals Do You Miss on a 40-Day Water Fast? 39:47 Do You Supplement During Water Fasts? 40:41 What to Eat After a Water Fast 42:00 Ads 44:10 Is There a Benefit to Fasting If You're Already Healthy? 47:57 Is Fasting Effective for Weight Loss? 49:31 Outcome Data from Fasting Studies 53:31 PCOS and the Menstrual Cycle While Fasting 56:52 Does Fasting Improve Other Areas of Life? 57:55 What’s the Longest a Person Can Fast? 59:13 Safety Concerns with Water Fasts 1:00:37 Common Misconceptions About Fasting 1:02:22 How Fasting Eliminates Excess Sodium 1:04:23 How Fasting Reduces Toxins in the Body 1:05:33 How Fasting Affects the Nervous System 1:06:39 How Fasting Changes Your Taste Buds 1:08:38 Ads 1:09:39 What's the Next Step If People Are Curious? 1:11:39 The Biggest Lie That's Ruining People's Lives 1:14:43 What Do 40-Day Fast Patients Struggle With? Follow Dr Alan: Website - https://bit.ly/3VnzfYl You can purchase Dr Alan’s book, ‘Can Fasting Save Your Life?’, here: https://amzn.to/4jgQzcT The Diary Of A CEO: ⬛Join DOAC circle here - https://doaccircle.com/ ⬛Buy The Diary Of A CEO book here - https://smarturl.it/DOACbook ⬛The 1% Diary is back - limited time only: https://bit.ly/3YFbJbt ⬛The Diary Of A CEO Conversation Cards (Second Edition): https://g2ul0.app.link/f31dsUttKKb ⬛Get email updates - https://bit.ly/diary-of-a-ceo-yt ⬛Follow Steven - https://g2ul0.app.link/gnGqL4IsKKb Independent research: https://alangoldhamer.tiiny.co/ Sponsors: Shopify - https://shopify.com/bartlett SimpliSafe - https://simplisafe.com/doac to claim 50% off a new system with a professional monitoring plan and get your first month free. Vivobarefoot - https://vivobarefoot.com/DOAC with code DIARY20 for 20% off [Source](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jDG1m_b5Ih0)

[0:00] Dr. Alan Goldhamer: 我认为每个人每天都应该进行断食。 [2:16] Dr. Alan Goldhamer: Health results from healthful living [8:58] Dr. Alan Goldhamer: It acts like a tumor [11:52] Dr. Alan Goldhamer: It's not that fasting doubles your lifespan, it's overfeeding cuts it in half [15:09] Dr. Alan Goldhamer: 累了就去睡觉，无聊了就去做些有意义的事，只有真正饿了再去吃东西。 [44:12] Dr. Alan Goldhamer: 尽可能短，但要长到足以解决问题 [62:05] Dr. Alan Goldhamer: 哪怕只生吞一汤匙盐，就会立即引发剧烈呕吐，摄入过量甚至会直接致命 [71:39] Dr. Alan Goldhamer: 人们误以为健康来源于药丸、药水、粉末和治疗手段，而不是源于健康的生活本身。健康是健康生活的直接产物，这意味着饮食、睡眠和运动。 [74:43] Dr. Alan Goldhamer: 最艰难的事情根本不是断食。真正的挑战在于：当你断食结束，重新回到一个处心积虑想让你变得肥胖、病态和痛苦的世界中，你该如何保持健康生活、坚守原则，并承受特立独行所带来的社交压力。 [77:48] Dr. Alan Goldhamer: 听着，我们向你保证，只要你完全照我们说的做，我们保证你永远都好不了；你余生都得带着病，一辈子都得吃这些药。 [79:31] Dr. Alan Goldhamer: 我们一定会确保只要你能自己走进来，就一定能平平安安地自己走出去。

[19:56] Dr. Alan Goldhamer: If people are active, we've already mentioned they'll increase their weight loss, but that weight will be derived from breaking down lean tissue. We want to minimize lean tissue, maximize fat, particularly visceral fat. [53:31] Dr. Alan Goldhamer: If you take yourself below optimum weight or below optimum fat, yes, that's true... disruption of menstrual cycle happens with excess weight loss of any kind or rapid weight loss. But for the patients that were fasting, oftentimes it's quite the opposite. They're able to actually normalize their hormonal cycle. [58:44] Dr. Alan Goldhamer: When you really look at the science and you look at the experience we've had, you find when it's done according to protocol, it is a safe and it can be an effective intervention in giving the body a chance to heal itself. [60:37] Dr. Alan Goldhamer: Because we live in a constant state of deprivation in the natural setting, the use of fasting was never anything other than a survival tool... But it is interesting that every major religion... all have a deep respect and tradition about fasting. [62:22] Dr. Alan Goldhamer: We're using ultra-processed foods as carrier agents for these chemicals, and that's why we're in trouble. 70% of the calorie of the average person is ultra-processed foods... [65:33] Dr. Alan Goldhamer: After fasting, whole plant foods start to taste good. And the longer you eat them, the better they taste... You actually would prefer to eat whole plant foods rather than the salty, greasy, fatty processed foods... [71:39] Dr. Alan Goldhamer: I think one of the biggest mistakes is that people think that health comes from pills, potions, powders, and treatments instead of healthful living. Health is the direct result of healthful living and that means diet, sleep, exercise. [74:13] Dr. Alan Goldhamer: One of my colleagues, may he rest in peace, John McDougall, used to say we were 'the punishment.' If he had a patient... and diet changes weren't successful, he would apologize to them and say, 'I'm so sorry, but you need to go to Goldhamer's place. Good luck to you.'

[0:00] This is the most effective treatment [0:01] that's ever been shown in treating the [0:03] leading cause of death and disability, [0:05] which is high blood pressure. It also [0:06] reduces insulin resistance. It can [0:09] enhance cognitive capacities, and you [0:11] also see it affecting things like [0:13] depression and anxiety. It's called [0:15] fasting, and there's more. Fasting [0:17] introduces not just a chance to lose [0:19] weight. It also mobilizes visceral fat, [0:21] which is the fat around the belly and [0:23] the organs, which is giving off [0:24] inflammatory products that's causing [0:26] heart disease, cancer, diabetes, and [0:28] many people are maintaining higher [0:29] visceral fat than what they should be. [0:31] So, I spent 40 years helping people get [0:34] healthy, and I can tell you that I think [0:36] you should be fasting every day. [0:38] >> So, tell me about that, then. But, also, [0:39] isn't the game here just to not eat as [0:41] much? [0:41] >> Well, here's the problem. [0:43] >> Dr. Alan Goldhamer is a pioneering [0:45] physician [0:45] >> who has spent his life helping thousands [0:47] of people reverse chronic disease, [0:49] eliminate medication, [0:50] >> and reclaim their health using one of [0:52] the most ancient healing tools known to [0:54] humanity. [0:55] >> Today, we live in a world designed to [0:57] make you fat, sick, and miserable, where [0:59] 76% of people are overweight or obese, [1:02] and where people think that health comes [1:03] from pills, potions, and powders. And [1:05] yet, most of us are big ignorant of the [1:07] proven health benefits of fasting. In [1:09] fact, if you look at all the chemical [1:11] changes that happen with exercise, they [1:13] also happen with fasting, things like [1:15] increase in BDNF, a neurochemical [1:17] protecting the brain from Alzheimer's [1:19] disease. [1:20] >> And what about water fasting? [1:21] >> So, people that have not been successful [1:23] resolving their conditions with [1:24] medications, including patients with [1:26] polycystic ovarian syndrome, have been [1:28] profoundly affected by water fasting. [1:30] And we'll go through fabulous research. [1:31] But, one thing you want to realize is [1:33] that all human beings have the capacity [1:35] to fast. [1:36] >> Okay. So, let's run through the unique [1:38] selling points versus any other diet or [1:40] intervention. [1:41] >> Let's do it. [1:44] >> I see messages all the time in the [1:46] comment section that some of you didn't [1:47] realize you didn't subscribe. So, if you [1:49] could do me a favor and double-check if [1:51] you're a subscriber to this channel, [1:52] that would be tremendously appreciated. [1:54] It's the simple, it's the free thing [1:56] that anybody that watches this show [1:57] frequently can do to help us here to [1:59] keep everything going in this show in [2:00] the trajectory it's on. So, please do [2:02] double check if you subscribed and thank [2:04] you so much because in a strange way you [2:06] are you're part of our history and [2:08] you're on this journey with us and I [2:09] appreciate you for that. So, yeah, thank [2:11] you. [2:15] Dr. Alan Goldhamer. [2:18] My first question is who are you and [2:19] what have you spent the last four [2:21] decades of your life doing and why? [2:25] >> Yeah, I've spent my entire life really [2:26] focused on one topic. And that's this [2:30] idea that [2:31] you know, health results from healthful [2:33] living. I got interested really young. I [2:35] was [2:36] uh in elementary school [2:38] and I had decided that I wanted to [2:40] pursue this as a career. And when I [2:42] finished training in the United States, [2:44] I had an opportunity to go to Australia [2:45] and I studied with a guy named Alec [2:46] Burton who was the world's leading [2:48] expert in the use of medically [2:50] supervised water only fasting. And I saw [2:52] things there that weren't supposed to be [2:54] happening. [2:56] People were getting better. [2:58] I saw people with chronic diseases like [3:00] high blood pressure resolving their [3:02] hypertension, getting off the [3:03] medications. And so we began to [3:06] carefully evaluate patients with [3:07] hypertension. [3:09] In this study, 174 consecutive patients [3:11] with high blood pressure and 174 people [3:14] normalized their blood pressure without [3:15] the need for medication. [3:17] After we published that paper, we went [3:19] on and we've published a couple dozen [3:20] papers now [3:22] on the use of diet and fasting in the [3:23] literature and we've written a book. [3:25] It's called Can Fasting Save Your Life [3:27] which summarizes our work and other [3:28] people's work on this use of fasting to [3:31] help uh the body do what it really does [3:33] best and which is heal itself if you get [3:35] out of the way. [3:36] >> So, fasting, the [3:39] the word has become incredibly popular [3:40] but there's a variety of different types [3:42] of fasting. [3:43] So, what is what is the type of fasting [3:45] that you spend most of your time doing, [3:48] working on, administering to patients? [3:50] >> Right. Well, fasting is the complete [3:52] abstinence of all substances in an [3:54] environment of complete rest. [3:56] So, what does that mean? That means That [3:58] means that you're actually resting while [4:00] you're fasting in order to get [4:01] therapeutic fasting to be most [4:03] effective. And the reason is if you're [4:05] very active when you're fasting, your [4:07] body has to produce more glucose in [4:10] order to carry on the extra muscular and [4:12] brain activity. And the only way that it [4:14] does that after glycogen reserves are [4:15] depleted is through a process called [4:17] gluconeogenesis, where the body breaks [4:19] down lean tissue. [4:21] So, when you're fasting, if your goal is [4:22] to maximize fat loss and minimize lean [4:26] tissue loss, it's important that resting [4:28] be a part of the protocol. [4:30] Um it's true if people are more active [4:32] when they're fasting, they'll lose more [4:34] weight. But that extra weight won't be [4:37] fat. It'll be lean tissue. [4:40] >> So, so what happens to the body when [4:42] someone fasts? And can you give me like [4:45] an hour by hour [4:47] or play by play in terms of what [4:48] actually is the sort of physiological [4:50] sequence of events that are beneficial [4:52] for one's health? [4:53] >> So, it's a really interesting, fairly [4:56] well-studied, and complex physiological [4:59] adaptation that human beings make to [5:01] fasting. Normally, your brain burns [5:04] glucose. [5:04] >> Which is what I get if I have a piece of [5:06] bread or a a bar of chocolate. [5:08] >> Or if you uh break down protein. [5:11] Uh which can also break down into [5:13] glucose. Which is what happens after 24 [5:15] hours of fasting. You've depleted your [5:16] glycogen stores. You're the sugar stores [5:19] in your muscles. [5:20] And so then the body, in order to get [5:22] the glucose it needs, has to either [5:24] convert to burning fat or break down [5:26] muscle in order to form glucose. What [5:28] the human being does [5:30] is it converts its main burner of [5:32] glucose, which is the brain, [5:34] from burning sugar to burning fat. Now, [5:38] if it didn't do that, you could fast [5:40] about a week, you'd enter starvation, [5:42] deplete your protein stores, and you'd [5:44] starve to death. [5:45] Because you can convert your brain to [5:49] burning fat instead of sugar, [5:52] a 70-kg male can fast about 70 days. [5:56] Now, that doesn't mean they should fast [5:58] 70 days, but they [5:59] could fast up to 70 days because your [6:01] main burner of glucose, your brain, [6:03] um will convert to burning a completely [6:05] different fuel, which is fat. [6:07] >> So, let me see if I've got this correct. [6:08] So, if I'm on a typical American diet, [6:11] I'm going to be eating lots of things, [6:12] and my body's going to be breaking that [6:13] down into this fuel source called [6:15] glucose. If I stop eating the glucose, [6:17] my body has this sort of evolutionary [6:19] switch where it's going to start burning [6:21] my fat and turning that into this thing [6:23] called ketones, which my brain can run [6:25] on as well. [6:26] >> That's correct. And you have about 24 [6:29] hours of glycogen stores or sugar stores [6:31] in your in your muscles, in your liver. [6:34] So, when you stop eating, for the first [6:36] 24 hours, you're still able to produce [6:38] glucose from your glycogen stores. But, [6:40] once you've depleted your glycogen [6:41] stores, now you're you're stuck. You [6:43] either burn fat or you break down lean [6:46] tissue. Now, because the human brain is [6:48] so ridiculously large, I mean, it's two [6:50] and a half times a chimp's or just it's [6:53] a huge glucose-burning machine, you had [6:56] to have a way of being able to use some [6:59] kind of other fuel for that brain. [7:01] Otherwise, the first time spring comes [7:03] late, all the human beings would have [7:05] died. [7:06] >> Mhm. [7:06] >> And so, this biological adaptation was [7:09] clearly important for our survival in [7:11] large part because we have [7:12] disproportionately large brains that [7:14] burn, you know, ridiculous amounts of [7:16] glucose. [7:17] >> Just because the body does it as a [7:18] survival mechanism doesn't posit that [7:20] it's necessarily healthy, though, right? [7:22] >> Absolutely. [7:23] Uh and what we've done, though, is we've [7:25] taken this biological adaptation, which [7:27] by definition would be, you know, [7:29] something the body's capable of doing [7:31] safely and efficiently, and utilizing it [7:33] in a very unusual situation. And that's [7:36] where people have consistently been [7:38] exposed to dietary excess. You know, in [7:40] the world of our ancient ancestors, [7:41] getting enough to eat and not getting [7:43] eaten was the biological imperative of [7:45] life. It was difficult to get enough to [7:47] eat. In fact, most human beings that [7:49] were born, modern humans, probably [7:51] didn't live to reproduce. They didn't [7:53] pass on their DNA. We're the results of [7:55] the winners. You know, most people, [7:57] starvation, predation, they had all [8:00] kinds of challenges that would prevent [8:02] people from reaching reproductive age. [8:04] Taking a biological adaptation, [8:06] something that's natural to the body, [8:07] and applying it in a situation where [8:09] people had consistent exposure to [8:11] dietary excess. [8:12] >> When you say dietary excess, you mean [8:13] too much calories? [8:15] >> Too much calories. In fact, the diseases [8:16] that we suffer today, the heart disease, [8:18] the diabetes, the autoimmune diseases, [8:20] some of the cancer, these used to be [8:22] rare conditions that were called the [8:23] diseases of kings. It was the wealthy [8:25] elite, kings, that could consistently [8:27] overeat that would get the gout, that [8:29] would get the heart disease. These [8:31] weren't common conditions that were [8:33] present for the peasants. These were uh [8:35] rarefied conditions. They've become [8:37] common conditions because now people are [8:40] consistently being exposed to dietary [8:42] excess. And more importantly, we're [8:43] fooling our brains' tidying mechanisms [8:46] into overeating by putting chemicals in [8:48] our food. [8:49] And as the consequence, [8:51] we have a situation today where 76% of [8:53] people are overweight or obese. And the [8:56] extra fat comes with something called [8:58] visceral fat. It's the fat that tends to [8:59] accumulate around the belly and the [9:01] organs. And it's pro-inflammatory, [9:04] hypermetabolic, hypertrophic. It acts [9:06] like a tumor. [9:07] You have people walking around that are [9:09] maybe they have 20 lb of extra adipose [9:11] tissue. They have 2 lb of visceral fat. [9:13] And that visceral fat is giving off [9:15] inflammatory products that's causing [9:16] heart disease, cancer, diabetes, [9:18] autoimmune diseases. And what's weird is [9:21] these conditions are treated as if [9:22] they're completely independent, [9:24] unrelated conditions. You have to go to [9:26] a different kind of doctor to be even [9:29] diagnosed and treated with these [9:30] conditions. And yet, they all seem to be [9:32] associated with dietary excess, excess [9:34] fat, excess visceral fat, and the [9:36] inflammation that's associated with that [9:38] visceral fat. [9:39] >> Let's run through what happens inside [9:41] the body when I start fasting. And then [9:43] I want to I want to talk about fasting [9:45] in a little bit more specifics. But [9:47] what's what's going on in the body? So, [9:48] you said in the first sort of 24 hours, [9:49] 48 hours, my body is going to switch [9:51] from using glucose as a fuel source to [9:54] ketones. [9:55] >> It's going to predominantly shift the [9:57] brain and liver, muscles are going to [9:59] begin shifting. There's it's a [10:01] progression depending on your glycogen [10:03] stores. [10:05] So, that you know, within 16 hours, 24 [10:07] hours up to 48 hours, in that [10:08] transition, you'll be going from burning [10:10] almost exclusively glucose in the brain [10:12] to burning [10:13] uh predominantly uh byproducts of fat [10:15] metabolism, ketones, and specifically [10:18] beta-hydroxybutyric acid. [10:20] >> Is that basically ketones? [10:22] >> Ketones break down into different [10:23] components. Beta-hydroxybutyric acid [10:25] becomes the predominant fuel of the [10:27] brain. It's a byproduct of fat [10:28] metabolism. [10:29] >> Okay. [10:30] >> And the higher your beta-hydroxybutyric [10:32] acid is, the more BDNF is produced. [10:35] BDNF, brain-derived neurotrophic factor, [10:37] is a neurochemical that's thought to be [10:39] protective in the brain from oxidative [10:41] damage. So, that can result in things [10:44] like Alzheimer's disease and dementia. [10:46] You know, when they do rat studies, [10:48] rats in a cage, 30 rats, both cages, [10:50] everything's identical, they give half [10:52] the rats a wheel. [10:54] The rats with the wheel will run on the [10:55] wheel, [10:56] and they don't get Alzheimer's disease. [10:58] And they said, "Why? What is it about [11:00] the exercise that's preventing these [11:02] rats from getting oxidative damage in [11:04] the brain that results in dementia or [11:05] Alzheimer's type disease?" [11:07] And they found it was BDNF is [11:09] dramatically higher with exercise. It [11:11] also goes up with fasting. [11:13] In fact, it's interesting, if you look [11:14] at all the cardiometabolic improvements [11:16] that happen with exercise, the chemical [11:18] changes that they [11:20] they also happen with fasting. [11:22] And that's not intuitively obvious [11:23] because in fasting, you know, you're [11:25] resting, and exercise, you're vigorous. [11:26] You might say, "What do these two [11:28] seemingly unrelated uh phenomena have in [11:31] common?" [11:32] And what I think is going on is that [11:35] both exercise and fasting undo the [11:38] consequences of dietary excess. They [11:40] reduce the fat, specifically the [11:42] visceral fat, and the inflammation that [11:44] leads to all these different diseases. [11:46] And so every time you look at the [11:47] benefits of exercise, you often times [11:50] see these corollaries with fasting. [11:52] >> And at some point in this fasting [11:54] process, your brain your body moves into [11:56] a state of autophagy. I've heard that [11:58] word a few times. [11:59] >> Yeah. [11:59] >> What is that? [12:01] >> So, autophagy or autophagy is how the [12:03] body gets rid of senescent cells and and [12:07] waste products and cancer cells and you [12:10] know, it kind of eats up that debris and [12:12] does the housekeeping. And there's some [12:14] things that increase autophagy. [12:17] And one of those things is fasting. Um, [12:19] you know, if you take uh, rodents for [12:21] example, and you let them eat ad [12:23] libitum, [12:24] >> What's ad libitum? [12:24] >> Uh, as much as they want. They they will [12:27] uh, live to a certain amount of time. [12:31] If you take those rats and you [12:32] periodically fast them, you can increase [12:34] their lifespan from 30% to 100%. [12:38] Even though the diet's the same, just [12:40] with periodic fasting or with systematic [12:42] underfeeding, if you limit instead of [12:44] giving them as much to eat as they want, [12:46] you feed them at 60% of what they would [12:48] eat if they ate unlimited amounts, and [12:50] you can dramatically increase their [12:51] lifespan. [12:53] It's an it's an interesting way of [12:55] looking at it. From my viewpoint, [12:56] though, they're looking at it wrong. [12:59] It's not that fasting doubles your [13:01] lifespan, it's overfeeding cuts it in [13:03] half. [13:04] >> Mhm. [13:05] >> By overfeeding the rodents, they're [13:07] developing fat, visceral fat, they get [13:10] the inflammation, and you cut their [13:11] lifespan in half. So, what fasting is [13:14] doing is allowing them to live their [13:15] full span by getting rid of the [13:17] consequences of dietary excess. [13:19] >> So, isn't the game here then just to not [13:21] eat as much? [13:22] >> The [13:22] >> versus fasting. [13:23] >> Absolutely. The idea is to avoid excess [13:26] intake that results in excess fat that [13:29] results in excess visceral fat. [13:31] The problem is it's very difficult to do [13:33] that when they are putting chemicals in [13:35] your feed that fool your satiety [13:37] mechanisms and lead to overeating. [13:39] >> Satiety mechanisms being mechanisms that [13:41] tell you whether you're hungry or not. [13:42] >> Right. Whether your brain signals you [13:44] accurately that the amount of calories [13:46] you have. If you, for example, just sit [13:49] down and and eat your fill of whole [13:52] plant foods, you eat a certain amount [13:54] and then you feel full. [13:56] But if you put certain chemicals in the [13:57] feed, you'll eat significantly more [13:59] before you trigger those satiety [14:00] mechanisms and feel full. Those [14:02] chemicals that we put in our food are [14:04] salt, oil, and sugar. [14:06] Salt, oil, and sugar are not food. [14:08] They're hyper concentrated components [14:10] derived from food that are put back into [14:12] food. And we put them into food to make [14:14] food taste better. And what tasting [14:16] better actually means is it results in [14:19] more stimulation of dopamine in your [14:21] brain. Dopamine's the neurochemical [14:23] associated with pleasure. The more [14:25] dopamine, the more pleasure. The more [14:27] you like it. And so it turns out that [14:29] higher caloric density foods or foods [14:31] that have chemicals like salt, oil, and [14:33] sugar in the food will stimulate more [14:35] dopamine in the brain. And that's [14:37] because your brain evolved in an [14:38] environment of scarcity. It evolved [14:40] where it was difficult to get enough to [14:42] eat and avoid being eaten. And so richer [14:44] foods had more value. And so the people [14:46] that recognized the value of more [14:48] concentrated foods tend to live to [14:50] reproduce and pass on their DNA. Today, [14:53] we live in a world where we've um [14:55] correct the whole system. And so now we [14:57] have unlimited amounts of [14:59] hyperconcentrated foods with these [15:01] chemicals like salt, oil, and sugar. So [15:03] when you eat those foods, you will [15:05] overeat. The only question is how much [15:07] and what are the consequences? [15:09] >> Should we be intermittent fasting or [15:11] should we just be restricting our [15:12] calories? Are they the same thing? [15:14] >> Well, there's different tools available [15:17] to allow for us to eat ad libitum but [15:21] still [15:22] meet optimum nutritional intake. One [15:24] tool is intermittent fasting. That is or [15:26] time restricted feeding, which we've [15:28] practiced for 40 years, which is [15:30] basically don't eat 3 to 4 hours before [15:32] you go to bed at night. So, instead of [15:34] eating right up to the time you go to [15:36] sleep, you withhold calories after the [15:39] last meal so that you have 3 to 4 hours [15:40] of fasting [15:42] um every day. That gives you a 12-hour [15:44] fast every day. And if you're trying to [15:47] lose weight, some people believe you [15:48] could extend that fast period another 4 [15:50] hours in the morning, do some exercise [15:52] in the morning preferentially burning [15:54] fat. And so, that would give you a [15:55] 16-hour fast and limit your feeding [15:57] window to 8 hours. [15:58] >> And what's the benefit of that feeding [16:00] window? [16:00] >> find by limiting the feeding window, um [16:03] they can uh limit some of the [16:04] overeating. That a lot of eating is [16:06] being done for reasons other than being [16:07] hungry. Sometimes people at night, you [16:09] know, they've had a big dinner and now [16:11] they're eating additional food, not [16:12] necessarily because they're hungry, but [16:14] because they're bored, they're tired, or [16:15] they're fatigued. And sometimes when [16:17] they're fatigued and they eat and they [16:18] feel stimulated, they think, "Oh, they [16:20] must have been hungry." When in reality, [16:21] they were tired. Our suggestion is when [16:23] you're tired, go to sleep. And uh when [16:26] you're bored, you know, engage in [16:27] productive activities. And when you're [16:29] hungry, then you eat. And if you limit [16:31] your feeding window to 8 hours, some [16:33] people find that it's a helpful tool at [16:35] minimizing some of the overeating. Now, [16:37] it's not going to work for everybody. If [16:38] you have very high caloric needs, you [16:40] know, you're a competitive athlete, 8 [16:42] hours uh feeding window, particularly on [16:45] high nutrient density, low caloric [16:47] density foods, may not give you enough [16:49] feeding window in order to get the [16:51] calories that you need. When you're [16:52] trying to burn 3,500 4,000 calories a [16:54] day on very low caloric density foods, [16:56] you may need to have a 12-hour feeding [16:58] window in order to be able to get the [17:00] calorie density need. But for most of us [17:02] that are trying to maintain or lose [17:04] weight, having a narrow feeding window [17:06] uh may prove to be of of some benefit. [17:09] >> When I'm in a ketogenic diet or when I [17:11] guess I'm fasted, which is very rare, [17:14] why is it that my cognitive performance [17:16] seems to be significantly better? [17:18] Because when I people have heard me say [17:20] this so many times, but it's so true. [17:21] When I'm eating, you know, a normal [17:24] Western diet, [17:26] my ability to articulate myself and [17:28] think and be creative seems to be [17:30] diminished. Whereas when I'm avoiding [17:32] carbohydrates [17:34] um and sugar, [17:36] I seem to be able to think and talk [17:38] better. [17:39] >> I think again, it may not be that the [17:41] ketones are helping you think better. It [17:43] may be that the sugar vacillations are [17:45] are interfering with your cognitive [17:47] function. For example, when people eat [17:49] particularly refined carbohydrates, [17:50] their insulin levels go up, drive the [17:52] sugar down, they end up with low blood [17:54] sugar levels, which can interfere with [17:55] cognitive function as a consequence of [17:57] this vacillation that's taking place [17:59] with their blood sugar levels between [18:01] insulin and glucose. When you go on a [18:02] ketogenic type of an approach or you're [18:04] in a fasting state, your everything is [18:07] very stable as far as glucose is [18:08] concerned and insulin is concerned. [18:10] >> Okay, so you don't want to be on a sugar [18:11] roller coaster if you you're doing [18:12] important work. [18:13] >> Getting stable seems to help uh uh [18:15] people in their cognitive function, so. [18:17] >> But people talk a lot about juice [18:19] fasting. [18:20] And I don't know, there's something [18:21] about when people say that they're on a [18:22] juice fast, I always think, "Oh God, [18:24] you're going to be missing important [18:26] nutrients. You're not going to be [18:26] getting the same quantity of protein [18:28] necessarily. Maybe, I don't know, your [18:30] gut microbiome's going to pay the price [18:32] if you're restricting yourself from [18:34] having certain things." [18:36] Is juice fasting [18:39] advisable? Is it a healthy approach? [18:41] >> So, juice fasting isn't technically [18:43] fasting cuz fasting is the complete [18:45] absence of all substances. It's a it's a [18:47] modified form of eating. So, it's a diet [18:50] that's high in sugar, very low in fiber, [18:52] virtually no fiber on on these juices. [18:55] Where it can be helpful is people that [18:58] are trying to make dietary changes and [18:59] they're addicted to the artificial [19:01] stimulation of dopamine in their brain [19:02] that comes from the use of their highly [19:04] refined diets. They're trying to make a [19:06] change, they're trying to make a break. [19:08] And because it's sweet and very [19:09] appealing, they'll drink the juices, [19:11] they'll get their 6 or 800 calories, [19:13] they'll feel relatively satiated, and it [19:16] allows them to avoid the greasy fatty [19:18] processed foods that sometimes they're [19:19] trying to get away from. Um personally, [19:22] I think that water fasting has [19:23] advantages over juice fasting in terms [19:25] of the magnitude of the detoxifying [19:28] effect, the impact that it has. But the [19:30] advantages to juice fasting or what they [19:32] call juice fasting is that it can be [19:34] done without modifying medications, [19:36] you're still in a feeding physiology, it [19:38] could be done safely by people without [19:40] having to be in a controlled setting [19:41] like you would for water fasting. So [19:43] there's advantages to the intermittent [19:45] or modified fasting approaches. It's not [19:49] the basis of the research that we've [19:51] published, which is actually water only [19:52] fasting. We're fasting people on water [19:54] only from 5 to 40 days. [19:56] >> 5 to 40 days. So tell me about that [19:58] then. So who exactly would you prescribe [20:01] a 40-day water fast to? And presumably [20:03] in those 40 days, they have nothing but [20:05] water. [20:06] >> Right. Patients that are fasting in our [20:08] facility are on uh fractionally steamed [20:11] distilled water only. That's the only [20:13] something they take. They're not taking [20:14] supplements, medications. [20:16] >> fractionally? [20:16] >> What's you know distilled water, so it's [20:18] purified water, highly purified water. [20:20] So in our case, we're using [20:21] distillation, some people use reverse [20:23] osmosis, different ways of getting all [20:25] the hydrogenated hydrocarbons and the [20:26] chlorine and everything out of the [20:28] water. So just essentially what rain [20:30] water would be if the environment wasn't [20:31] polluted. [20:32] >> Okay. [20:33] >> Now in in fairness, not everybody's a [20:35] good candidate for that type of uh [20:38] fasting. In order to determine if you're [20:40] a good candidate, obviously you you have [20:41] to review the medical history and make [20:43] take a look at what people are doing in [20:45] terms of their medical treatment, [20:47] particularly in terms of medications. [20:49] Basic laboratory testing to make sure [20:50] kidney and liver function are intact, [20:52] are capable of adapting to fasting. And [20:54] when people fast, they need to rest. If [20:56] people are active, we've already [20:57] mentioned they'll increase their weight [20:59] loss, but that weight will be derived [21:00] from breaking down lean tissue. We want [21:02] to minimize lean tissue, maximize fat, [21:05] particularly visceral fat. [21:07] It's also important that they be [21:09] monitored because people do have issues [21:11] that can be aggravated by fasting. [21:13] Fasting presents a dehydration response. [21:16] There's a physiological dehydration that [21:17] occurs with fasting. There's uh changes [21:20] in electrolytes. So, you need to make [21:22] sure that people are being monitored [21:24] appropriately. And then the most [21:26] important part probably is they need to [21:28] be refed uh progressively. [21:30] >> Refed? [21:31] >> Yeah, so when when they're eating after [21:33] the fast, if they go back to too rapid [21:35] rapid refeeding, you can get into [21:36] problem with post fasting edema. You can [21:38] get refeeding syndrome. That could be a [21:39] very serious or even potentially, [21:41] you know, fatal problem. That can be [21:43] completely avoided by following a [21:46] reasonable protocol of a realimentation [21:48] after fasting. Uh which we is is the [21:51] reason why we encourage patients that [21:52] are doing fasting to do it either in a [21:54] controlled setting or under some [21:56] supervision so that they don't make uh [21:58] catastrophic errors in terms of how they [22:00] do it. [22:00] >> When it's that length? When it's long? [22:02] >> Well, uh water fasting we're doing [22:05] fasting anywhere from 5 to 40 days. So, [22:07] anywhere in that range, you want to make [22:09] sure the person's a good candidate, that [22:11] they're fasting in a controlled setting, [22:12] that they rest, and they refeed [22:14] properly. [22:15] So, a person that has to say a 20-day [22:17] fast would have 10 days of controlled [22:18] refeeding. It'll take about half the [22:20] length of the fast to properly realiment [22:22] after the fast so that you're ready to [22:24] go back to hopefully a whole plant food [22:26] SOS free type diet. [22:28] >> And when you say SOS, you mean sugar, [22:30] salt, and oil for context? [22:31] >> Yeah, SOS is the international symbol of [22:33] danger, but it also stands for the [22:35] chemicals added to food that make people [22:36] fat, sick, and miserable. And those are [22:38] salt, oil, and sugar. [22:40] >> What kind of candidate would come to [22:42] your clinic to do a 5 to 40-day water [22:44] fast? What are the symptoms they have? [22:46] What are the diseases, illnesses that [22:47] they're suffering with? [22:49] >> Well, we get a variety of people and [22:51] ages. Um the conditions we see are are [22:54] often the conditions that we've [22:55] published papers on cuz those that's [22:56] what people know us for. So, one of the [22:59] most common conditions is high blood [23:00] pressure. We did a study uh with our [23:03] colleague T. Colin Campbell. As I [23:05] mentioned, 174 people in a row were able [23:07] to achieve normal blood pressure without [23:09] medication. We also did a prospective [23:11] study recently with a colleague from the [23:13] Mayo Clinic recently that we did 20 uh [23:16] 27 people completed fasting with [23:18] hypertension. 26 were able to achieve [23:19] normal blood pressure without any [23:21] medication. One required half their dose [23:23] of medication. And we had 6-week [23:25] follow-ups where they did well. And then [23:27] we followed them at a year. [23:29] And we found that 76% of those people a [23:31] year later had maintained their weight [23:33] loss and the majority were still normal [23:35] blood pressure without medication. [23:36] >> Were they still fasting after a year? [23:38] >> No, of course they were fasting while [23:39] they were at the center. They were back [23:41] eating a healthy diet. And they [23:42] maintained a healthy enough diet for a [23:45] year [23:45] >> Okay. [23:46] >> that they were able to maintain their [23:47] blood pressure and their weight loss. [23:49] And that's very unusual cuz you don't [23:51] find good long-term follow-up showing [23:53] that people are not only able to get [23:54] well, but sustain those behavioral [23:57] changes. [23:57] >> So, it was more of it's more of an [23:58] intervention [24:00] in that regard. And how And how long [24:01] were they fasted for, those people? [24:03] >> So, the people in that study ranged uh [24:06] the average fasting was about 2 weeks. [24:09] So, they had 2 weeks of fasting that [24:10] normalized their blood pressure, a week [24:12] of refeeding, [24:13] >> Mhm. [24:13] >> and then even a year later they the [24:15] majority were able to sustain the [24:17] behavioral changes such that they were [24:19] able to keep their weight off and they [24:20] were able to keep their blood pressure [24:21] down without the need for medication. [24:23] >> And And what's going on there because [24:24] there's physiological changes that take [24:26] place. If I went and did a 40-day water [24:27] fast with you, there's some [24:28] physiological things that can happen. Of [24:30] course, I'm going to go into ketosis. My [24:31] my fat's going to start to become my [24:33] primary fuel source. But there's also [24:35] going to be a physiopsychological [24:40] relationship. There's going to be [24:41] something that happens in my psychology. [24:43] I mean, you talked about dopamine. [24:45] There's going to be My brain is going to [24:46] change in some respect. My relationship [24:47] with food is going to shift in some [24:49] respect. [24:50] >> Absolutely. If you look at the um [24:52] outcome data, for example, we've got [24:55] studies we've done with DEXA scanners [24:57] that look at body composition changes [24:58] during fasting. And so people that would [25:01] lose say fast for 2 weeks would lose 10% [25:04] of their total body weight, 20% of their [25:07] total fat, but 40% of their visceral [25:09] fat. [25:12] Yeah, [25:14] that's the to contribute to disease. [25:16] Those same people would have only lost [25:18] 6% of their lean tissue. [25:20] Now, what's interesting like muscle, [25:22] water, you know, non-fat tissue. [25:25] So the lean tissue mass at 6 weeks was [25:28] fully recovered. So that the percentage [25:31] of their lean mass was actually higher [25:33] at 6 weeks than it was at baseline. But [25:36] the fat loss continues. So even though [25:38] they're gaining weight after fasting cuz [25:40] they're putting their glycogen back in [25:41] their muscles, which is about 2 lb, [25:43] they're rehydrating, they're putting [25:44] fluid in, they're putting fiber back in [25:45] the gut. So the scale's going up, but [25:47] the fat loss even with that weight gain [25:49] is continuing down. [25:51] And so what what you look at is their [25:53] whole body composition begins to change. [25:56] And also their brain composition too [25:58] probably in terms of their functional [26:01] relationship to themselves. For one [26:02] thing, a lot of people feel that any [26:05] kind of pain is a bad thing. [26:07] Any kind of pain is a bad thing and pain [26:09] must always be avoided. If they have a [26:11] pain, they have to take a pill, they [26:12] have to do something cuz pain's the [26:14] evil, you know, issue there. [26:17] Athletes learn that pain isn't always [26:18] bad. The sometimes discomfort can be [26:21] associated with a positive response. We [26:23] find it's easier working sometimes with [26:24] athletes than people that have not been [26:26] athletic because they they've learned to [26:28] push their body a little bit and and [26:31] fasting creates [26:32] hormetic effect as well where as there [26:34] is some physiological stress that's [26:36] introduced. That stress is associated [26:37] with a healing response. [26:39] >> Would it not just be healthier if it [26:42] were simple to take those people and [26:46] remove all the processed food from their [26:48] diet and then keep them on like a [26:50] Mediterranean diet with like high [26:52] protein, high fiber. [26:54] Would that not be a a more healthy [26:55] intervention because at least then I'm [26:57] not going to lose you mentioned there [26:58] I'd lose 6% of my lean tissue. [27:00] At least then I wouldn't lose any muscle [27:01] necessarily. [27:03] >> Well, I would agree that if your only [27:05] goal is weight loss, diet and exercise [27:07] are the key. [27:08] Fasting introduces not just a chance to [27:10] lose weight, but specifically to [27:11] mobilize visceral fat. You will [27:13] eventually mobilize that visceral fat [27:15] with uh exercise alone. There's an [27:18] advantage to getting rid of that sooner [27:20] rather than later particularly for [27:21] people that have high blood pressure, [27:22] diabetes, autoimmune disease because the [27:24] sooner you get rid of the visceral fat [27:26] and the inflammation, the sooner you can [27:27] get them off the medications. The [27:29] medications themselves [27:31] present their own problems. And people [27:33] don't understand if you have high blood [27:35] pressure, you're being medicated not for [27:36] your high blood pressure, but for the [27:38] diet that causes the high blood [27:40] pressure. Literally the day you change [27:42] the diet to health promoting diet, the [27:44] need for medication begins to reduce. [27:46] And if you don't reduce the medication [27:48] adequately, you can actually shut people [27:50] down from you know, consequences of [27:52] excess medication. [27:54] >> Is there a different advantage between [27:55] me doing the the fast, the water fast [27:57] versus just going on the ketogenic diet [27:59] if I was trying to reduce my visceral [28:01] fat which is that sort of stubborn fat [28:03] around your organs? [28:04] >> Yes, water fasting is a more efficient [28:06] method of mobilizing specifically [28:08] visceral fat. And the other problem with [28:09] the when we talk about a ketogenic diet, [28:11] remember there's a lot of different ways [28:13] of getting into ketosis. You can do it [28:15] with a high fat, high protein diet which [28:16] is commonly advocated. You know, the [28:18] dead diet Dr. Atkins diet which is the [28:20] list or rest in peace or those kind of [28:22] programs. Those have some disadvantages. [28:24] High protein, particularly high animal [28:25] protein is actually thought to be one of [28:27] the major contributing factors to many [28:29] of these health compromises including [28:31] cardiovascular disease and cancer and [28:33] inflammation and the rest of it. So, we [28:35] need protein. It's an essential [28:36] nutrient. You need about 10% of your [28:38] calories from protein. When you get [28:40] excess protein, you put your risk [28:42] yourself at risk for kidney disease, [28:44] cardiovascular disease and other [28:45] problems. We need fat. Essential fatty [28:48] acids are a critical part of our ability [28:51] to be healthy. And you also need [28:53] carbohydrates. You're designed as a [28:55] carbohydrate burning machine, but you [28:57] get all the fat, all the protein, and [28:59] all the carbohydrates you need from a [29:00] whole plant food diet. You don't need to [29:03] eat large amounts of animal foods. You [29:04] don't need to eat oils. You don't need [29:06] to eat refined carbohydrates to get the [29:08] foods you need. And in fact, a whole [29:11] plant food SOS free diet gives you the [29:12] quantity and quality of nutrients you [29:14] need without some of the negative [29:15] consequences or the risks of dietary [29:18] excess that come from these [29:20] more processed modern diets. [29:22] So, if if you were to [29:25] >> pitch to me the unique selling points of [29:28] a water fast at your clinic versus any [29:30] other intervention, medical or [29:32] lifestyle, [29:34] it would be the speed in which [29:37] you're able to burn visceral fat and the [29:39] speed in which you're able to lower [29:41] blood pressure is unlike anything else. [29:44] >> It also reduces insulin resistance. [29:47] There is no drug that reduces insulin [29:49] resistance, but um fasting does. And a [29:52] significant percentage of our type 2 [29:53] diabetics will achieve normal blood [29:55] sugar levels without the need for [29:56] medication with fasting. Again, if you [29:58] do diet and exercise consistently [30:00] enough, long enough, you're likely to [30:02] get many of the same benefits. There are [30:05] some things though that seem to change [30:07] in fasting that don't change as well [30:09] with with these modified feeding [30:11] regimes. For example, fasting You know [30:13] what when you have a computer and it [30:15] gets corrupted and you turn it off and [30:17] you turn it back on and you don't know [30:19] why, but now it works. You know, you've [30:21] kind of rebooted or the flashed the [30:22] memory, whatever it is. [30:24] Fasting does a similar thing in humans, [30:26] it appears, and particularly when it [30:28] comes to the gut microbiome. So, you've [30:30] got a trillion creatures, well, [30:32] trillions of creatures living just in [30:34] your intestinal tract, particularly [30:35] bacteria, but all kinds of organisms. [30:38] They're an important part of your [30:40] digestive mechanisms, your immune [30:42] response, [30:43] and [30:44] they're different depending on what you [30:47] eat. So, if you're eating animal-based [30:49] diet, you have different organisms than [30:51] if you're on a plant-based diet. If [30:52] you're on a high-sugar diet, even fruit [30:54] sugars and things, you get different [30:56] organisms flourishing than you would if [30:59] you're in a fasting state. In a fasting [31:00] state, there's a big drop-off in total [31:02] organisms, and then when you refeed, [31:04] depending on how you refeed, you can [31:06] actually regrow those organisms and [31:09] repopulate that. [31:10] >> I'm right in thinking if you do a water [31:12] fast, you're going to wipe out a lot of [31:13] the bacteria in your gut, [31:15] um including the bad ones, but also some [31:18] good ones. [31:18] >> Right. [31:19] >> And then you can [31:20] reintroduce certain foods that will [31:22] bring back the good bacteria. [31:23] >> That's why refeeding after fasting is so [31:25] important. If you refeed carefully, [31:28] you're have a chance to reestablish that [31:30] normal microfloral balance. And that may [31:32] be why we see such good response in many [31:34] of these GI-related conditions, like [31:36] ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease [31:38] and chronic constipation, irritable [31:40] bowel syndrome. But you also see it [31:43] affecting things like depression and [31:45] anxiety. And probably, they say 90-95% [31:48] of the dopamine and serotonin that's [31:50] produced by the body is actually [31:51] produced in the gut. And so, the balance [31:53] in your gut microbiome may be critically [31:54] involved in cognitive function as well [31:57] as what's going on in the digestive [31:59] system itself. So, we're just now [32:01] learning [32:03] uh the impact that, you know, fasting [32:05] has and the effect that microbiome has [32:07] and the relationship that those two [32:08] things have together. [32:10] >> There was a 2024 study that found after [32:12] a 7-day water-only fast, levels of [32:14] harmful fusobacteria dropped by more [32:17] than 80% and the gut microbiome shifted [32:20] to a healthier balance. So, it's clearly [32:23] doing some of the work to wipe out some [32:25] of the bad um unhealthy [32:28] gut microbiome bacteria, [32:30] which gives you an opportunity to, I [32:31] guess, reset the gut microbiome, which [32:33] is really interesting. [32:34] Especially if you as you say, you have [32:36] some of those sort of gut-centric [32:38] diseases. [32:40] Is there a [32:42] gender component to this between sort of [32:44] men and women because obviously women [32:45] have menstrual cycles and [32:47] >> Yes. [32:48] >> certain hormone fluctuations that men [32:49] don't have. So, do you have to think [32:51] about gender when you're thinking about [32:52] fasting? [32:52] >> Well, we know that women have [32:54] complicated [32:56] systems in different ways than men and [32:58] they have different diseases, too, that [33:00] show up. Fibrocystic breast disease, [33:02] dysmenorrhea, menorrhagia, polycystic [33:04] ovarian syndrome. All of these [33:05] conditions that males don't know [33:07] anything about [33:08] seem to be associated with [33:10] excess estradiol [33:12] hormones. When estradiol is high, [33:15] there's a higher association with many [33:17] of these conditions. Estradiol normally [33:19] breaks down to something called estriol [33:20] and it's excreted in the urine. And that [33:22] what breaks it down is the gut [33:24] microbiome and liver function. And the [33:26] gut microbiome and liver function are [33:28] both profoundly affected by fasting. For [33:30] example, we've got in studies we've done [33:32] looking at fatty liver disease, we show [33:34] significant changes and reversal of [33:36] fatty liver disease with fasting. [33:38] And as I mentioned, the gut microbiome [33:40] goes through a whole kind of rebooting. [33:42] And that may be why patients that come [33:44] in with those symptoms, the fibrocystic [33:46] breast disease, dysmenorrhea, [33:47] menorrhagia, etc., often get profound [33:50] short-term improvement and long-term [33:52] benefit post-fasting. Now, all of these [33:55] things that I have to say, [33:57] fasting is great, but unless it's a [33:59] motivating factor to make the diet [34:01] lifestyle changes, I wouldn't be [34:02] optimistic about long-term outcomes. [34:04] When we use fasting, we're also [34:06] providing intense education to try to [34:08] get people motivated to adopt healthy [34:11] diet and lifestyle habits. And it's [34:12] those diet and lifestyle habits that are [34:14] going to be necessary to sustain the [34:15] benefits. [34:17] I mean, I'll give you an example [34:18] in lymphoma, which is a type of cancer. [34:21] We published a paper in the British [34:23] Medical Journal, case reports on a young [34:26] woman who had follicular lymphoma had [34:29] progressed for a couple years. [34:31] And interestingly enough, her [34:34] doctor [34:35] her oncologist told her that diet didn't [34:37] matter. [34:38] The diet wasn't related to, you know, [34:40] this particular type of cancer. She [34:41] could eat whatever she wanted to. [34:43] But, nonetheless, she decided to come in [34:46] rather than go through chemotherapy and [34:48] underwent fasting. And we did 3 weeks of [34:50] fasting, during which time you could [34:51] literally feel these tumors [34:52] disappearing. [34:54] Um she had her follow-up CT scan. [34:56] Uh and at a year, we we submitted this [34:58] case report. And it was interesting cuz [35:00] BMJ said, "Well, maybe she got lucky. [35:02] And yes, it progressed for 2 years. Yes, [35:04] it went away in 21 days of fasting. But, [35:06] maybe, you know, it was just naturally [35:09] the time for it to go into remission. A [35:10] small percentage of lymphoma patients do [35:12] go through spontaneous remission." So, [35:13] they said, "Why don't you follow her for [35:14] 3 years and see whether she can sustain [35:17] that? Cuz we can treat lymphoma with [35:19] drugs and the tumors will go down, but [35:21] they tend to come back, and that's the [35:22] problem. It doesn't really reduce [35:24] necessarily all cause mortality because [35:26] the condition isn't actually resolved. [35:28] So, we followed her for 3 years, and I [35:29] told her that she had to stick strictly [35:32] to the dietary protocol or it would be [35:34] fatal because I'd track her down and [35:36] kill her. And she did stick to the diet, [35:38] and at 3 years, we have CT evidence that [35:40] she was cancer-free. And we submitted [35:42] that [35:43] to BMJ, and interestingly enough, at [35:45] first, they rejected the follow-up that [35:47] they invited. [35:48] And we kind of appealed that, and [35:51] eventually, they did decide to to [35:52] publish the follow-up. [35:54] And then, we followed her for 10 years. [35:57] And she continues to be cancer-free. And [35:59] she continues to follow a whole plant [36:00] food SOS free diet. And she went public [36:03] with her story. She told [36:05] some podcasts about what her experience [36:07] was. And so, we got a lot of lymphoma [36:09] patients coming to TrueNorth Health. And [36:11] now, we've published a case series, [36:13] which is a series of lymphoma patients, [36:15] including one particular gentleman who [36:17] was even more progressive. It was a [36:18] stage four. It had already metastasized [36:20] into the bones. He had failed [36:22] chemotherapy. He also did well. And we [36:25] did a 3-week fast with him. [36:27] Interestingly enough, his oncologist was [36:29] kind of antagonistic cuz he was [36:30] concerned the fasting would make him too [36:31] weak for treatment. But, he came in, he [36:34] did the treatment, did well, went back [36:35] to the oncologist who said, "Wow, that's [36:38] really impressive. Why don't you go back [36:39] and do some more of that?" He came back, [36:41] we did another 39-day fast, and he was [36:43] able to get dramatic improvement. And [36:45] again, those those studies have been [36:47] published in peer-review journals. The [36:49] >> But, he didn't go into remission? [36:50] >> With lymphoma, uh it would be considered [36:54] remission, but it's not a cure. It's [36:56] just like you can't cure lymphoma any [36:59] more than you can cure obesity. [37:01] You can lose the weight and keep it off, [37:02] but you If you go back to doing the [37:03] things that cause it, it's coming back. [37:05] You can't cure high blood pressure. You [37:07] can normalize the pressure. I've got [37:09] people who've been normal pressure for [37:10] decades now. But, if they go back to [37:12] eating the greasy, fatty, slimy, salty, [37:14] processed food, it'll come back. [37:16] Because you're managing it. You're not [37:18] curing it. The whole concept of a cure [37:20] is a little bit of a misnomer. In [37:22] medicine, you know, cure just means [37:23] you're alive 5 years after treatment. [37:25] Doesn't mean that you've actually [37:26] resolved the underlying cause of the [37:27] condition. [37:29] >> Interesting. [37:32] And we have them 120 plates here, which [37:35] is how much food someone would be [37:38] passing up if they did a 40-day diet. [37:41] So, that's how many meals that they [37:44] would miss [37:45] on a 40-day water fast, which is a lot [37:49] of food. [37:50] Staggering when you see it. [37:53] >> Yeah, and it's a lot of work for the [37:54] body to digest that food. And when you [37:56] take that work away, those energies are [37:58] able to be diverted to dealing with some [38:00] of the accumulated problems that people [38:02] have built up, whether it's excess fat [38:03] and visceral fat, it's diabetes, it's [38:06] autoimmune diseases, where the body's [38:08] actually attacking itself. I don't know [38:10] if most people realize that, but in [38:11] autoimmune diseases like rheumatoid [38:13] arthritis, ulcerative colitis, [38:14] ankylosing spondylitis, these [38:16] conditions, it's actually your immune [38:18] system that's attacking your tissues. [38:20] And the theory is that a lot of that is [38:22] because you have the immune system being [38:25] compromised by gut leakage where people [38:27] have [38:28] leaky tight junctions in their [38:29] intestinal tract or absorbing materials [38:31] and then genetically vulnerable people [38:33] the immune system becomes [38:35] hyper reactive and begins to attack its [38:37] its own tissues. You know, if it attacks [38:39] your thyroid we call it Hashimoto's [38:41] thyroiditis. If it attacks your joints [38:43] you might call it rheumatoid or [38:45] osteoarthritis. Different names for [38:46] different inflammatory conditions all [38:48] triggered by [38:50] leaking of materials into the intestinal [38:52] tract. When you go on a fast first of [38:54] all you're not eating and so there's not [38:56] the inflammatory [38:58] oxidative damage and free radicals that [39:00] are causing the leaking to begin with. [39:01] And second of all the body's healing [39:04] processes are able to be accentuated and [39:06] so the gut leakage is able to heal. [39:08] After you heal the gut and go back to [39:11] eating diet that's not full of free [39:13] radicals, you're not smoking, you're not [39:15] drinking alcohol with all of the free [39:17] radicals from peroxidation of alcohol, [39:18] you're not eating high fat foods and and [39:21] particularly heated fat fat foods and [39:23] fried foods etc. There's not the [39:25] onslaught of oxidative damage and now [39:28] you can manage those conditions with a [39:30] whole plant food SOS free diet. Now that [39:32] doesn't mean they're cured. If they go [39:34] back to eating the other foods they're [39:36] going to flare up their condition. But [39:38] to the degree they're willing to eat [39:39] healthy they can manage their condition [39:41] without the medications often times that [39:44] are very powerful and have often [39:45] long-term side effects. [39:47] >> When someone does a a water fast with [39:48] you if they're doing a 40 day water [39:50] fast, do you make sure that they get [39:52] electrolytes and vitamins and other [39:55] things? Are there are there other things [39:56] that you have to give them? [39:58] >> No, we're just giving them water but we [40:00] are monitoring their their electrolytes [40:02] and their blood levels to make sure that [40:03] their reserves are being recycled [40:05] adequately and they're normal. If if for [40:07] example potassium gets below a certain [40:09] point or sodium gets below a certain [40:11] point then we go back into a refeeding [40:13] mode where we give them broths and [40:14] juices and other materials in order to [40:16] re [40:17] to refeed them. We don't allow them to [40:19] develop symptoms secondary to [40:22] deficiency. Now, what's interesting is [40:24] potassium, for example, normal potassium [40:25] might be 3.5. [40:27] Fasting tolerances would be 3.0. If it [40:29] goes below 3.0, then we're going to [40:31] we're going to terminate the fast. But [40:33] generally, people are so efficient at [40:35] recycling their nutrients during fasting [40:37] that they stay within normal limits [40:38] without us having to do premature [40:40] termination. [40:41] >> And when you finish a long fast, like a [40:43] 40-day fast, what are the or even a [40:45] shorter fast, like a 5-day fast, what is [40:48] the protocol for [40:51] refeeding them? [40:52] >> Mhm. [40:52] >> What what what do you give them? What do [40:54] you avoid? What's the speed in which you [40:56] give them calories again? [40:58] >> They get a day of fresh fruit and [41:00] vegetable juices for every week of [41:01] fasting, more or less. So, they're going [41:03] to get about 600 calories of fresh fruit [41:05] and vegetable juices [41:07] if they had a 3-week fast for about 3 [41:09] days. [41:09] >> What's the thinking here? Like, what's [41:11] the underlying thought? [41:12] >> Mhm. The idea is that we want to [41:14] introduce initially food without fiber, [41:16] so if there's any digestive challenges, [41:17] that's short-lived. Uh we want to [41:19] introduce food starting in the morning [41:21] rather than at night, so if there's any [41:23] challenges, it doesn't disrupt their [41:24] sleep. Uh we want to make sure that [41:26] they're rehydrating and getting some [41:29] glucose without necessarily overloading [41:31] their capacities. [41:33] Once they've acclimated to the juices, [41:35] which are relatively easy to absorb and [41:37] bring up blood sugars relatively [41:38] quickly, moving them out of the fasting [41:41] phase into more of a feeding phase, then [41:43] we'll introduce raw fruits and [41:45] vegetables, which introduce some fiber. [41:47] And then we'll introduce more [41:48] concentrated foods, like steamed and [41:50] starchy vegetables, until by the length [41:52] half the length of the fast refeeding, [41:54] they're back to a whole plant food SOS [41:55] free diet, the kind of diet that we want [41:57] them to sustain [41:58] uh [41:59] forever. [42:00] >> If you're starting a business, that [42:02] means you're one person doing the work [42:04] load of probably about 50 people. When I [42:06] first founded this podcast, I had no [42:08] idea that I was about to step into 100 [42:11] different roles that I'd never trained [42:12] for. Things like researching and [42:13] production and scheduling and branding, [42:15] all of it all at once. And this [42:17] experience isn't unique to me, but for [42:19] millions of founders around the world, [42:20] the tool that changes all of that is our [42:23] sponsor, Shopify. Shopify now powers 10% [42:27] of all US e-commerce, from names like [42:29] Gymshark and Mattel to first-time [42:31] founders just getting started. It's like [42:33] having your very own design studio, [42:35] content creator, and marketing team in [42:37] one, with hundreds of online store [42:39] templates, AI tools to create product [42:41] pages, and easy-to-launch email and [42:43] social media plugins. Behind the scenes, [42:45] Shopify manages your inventory, [42:46] international shipping, and even your [42:48] returns. [42:49] So, if you're ready to sell, sign up for [42:51] your $1 a month trial at [42:54] shopify.com/barlett. [42:57] That's shopify.com/barlett. [42:59] $1 a month? [43:00] No way. [43:02] There's no safe like SimpliSafe, the [43:04] sponsor of today's episode. A few years [43:06] ago, someone broke into the Diary of a [43:07] CEO studio and stole all of our cameras [43:09] and few key hard drives, and it was [43:11] devastating. And one that led us on a [43:13] quest to figure out how we could secure [43:15] our building. And through this, we [43:17] discovered SimpliSafe. Interestingly, we [43:19] did have security at the time, but the [43:20] type that we had only triggered an alarm [43:23] once intruders were inside the building. [43:25] What I like about SimpliSafe is that [43:27] active guard outdoor protection notifies [43:29] you and their live monitoring agents [43:32] when suspicious characters are outside. [43:35] But it also means that guards can [43:36] trigger alarms or turn on spotlights to [43:38] deter someone from entering your [43:40] building. If we'd had SimpliSafe, we [43:42] would have known earlier that intruders [43:43] were trying to get in. So, maybe this is [43:45] your reminder to make sure your home and [43:47] workplace is secure. SimpliSafe is [43:49] offering my listeners in the United [43:50] States an exclusive discount of 50% off [43:52] their new SimpliSafe security system [43:54] when you sign up by visiting [43:56] simplisafe.com/doac [43:59] to claim 50% off your new system with a [44:01] professional monitoring plan and get [44:03] your first month free. That's [44:05] simplisafe.com/doac. [44:07] There's no safe like SimpliSafe. [44:10] And what about healthy people? [44:12] Healthy people come to you as well and [44:13] do fasting. It's not just people that [44:15] have these sort of severe [44:16] health predicaments. [44:18] I think I'm pretty healthy. Is there a [44:20] reason or a benefit to someone like me [44:23] fasting? [44:24] >> You know, we did a study actually on [44:26] this very question about what happens to [44:27] healthy people that fast. [44:29] And although there's tremendous [44:31] improvements in sick people, it turns [44:33] out when you look at the cardiometabolic [44:36] risk factors, when you look at even [44:37] things like weight and uh percent body [44:40] fat and visceral fat on healthy people, [44:43] people that are within healthy limits, [44:45] there's additional improvement. Their [44:46] blood cholesterol drops even lower, [44:48] their blood pressures drop lower, their [44:49] percent fat drops even lower. In fact, [44:52] proportionally [44:53] the people that get the most benefit of [44:55] fasting are healthy people that are [44:57] doing it preventatively. But they tend [44:59] to need short fast, not long fast. [45:01] You're not necessarily taking a healthy [45:02] person doing a 40-day fast. They're [45:04] They're five to 10-day periods of time [45:07] rather than the very longer fast. [45:08] They're usually because there's a [45:10] condition that takes that long to [45:12] resolve. We want to fast as short as [45:14] possible, but long enough to resolve the [45:15] problem. If you come to me with blood [45:17] pressure that's 210 over 100, capped on [45:19] on five medications, you're likely to [45:21] need a longer fast than a person that's [45:23] 140 over 90 without medication. [45:25] >> If I'm a healthy person, how frequently [45:28] and for what length should I be thinking [45:30] about fasting if at all? [45:31] >> I think you should be fasting every day [45:34] for [45:34] >> I'll introduce [45:35] >> 12 hours. [45:35] >> Okay. [45:36] >> And that, you know, we don't know what [45:39] the ideal is. That's one of the things [45:41] we're going to be doing in this in the [45:42] study is trying to figure that out. But [45:43] what we do in practice is we have people [45:45] fast once a year for a week. If they're [45:47] clinically stable, they don't have any [45:49] healing crisis, their numbers are all [45:50] good, that's it. We move on. And even [45:53] that week of fasting though has a [45:54] profound effect on healthy people. I [45:56] might mention though that most people [45:58] that think they're healthy, when you [45:59] actually objectively look at their [46:01] biomarkers, aren't as healthy as they [46:03] think. Many people are maintaining [46:05] higher visceral fat, higher inflammatory [46:07] markers, higher lipid levels than what [46:09] they probably ideally should be, even [46:11] though they're asymptomatic. They say [46:13] somewhere around 2 to 2.5% of people are [46:15] actually objectively measuring out as [46:18] healthy. Some studies say as much as 12% [46:19] depending on the standards that you're [46:21] using to define health. [46:22] >> So, speaking directly to the viewer now [46:24] who sat at home and there's a reason why [46:26] they clicked on this conversation. They [46:27] they found the subject matter in the [46:28] title of the thumbnail [46:30] somewhat compelling. [46:32] If you were speaking directly to the [46:33] different personas of people listening, [46:35] so you've got maybe someone who is [46:36] healthy, someone who is maybe got a [46:38] little bit of a weight on that they [46:39] might want to shift, someone that's got [46:41] specific diseases and has been given [46:43] diagnosis and maybe has given pills. [46:45] Going through these different personas [46:46] one at a time, [46:48] how would you prescribe water fasting to [46:51] them and what would you sort of [46:54] tell them the benefits for them would be [46:57] if we're thinking about these different [46:57] personas. So, starting with the the [46:59] person on the left side of the spectrum [47:00] who is [47:02] largely healthy [47:04] but is interested in maybe how it will [47:06] make them feel or whatever. [47:08] >> So, for the healthy person, the main [47:09] benefit that I see of fasting is it's a [47:11] forced period of rest and introspection. [47:14] You get a certain clearing of the [47:15] palate. We've actually done a study like [47:17] this. It's on our site where we looked [47:19] at the sensitivity to sugar, the [47:21] sensitivity to salt. It's actually [47:22] enhanced during fasting. And so, by [47:25] fasting once a year, people kind of [47:26] recalibrate their palate and it makes it [47:28] easier for them to make better choices. [47:30] Sometimes there's been some slipping and [47:31] sliding along the dietary regime as [47:34] people go along during the course of the [47:35] year. It reboots the gut microbiome. It [47:39] tends to [47:40] enhance cognitive capacities as well as [47:43] probably brain serotonin and dopamine [47:44] levels. It can affect people's mood [47:46] states and just how they feel about [47:48] themselves and the world around them. [47:49] It's obviously not as dramatic as when [47:52] you take a person that's in agonizing [47:54] pain or debility and you see those [47:56] dramatic changes. [47:57] >> What about then if I want to just lose [47:58] some weight? What protocol should I use [48:01] for water fasting and what kind of [48:03] results would I expect to see in what [48:04] time frame? [48:06] >> We never know exactly how long a [48:08] patient's going to fast until we see how [48:10] they respond to fasting because fasting [48:12] itself is as much diagnostic as it is [48:15] therapeutic. But usually we can get a [48:17] pretty good idea. Like for example, I [48:19] always like to try to get people as [48:21] close to their optimum weight as [48:22] possible. Whether it's with diet and [48:24] exercise or with fasting. We don't think [48:26] maintaining extra fat is a good thing. [48:28] We think for every pound of excess fat [48:30] you have on your body, there's all kinds [48:32] of downstream consequences. [48:34] And so if a person say for example 20 lb [48:36] overweight, they think I they feel best [48:38] at say 150 lb but they're 170 lb. We [48:41] know that they could it will take them [48:43] about 3 weeks to to lose that weight cuz [48:46] people lose an average of about a pound [48:47] a day. [48:48] So I wouldn't have any concern assuming [48:51] everything else looks okay fasting that [48:52] person for 3 weeks. I'd be concerned [48:55] about fasting them into an emaciated [48:57] state. I don't want to get them very [48:58] weak. I don't want to have them [48:59] debilitated. I don't want to get them [49:01] depleted. And so we're going to monitor [49:02] them carefully to make sure that we're [49:04] well within their their reserves. But [49:07] you know, a person that's that's a bit [49:08] overweight that has maybe their blood [49:10] pressure's a little bit higher, their [49:11] blood sugar's a little bit higher, maybe [49:13] they have some joint pain, maybe they [49:15] have some various symptoms. We want [49:16] those things to resolve. So we're going [49:19] to estimate how long do we think this [49:21] person's going to need to fast to get to [49:23] the point when they feed, they'll keep [49:25] getting healthier rather than sicker. [49:27] >> Can you explain these four graphs to me [49:29] here? There's some four graphs that come [49:30] from work you've done. [49:32] >> Okay, well this is outcome data that [49:35] comes from um [49:37] studies that we've published. And this [49:39] basically is looking at the percent body [49:41] weight change. And if you look at the [49:43] bottom graph, you'll notice it's over [49:45] time. [49:46] >> Yeah. [49:47] >> Okay. So we're looking at the percentage [49:49] body weight change during fasting and [49:52] then during refeeding it actually comes [49:53] down a little bit more, even though [49:56] people are re-alimenting, they're losing [49:58] fat, they're regaining water and muscle, [50:00] and then they're able to maintain that [50:02] percent body change. This is 65-day [50:04] follow-up. [50:05] >> So, on that for people that aren't [50:06] watching the video right now and are [50:07] just listening to audio, what what does [50:09] it essentially saying happens and in [50:11] what period of time with what protocol? [50:13] >> So, in this particular study, these [50:16] people lost about 10% of their body [50:18] weight over an average of 2 weeks of [50:22] fasting. [50:23] They refed for a week at the facility, [50:26] and then they were followed up 65 days [50:28] later. And at 65 days later, you'll [50:30] notice they'd maintained their total [50:32] body weight change and then just a [50:34] little bit more. And now they've been [50:35] back to eating and exercising. [50:38] In the next graph, the percent body [50:40] weight, this is the visceral fat mass. [50:42] >> And visceral fat again? [50:43] >> Visceral fat is the 10% of the fat that [50:46] makes up the fat that typically [50:47] accumulates around the belly and in the [50:49] organs. It's the fat that's [50:51] hypertrophic, hypermetabolic, hyper It [50:53] it produces inflammation, it acts like a [50:55] tumor. [50:56] >> So, there's two types of fat. [50:57] There's subcutaneous, which is on the [50:59] outside. [51:00] >> Right. [51:00] >> And then there's visceral, which is on [51:01] the inside. And the stuff on the inside [51:03] is the worst. [51:04] >> It's fat that wouldn't normally be [51:06] there. Here's the problem. You evolved [51:08] in an environment of scarcity. Storing [51:10] fat is so critical to survival in a [51:13] world of deficiency of or of depletion [51:17] that the body does everything it can to [51:19] store fat. Cuz the people that store fat [51:21] in a natural setting, they live to [51:22] reproduce. [51:24] In the modern world, it's become a [51:25] disadvantage because we live in this [51:27] very unnatural environment where you can [51:29] get dietary excess. And so, even though [51:31] body's designed for an environment of [51:33] deficiency, it's responding with that [51:35] genetic programming. And so, it stores [51:37] fat even though it's not healthful for [51:39] you. As far as the body's concerned, [51:41] spring might come late, the more fat you [51:43] store the better. And as a consequence, [51:45] that visceral fat is associated with [51:47] these diseases of dietary excess. In [51:49] fasting, the body preferentially [51:51] mobilizes that visceral fat. It gets rid [51:53] of it. Just like if you go on a fast and [51:54] have a breast tumor, you lose 10% of [51:56] your body fat. You don't necessarily [51:58] lose 10% of the tumor. You might lose [52:00] 50% of the tumor. You might lose the [52:02] entire tumor cuz the body's has some [52:04] intelligence to it in terms of how it's [52:06] mobilizing these tissues. You can take a [52:08] person an animal for example and starve [52:10] it to death. Um and if you measure its [52:12] nervous system, you'll find the nervous [52:14] system isn't depleted. Even when it's [52:16] starved to death, it will preserve [52:19] those tissues in preference to the [52:21] the visceral fat or the fat tissues. And [52:24] so this graph is showing that visceral [52:25] fat not only comes down during fasting, [52:27] but it keeps coming down and it [52:29] continues to come down with refeeding. [52:31] And this particular graph here, this is [52:34] blood pressure. So again, blood pressure [52:36] comes down during fasting. It comes down [52:39] even lower with refeeding. And people [52:41] that are following diet and lifestyle [52:43] changes are able to maintain that [52:45] pressure without medication. [52:47] So if you look at our study, people that [52:49] start with stage three hypertension, so [52:51] they're 180 or higher systolic blood [52:53] pressure, they lost an average of 60 [52:56] points [52:58] on systolic blood pressure not counting [53:00] the fact that the baselines were often [53:01] taken on medication. [53:04] Um and the final graph here that you've [53:05] got is percent in lean mass. So lean [53:08] mass also go down in fasting [53:09] >> Cuz your lean mass again is [53:11] >> Lean mass is your your fluids, your [53:12] muscle. Lean mass goes down, but then it [53:15] recovers during refeeding and [53:17] realimentation. And the percentage of [53:20] lean mass, which includes your muscle [53:21] mass, at six-week follow-up was actually [53:23] higher in those patients than it was at [53:25] baseline. [53:25] >> Are they exercising then? [53:27] >> During recovery they are, not during [53:28] fasting. [53:29] >> Okay. [53:30] And you mentioned PCOS earlier on when [53:32] we were talking about the implications [53:34] for women. Have you ever done any [53:36] studies or had patients come to your [53:37] fasting clinic that have symptoms of [53:39] PCOS? [53:39] >> Yes, we treat uh had, you know, dozens [53:42] and dozens of patients with polycystic [53:43] ovarian syndrome. And it's a condition [53:45] that responds consistently to fasting. [53:47] It also responds to diet and lifestyle [53:49] change, but I understand many of the [53:51] people that have made the diet changes [53:53] but are not been successful are then [53:55] referred to us for fasting. We always [53:57] want to try the diet first cuz a lot of [53:59] things resolve just by getting a person [54:01] on a good diet and exercise program. [54:03] >> And PCOS for people that don't know, I'm [54:05] sure a lot of men don't know about PCOS, [54:06] but some of them will because they might [54:08] have fertility problems with their [54:09] partner. My partner's been very public [54:11] that she has PCOS. [54:13] Um and she's found that the ketogenic [54:17] diet, removing sugar from her diet, has [54:20] had a profound impact on recalibrating [54:22] her menstrual cycle. Her menstrual cycle [54:24] was very um [54:25] inconsistent, irregular, could be up to [54:27] 60 days or longer or not at all. And [54:29] then when she removed sugar from her [54:31] diet and um carbohydrates, it's now [54:34] perfect, right? So it's like every 28 [54:37] whatever days it is. And so wondering [54:39] if, you know, there's lots of women that [54:40] are suffering with a variety of [54:42] different hormonal challenges or things [54:43] like PCOS, [54:45] if you have any case studies from your [54:47] clinic of that resetting their menstrual [54:50] cycles or, you know, [54:52] reversing the symptoms of PCOS. [54:55] >> Right. It's not uncommon for us to have [54:57] women that, for example, have their [54:58] plumbing's good in terms of their tubes [55:01] and whatnot, but they're having [55:02] difficulty initiating pregnancy. They [55:04] fast, they reboot, and sure enough [55:06] within a cycle or two, you know, they're [55:08] able to achieve pregnancy. And it's not [55:11] unusual to have people that have uh [55:13] disrupted uh dysmenorrhea, menorrhagia, [55:15] etc. Within usually not the very first [55:18] cycle, but the second cycle will [55:20] normalize uh function. I think the [55:22] reason for that is the hormones and [55:23] stuff that for the next cycle are [55:25] already kind of set up. And where you [55:27] see the change is often, you know, at [55:29] that 6-week follow-up. [55:30] >> So let's be clear because [55:31] if you fast, it is a form of stress on [55:34] the body, isn't it? From everything I [55:35] know about sort of evolution, [55:37] if you're fasting, your menstrual [55:39] cycle's probably going to stop if you're [55:40] doing an extended fast because your body [55:42] sends a signal to say, "Listen, we don't [55:44] have the resources in here to to give a [55:46] kid life, so we're going to shut down." [55:49] >> If you take yourself below optimum [55:51] weight or below optimum fat, yes, that's [55:53] true. You know, disruption of menstrual [55:55] cycle happens with excess weight loss of [55:57] any kind or rapid weight loss. [55:59] Um but for the patients that were [56:01] fasting, often times it's quite the [56:03] opposite. They're able to actually [56:04] normalize their hormonal cycle. And as I [56:06] mentioned, it may be the conversion of [56:08] estradiol to estriol because of [56:09] improvement in the gut microbiome that's [56:11] responsible for normalization of that [56:14] and other hormonal issues that maybe we [56:16] haven't even been able to measure yet. [56:18] >> Cuz your your body needs energy to do to [56:20] perform its menstrual cycle. That's it. [56:22] Is am I am I right in my thinking that [56:24] that [56:25] if the body senses you don't have the [56:27] energy to have a baby, it's going to [56:29] shut down your menstrual cycle because [56:31] having a baby would [56:33] >> I think if it doesn't have the reserves. [56:35] So, if you're in an [56:36] The thing is many patients though, even [56:38] though they're fasting, they aren't in a [56:39] depleted state. And so, you don't see [56:42] universal disruption of menstrual [56:44] function because people are fasting. Um [56:46] but, you know, athletes often times see [56:48] it when their percent body fat goes too [56:50] low, they will become amenorrheic. [56:53] >> Do you see when someone comes to your [56:55] clinic and does one of these extended [56:56] fasts that there's other areas of their [56:58] life that also improve that are [57:00] completely sort of like unrelated to [57:03] the [57:04] benefits from the fast. And I'm talking [57:06] about willpower here and their ability [57:08] to motivate themselves and be [57:09] disciplined and persistent and [57:11] >> There's I don't think there's any [57:12] question that those factors are [57:14] involved. You know, it's also just [57:16] education and fear. People think if they [57:18] get on a plane in New York and they flew [57:20] to California, they would die of [57:21] starvation or Colorado. They think the [57:23] pretzels that they ate saved their life. [57:25] And once people have fasted for 5 days [57:27] or 10 days or 40 days, the idea of of to [57:30] skip a meal doesn't seem quite so [57:32] terrifying. You know, if there's not [57:34] something that they that's healthfully [57:35] eating, they just skip the meal until [57:38] the next one. And they're not afraid of [57:40] the of the that they're going to die or [57:42] that they're going to enter starvation [57:43] or they're going to have depletion. A [57:45] lot of people have a lot of fear in [57:46] their head that's completely uh [57:48] illogical, unnecessary, [57:51] and harmful. [57:51] >> It's so true. When you tell me that [57:52] someone can actually fast for What's the [57:54] longest a person could fast for? [57:56] >> Well, [57:56] >> without severe consequences. [57:58] >> They say that a 70 kg male could fast [58:00] about 70 days, but the longest we fast [58:03] people is 40 days. [58:04] And what happens is you get beyond 40 [58:06] days, everything gets a little bit more [58:08] delicate. You have to be a lot more [58:09] careful with electrolyte balance and [58:10] other things. And so, 40 days, [58:13] understand is only 1% of our patients. [58:15] The vast majority are fasting between 2 [58:18] weeks and 4 weeks. So, it's you know, [58:20] it's 10 days or 14 days or 20 days. [58:22] That's where the big bell curve is. You [58:25] have a a small uh number of people that [58:27] need to fast longer than that. [58:30] >> And you see this as a medical [58:31] intervention. You don't see this as [58:32] something that these people should be [58:34] doing [58:35] on a frequent monthly basis. You see [58:37] this as a medical intervention for [58:38] people with specific issues, [58:40] predominantly. [58:40] >> I think that everybody should fast every [58:42] day for 12 hours. I think that [58:44] everybody, including healthy people, [58:46] would probably should at least consider [58:48] fasting once a year for a week. And that [58:50] anybody that has a condition where it's [58:52] appropriate to fast should fast however [58:54] long it takes to resolve the condition, [58:55] however frequently it takes to get well. [58:58] So, we do have some patients who are [59:00] fasting two or three times during a year [59:02] cuz they can't fast long enough the [59:03] first fast to to resolve the condition, [59:06] uh but you know, they don't have enough [59:07] reserves to be able to do, you know, a [59:09] longer fast. So, we will we will do it [59:11] periodically until the condition [59:12] resolves. [59:13] >> And what are the safety concerns with [59:15] water fasts? [59:17] >> Yeah, well, the biggest uh and most [59:19] obvious concerns are [59:22] orthostatic hypotension. When people are [59:24] used to having high blood pressure and [59:26] you lower their pressure, their brains [59:28] used to higher perfusion levels. So, [59:29] when you drop the pressure, they can get [59:31] dizzy and uh dizzy at first until they [59:33] get used to having normal blood [59:34] pressure. And you don't want people [59:35] falling over and fainting and, you know, [59:37] breaking something or having a problem. [59:39] Dehydration is an hormetic effect of [59:42] fasting and it's important part of [59:43] stimulating the healing crisis. [59:45] But, you also don't want to get somebody [59:47] so depleted that they get into, you [59:49] know, cardiac dysrhythmia or they have, [59:51] you know, [59:52] problems. And that's why we monitor [59:53] people twice a day and we make sure [59:55] that, you know, they maintain uh [59:57] balance. You know, one of the things we [59:58] did in Can Fasting Save Your Life is we [60:00] laid out all the protocols of fasting so [60:02] a person could really understand what's [60:04] going on in fasting, you know, what the [60:06] benefits are. But, we also wrote it so [60:08] that their physicians would stop [60:10] thinking they're crazy because they're [60:12] interested in doing something like that. [60:14] Cuz at first blush, this sounds like [60:16] kind of [60:18] crazy that you're going to have a person [60:20] do take nothing but water for a [60:22] prolonged period of time and somehow [60:23] that's going to be a good thing. But, [60:25] when you really look at the science and [60:27] you look at the experience we've had, [60:28] you found when it's done according to [60:30] protocol, it is a safe and it can be an [60:33] effective intervention in giving the [60:35] body a chance to heal itself. [60:37] >> What are the big misconceptions about [60:38] fasting that you encounter consistently? [60:41] >> Well, one thing is people think that [60:43] you're going to become depleted because [60:45] they don't understand the recycling [60:46] capacity of the body when fasting's done [60:48] properly. [60:50] And that they're going to deplete their [60:51] muscles and that the weight they lose in [60:54] fasting is immediately regained after [60:56] fasting. So, there's no, you know, [60:57] beneficial re-proportioning of the body [61:00] composition. [61:01] And they're driven by the fear uh and I [61:04] think instinctive fear that, you know, [61:05] we're designed to be intimately [61:07] concerned about getting enough to eat [61:09] because in the natural setting, that's a [61:11] constant biological imperative. You're [61:13] always struggling try to get enough to [61:14] eat. And because we live in a constant [61:16] state of deprivation in the natural [61:18] setting, the use of fasting was never [61:20] anything other than a survival tool, [61:22] some an adaptation the body could make [61:24] only under force, not by choice. [61:27] But it is interesting that every major [61:30] religion, the Jews, the Jains, the [61:32] Hindus, the Muslims, the Christians, the [61:34] Buddhist, all have a deep respect and [61:37] tradition about fasting. [61:39] There's a reason cuz it changes the way [61:40] you feel about yourself and the world [61:42] around you. [61:43] >> It's so linked to spiritual traditions [61:46] like meditation and clarity of mind and [61:48] spiritual experiences. [61:50] >> And I think because it is difficult to [61:52] do that, you know, some of the benefits [61:54] you mentioned earlier may be part of the [61:56] you know, part that are hard for us to [61:58] quantify. [61:59] >> Yeah. [62:00] What is the most important thing we [62:01] haven't talked about as it pertains to [62:02] fasting that we should have talked [62:04] about? [62:05] >> We haven't talked about the different [62:07] kinds of mechanisms which might be going [62:09] on in fasting. Uh that sometimes people [62:11] are interested. We've talked about [62:13] weight loss. You know, that that's kind [62:14] of an obvious one. If you don't eat, [62:16] you're going to lose weight. But there's [62:18] also a natriuretic effect. The body gets [62:20] rid of the excess sodium accumulated in [62:22] the body. Uh and that has a profound [62:24] effect cuz literally people will lose [62:27] several pounds of fluid a day early on [62:30] in fasting just because the body's been [62:31] holding on uh to this in order to buffer [62:34] the effect of sodium. Sodium, you know, [62:35] you think about it, you take a [62:36] tablespoon of it, it's an emetic, it'll [62:37] make you throw up. If you take enough of [62:39] it, it'll kill you. It'll actually have [62:41] an It has an LD50 with it. Even though [62:43] it's an essential nutrient in small [62:44] amounts, in excess quantity, it's [62:47] associated with hypertension, and not to [62:49] mention obesity. And you might say, [62:51] "Well, why would sodium, which has no [62:53] calories, make people fat?" [62:57] And it's because sodium stimulates [62:58] what's called passive overeating. [63:00] So, if you eat till you're full of [63:02] anything, say brown rice, you just eat [63:04] till you reach your satiety, you don't [63:05] want any more. [63:07] Everything else being equal, salt that [63:08] rice up and eat till you're full, you'll [63:10] eat more before you feel satisfied. [63:13] People say, "Yeah, cuz it tastes [63:14] better." But that's what tasting better [63:17] means. It means it results in more [63:18] dopamine stimulation in the brain. So [63:20] your brain is going to get fooled with [63:22] salt. And if you take some foods, like [63:24] for example, bread, the staff of life, [63:26] 1,500 calories a pound before you turn [63:28] it into a butter boat and spread [63:30] coagulated cow pus all over it, and you [63:32] remove the salt, oil, sugar, and yeast, [63:33] what do you get? It's called matzah, and [63:36] it's punishment on Passover. Nobody's [63:38] getting fat eating matzah, but they're [63:40] certainly having trouble with bread and [63:41] bread-related products. [63:43] And it's because the the the wheat and [63:45] the water become a carrier agent for [63:48] these chemicals. Take beef, boil it, and [63:51] gnaw on it. Do you like plain boiled [63:52] beef? Not so much. It's a carrier agent [63:55] for the sauces, the salt, the the things [63:57] that that it's carrying to the palate. [63:59] So we're using ultra-processed foods as [64:01] carrier agents for these chemicals, and [64:04] that's why we're in trouble. 70% of the [64:06] calorie of the average person is [64:07] ultra-processed foods, and we haven't [64:09] even talked about the chemicals and [64:10] other things besides the salt, oil, and [64:12] sugar, the emulsifiers, the other things [64:14] that are thought to affect gut gut [64:15] microbiome, etc. So the natriuretic [64:18] effect of fasting is a kind of a [64:20] rebooting effect that gets rid of the [64:21] sodium. We haven't talked about [64:23] detoxification. If you take a fat biopsy [64:25] of human beings, [64:26] >> A what? [64:27] >> A a a fat biopsy. A biopsy. You take a a [64:29] piece of fat or a piece of tissue and [64:31] you analyze it. What you find is there's [64:33] hundreds of different chemicals, PCB, [64:35] dioxin, pesticide residues, heavy metals [64:38] in everybody to varying degrees. People [64:40] have different degrees of vulnerability [64:41] to that. In fasting, the body rapidly [64:43] mobilizes those materials and eliminates [64:46] them. In fact, that's some people have [64:47] said, "Oh, it's so does it so [64:48] efficiently, you shouldn't fast." That [64:50] the body doesn't know what it's doing [64:52] and it would put it out too quickly and [64:53] it would overload your system, and so [64:55] don't do it. But the reality is the body [64:57] This is a biological adaptation. It does [64:59] a good job of mobilizing the materials [65:01] and eliminating them. If you take that [65:03] fat biopsy and you say, "What Where did [65:04] all those fats come Where did all those [65:06] toxins come from?" [65:08] As much as 90% of some of those toxins [65:10] came from eating animal foods, which [65:11] biologically concentrate those pollution [65:14] in their environment. Then you eat the [65:15] animal food, you get its entire lifetime [65:17] accumulation of toxins. And so, when you [65:20] fast, you kick in the system you use to [65:22] get rid of that stuff. And every time [65:24] you do it, it gets better. And so, [65:27] these are things that don't necessarily [65:29] happen to the same degree with our juice [65:31] fasting or our modified feeding [65:32] machines. [65:33] We talked about the autonomic nervous [65:35] system. [65:36] This is the part of the nervous system [65:37] that controls all the stuff you don't [65:39] think about. Like, for example, um if [65:41] you were to go out running and your [65:43] heart didn't speed up, you would be in [65:45] big trouble and potentially die. [65:48] But it doesn't it doesn't happen because [65:50] your heart automatically speeds up and [65:52] pumps more blood you need. And that's [65:54] controlled by the autonomic or automatic [65:57] nervous system. It has two parts, the [65:59] sympathetic and the parasympathetic. [66:00] They have to be in balance. [66:02] And we've invented hundreds of healing [66:04] systems to try to rebalance the [66:06] autonomic nervous system. Massage, [66:08] biofeedback, homeopathy, chiropractic [66:10] manipulation, osteopathic manipulation, [66:13] acupuncture, relaxation, biofeedback. [66:16] How do you think all these things make [66:17] people feel better? At least to some [66:19] degree, it's to the degree they help [66:21] rebalance the autonomic nervous system. [66:23] The most powerful way to rebalance the [66:25] autonomic nervous system, in my [66:26] experience, is fasting. [66:29] Fasting has a profound impact on this [66:32] autonomic sympathetic parasympathetic [66:34] balance. [66:35] And I think one of the most profound [66:37] effects, honestly, is effect on taste [66:40] neuroadaptation. [66:42] As I mentioned, we did a study on your [66:44] how you taste things. [66:46] And when you go on a fast, good food [66:48] start to taste good. When you first come [66:50] off a conventional diet, this kind of [66:52] food is disgusting, tasteless swill. [66:54] People have no interest in it. They [66:55] can't imagine how anybody could choke it [66:57] down. [66:58] >> What kind of food? [66:58] >> Well, whole fruits, vegetables, you [67:01] know, simple foods without salt, oil, [67:03] and sugar added to it. They just can't [67:04] even imagine how anybody could eat that. [67:06] But after fasting, whole plant foods [67:08] start to taste good. And the longer you [67:11] eat them, the better they taste. It gets [67:13] to the point where you actually would [67:14] prefer to eat whole plant foods rather [67:16] than the salty, greasy, fatty processed [67:18] foods that everybody else is eating. [67:21] So, these are These are big changes that [67:22] occur in fasting that are not [67:25] necessarily as easily objectified from a [67:27] research standpoint, but have a profound [67:30] difference on how people feel and how [67:31] they live their lives. [67:33] >> Yeah, I noticed that as well when I when [67:34] I was on the ketogenic diet, I noticed [67:36] that um the things that I would usually [67:38] get cravings for, suddenly [67:40] there was no no cravings at all. And [67:42] funnily enough, when you're talking [67:44] about taste changing, [67:46] when I was on the ketogenic diet, things [67:47] tasted sweeter. [67:49] And I don't mean I actually don't mean [67:51] cuz I was I wasn't really eating much [67:52] sugar. It was actually some sugar-free [67:54] drinks just tasted significantly [67:55] sweeter. [67:56] They were zero sugar drinks, but clearly [67:58] cuz of some of the sweetness in there, [68:00] they I almost couldn't drink them. But, [68:01] when I came off the ketogenic diet and I [68:03] started having carbohydrates again, [68:05] those drinks didn't taste so sweet [68:07] anymore. [68:07] >> But, it's your palate that changes. The [68:09] ketogenic diet is a fasting mimicking [68:11] diet. It mimics some of the effects of [68:13] fasting, not the least of which is [68:14] changes in taste, what's called taste [68:15] neurotation or sensitivity. [68:17] And it's not carbohydrates that [68:19] desensitize you, it's refined [68:20] carbohydrates. [68:22] >> Mhm. [68:22] >> And so, if you get people on a whole [68:24] plant food diet, you know, fruits and [68:26] vegetables, all whole simple foods, they [68:28] they maintain that acuity of taste. But, [68:31] as soon as you put them back on refined [68:32] carbohydrates, [68:34] the processed carbohydrates, then they [68:35] begin to go back into the dietary [68:36] pleasure trap. [68:38] >> Got you. [68:39] This one change has transformed how my [68:41] team and I move, train, and think about [68:43] our bodies. When Dr. Daniel Lieberman [68:45] came on the Diary of a CEO, he explained [68:47] how modern shoes, with their cushioning [68:49] and support, are making our feet weaker [68:52] and less capable of doing what nature [68:53] intended them to do. We've lost the [68:55] natural strength and mobility in our [68:57] feet, and this is leading to issues like [68:59] back pain and knee pain. I'd already [69:02] purchased a pair of Vivo barefoot shoes, [69:04] so I showed them to Daniel Lieberman, [69:06] and he told me that they were exactly [69:07] the type of shoe that would help me [69:09] restore natural foot movement and [69:11] rebuild my strength. But, I think it was [69:12] plantar fasciitis that I had where [69:13] suddenly my feet started hurting all the [69:15] time. And after that, I decided to start [69:16] strengthening my own foot by using the [69:18] Vivo barefoot. And research from [69:20] Liverpool University has backed this up. [69:21] They've shown that wearing Vivo barefoot [69:23] shoes for 6 months can increase foot [69:25] strength by up to 60%. [69:28] Visit vivobarefoot.com /doac and use [69:31] code diary 20 from my sponsor for 20% [69:35] off. A strong body starts with strong [69:37] feet. And I guess what is the What is [69:39] the [69:41] the next step if someone is curious? [69:42] What do you What would you recommend [69:44] they they do? [69:46] >> Well, we have a I think a a really [69:47] valuable uh free service for your [69:51] viewers. And that's that if they go to [69:53] our website and complete the [69:54] registration forms at [69:56] trueworthhealth.com, [69:57] I offer a free phone conversation with [69:59] them to tell them whether this might be [70:00] something they should be considering and [70:02] try to point them in the right [70:03] direction. [70:04] If they're really interested, they can [70:06] read our book and fast and save your [70:07] life. And it will tell you and your [70:09] doctor everything you need to know about [70:11] what it takes to safely get into a fast, [70:13] through a fast, and what the benefits of [70:15] fasting are thought to be. [70:18] >> I'll link all of that below for anybody [70:20] that is curious and wants to learn more. [70:24] Um if And just as a sort of a [70:26] disclaimer, if people are doing [70:30] water fasting, they should seek medical [70:33] advice and medical [70:35] um support. They should see a seek a [70:36] consultation from someone who knows what [70:38] they're doing before just trying to do [70:39] this at home. [70:40] >> They want to make sure they're a good [70:41] candidate with history, exam, and lab. [70:42] They want to make sure if they do fast, [70:44] they're fasting in a restful state, [70:45] staying hydrated properly, and that they [70:48] refeed carefully because it can be a [70:49] serious problem if you don't do it [70:51] properly. [70:52] >> Is there a particular case study that [70:54] comes to mind when you think about [70:56] the power of fasting? I know you talked [70:58] a bit about the lady that had lymphoma, [70:59] which I read about in the British [71:00] Medical Journal in I think it was 2015 [71:02] that was published. [71:04] >> I think even more powerful than [71:05] individual case reports are these [71:07] studies that we've done involving dozens [71:10] and in some cases [71:11] uh almost 200 people and the consistency [71:15] of the data. [71:16] This works is the most effective [71:18] treatment that's ever been shown in [71:20] treating the leading cause of death and [71:22] disability, which is high blood pressure [71:23] and its consequences. If a person has [71:25] essential hypertension and they fast [71:27] long enough, they're going to normalize [71:29] their blood pressure. And if they're [71:31] willing to do dangerous and radical [71:32] things like eat well, exercise, and get [71:35] to bed on time, they can sustain those [71:37] results. [71:39] >> We have a closing tradition on this [71:40] podcast where the last guest leaves a [71:41] question for the next guest not knowing [71:42] who they're leaving it for. And the [71:43] question that left for you is quite a [71:45] tricky one, but it's interesting. [71:47] It is, what is the biggest lie that you [71:50] think is ruining most people's life? [71:53] >> I think one of the biggest mistakes is [71:55] that people think that health comes from [71:57] pills, potions, powders, and treatments [72:00] instead of healthful living. Health is [72:02] the direct result of healthful living [72:03] and that means diet, sleep, exercise. [72:07] >> But the heart. [72:08] Especially in the world we live in [72:09] where, [72:10] you know, everything I see is trying to [72:13] play with the neurotrans- chemicals in [72:15] in my brain. [72:16] They want me to be addicted and to [72:18] >> Well, people are trying to sell the [72:19] pleasure trap. They're trying to tell [72:20] you what you want to hear and not what [72:22] you need to know. What you want to hear [72:23] is that there's a way to not do hard [72:25] things, but still get good benefits. And [72:27] what you need to know is how to do hard [72:29] things so you can be successful. [72:32] >> I think that's like the defining trait [72:33] of the 21st century is like your ability [72:35] to do [72:36] what you know you should for long-term [72:39] benefits, not short-term benefits. I [72:40] think like delayed gratification is [72:41] maybe the defining trait of the like the [72:43] 21st century. [72:45] I mean, we we've all heard of like the [72:47] those cookie experiments they did on [72:48] those kids to see which kids would take [72:50] the cookie and which ones would wait for [72:51] two cookies later. [72:52] But it's the thing further in my life [72:54] I've gone the more I've realized that [72:55] actually like every self-help help book [72:57] ever written could be one page and it [73:00] could just say like delay gratification. [73:03] Like do the thing [73:04] that is in the best interest of [73:06] long-term you versus short-term you. [73:08] >> I think that there's three [73:09] characteristics that everybody [73:12] uh should aspire for. Whether it's a [73:14] mate, [73:15] whether it's a employee, [73:18] or whether it's a friend. What you [73:19] really are looking for is honesty, [73:22] integrity, and intelligence. So, honesty [73:25] means they're going to tell the truth. [73:27] >> Mhm. [73:28] >> Integrity is they're going to do the [73:29] right thing. And intelligence means [73:32] they're going to do things right. [73:35] >> Mhm. [73:36] And that applies for ourselves, right? [73:38] As well. And what it be honest and have [73:40] high integrity and be intelligent with [73:42] your own decisioning. [73:44] >> I think those are the characteristics [73:46] that determine uh both uh success, but [73:49] more importantly happiness. [73:52] The people that I meet that are happy [73:54] have uh high degrees of all three of [73:56] those things. Some people are very [73:57] intelligent, but they don't necessarily [73:59] do the right thing. [74:00] Some people are honest, but you know, [74:02] they'll tell the truth, but they won't [74:04] necessarily tell the whole truth. [74:06] So, you know, you have to have all three [74:09] I think to have a high degree of uh [74:12] probability of success. [74:13] >> And what are you working on at the [74:14] moment? What what's keeping you busy at [74:15] at this moment in time? [74:17] >> We're in the process of getting ready to [74:19] launch a major study. We're going to [74:21] enroll between 2 and 3,000 people for [74:23] the rest of their life and we're going [74:24] to track them and try to see if we can [74:26] avoid the average 16 years of debility [74:29] that that greet people at the end of [74:30] their life. We believe with diet, sleep, [74:33] exercise, and periodic fasting, we can [74:35] avoid the debility that's so common. [74:38] And that make the last 20 years of [74:39] people's lives the best years of their [74:41] life instead of the worst. [74:43] >> You know, you said at your clinic [74:45] you 1% of patients do the 40-day fast. [74:50] What Who are those patients? What are [74:53] they suffering with? What are they [74:54] struggling with? Because that's pretty [74:55] extreme. [74:57] >> One woman was a dentist who'd had a [74:58] traumatic brain injury secondary to [75:00] getting hit by a [75:01] pole, an outdoor pole at a at a [75:04] ironically enough a continuing education [75:06] conference. [75:07] And she developed a headache and she'd [75:09] had constant daily head pain from 8:00 [75:11] to 10:00 [75:12] every minute of every day for 16 years. [75:15] And she came in and fasted for 41 days, [75:18] during which time she resolved to a [75:20] large extent her headaches. She refed, [75:22] she had some prodromal symptoms, minor, [75:24] you know, symptoms, and then did a [75:26] second 40-day fast 6 months later. And [75:28] now it's been 12 years she has no [75:29] headaches. [75:31] So, in her case she was motivated by [75:33] like a lot of our patients, pain, [75:34] debility, and fear of death. [75:36] And they were willing to do anything in [75:37] order to be able to get well, including, [75:39] you know, a long period of fasting. [75:41] Um so, the people that fast a long time [75:43] often times are very motivated [75:46] individuals, mostly motivated by, you [75:49] know, physical health goals. Not always, [75:50] some people are are doing fasting for [75:52] spiritual or other types of practices. [75:55] But most of the people we have are just [75:57] people that have not been successful [75:59] resolving their conditions with diet and [76:01] lifestyle change, with medications and [76:03] drugs and, you know, they're they say [76:05] that it should be the True North Health [76:06] Center the last resort. [76:08] One of my uh colleagues, uh may he rest [76:11] in peace, John McDougall, used to say we [76:12] were the punishment. And if he had a [76:14] patient that he would do the diet cherry [76:16] changes with, but that wasn't successful [76:18] at fully resolving the problem, he would [76:19] apologize to them and say, "I'm so [76:21] sorry, but you need to go to [76:23] Goldhammer's place. Good luck to you." [76:25] >> Mhm. [76:25] >> Cuz he thought that was one of the more [76:27] difficult things that people were ever [76:28] asked to do. I think it is the most [76:31] difficult thing you ask people to do, [76:32] not the fasting. That's not that [76:34] difficult. What's difficult is to go [76:36] back and live in a world designed to [76:37] make you fat, sick, and miserable, and [76:39] try try live healthfully, and live with [76:41] integrity and deal with the social [76:43] outflux of being successful. [76:46] As I said, a lot of times the people [76:47] that I see that have the easiest time [76:49] are the ones that aren't necessarily the [76:50] most sociable kind of people. [76:53] >> Thank you so much for the work that you [76:54] do cuz it's it's it's fascinating and [76:57] you're providing another alternative [76:58] treatment to people who are very often [77:01] out of out of choice. [77:03] >> Before I came here today, my wife said [77:06] "Don't be nervous to talk to him because [77:08] it's just like, you know, I speak 100 [77:10] times a year to 50 to 100 people." [77:13] And I see and I said, "Yeah, Jennifer, [77:14] it's just like talking to 50 to 100 [77:17] people except doing it every day for 400 [77:19] years." [77:23] Thanks for getting the word out. [77:24] >> Well, [77:25] my audience are open-minded, they're [77:26] smart, they're savvy, they're curious, I [77:28] hope as well, so it's it's really [77:31] fascinating and I think [77:32] you know, when we think about [77:34] these longer fasts, we often focus on [77:37] the physiological changes that are going [77:38] to take place like we talked about the [77:40] glycogen reserves being depleted and the [77:43] ketone bodies and all these things and [77:44] the beta-hydroxybutyrate [77:47] or whatever that big word was, but I [77:48] actually think there's the really [77:49] unappreciated part of all of this is the [77:51] psychological change that takes place. [77:53] When you realize that you can accomplish [77:54] something, but also as you said, when [77:56] you're you sort of rebalance and reset [77:58] your your dopamine levels and [78:03] when you you your your change your taste [78:05] adapts to [78:08] the fasted state [78:10] and how that can [78:12] act as an intervention, a psychological [78:14] and physiological intervention just to [78:16] reset you a little bit. Every year I I I [78:18] do ketosis at least once, maybe [78:19] sometimes twice or three times. I have a [78:21] ketogenic diet and it is it's like a [78:24] it's like a tremendous reset of my [78:26] habits. It like resets my habits. It [78:28] resets my urges, my cravings, so [78:30] >> Think about when a patient goes to a [78:32] medical doctor and they say, "Oh, I have [78:33] high blood pressure." And they say, [78:35] "Listen, we promise you [78:36] if you do exactly what we tell you, we [78:38] guarantee you you'll never get well. [78:41] You'll be sick the rest of your life and [78:43] you'll be on these drugs forever. [78:45] And there's not a one I've had so far [78:48] that that turns out to be true for. [78:51] It changes their entire paradigm. [78:53] When they get overcome the problem that [78:55] supposedly is helpless and hopeless and [78:57] nothing can be done, [78:59] changes their It changes their view of [79:01] reality. [79:02] >> Of course. I mean, what you're speaking [79:04] to there is learned helplessness, where [79:06] if someone tells you there's nothing you [79:07] can do, then you do fall into I mean, [79:09] the studies show this, you fall into a [79:10] state of learned helplessness, where you [79:11] actually stop trying to help yourself [79:13] and you submit. I was reading I was [79:15] actually reading a study the other day [79:16] about rats who [79:18] who fell into a state of learned [79:19] helplessness because of [79:21] >> Oh, and they won't even [79:21] >> They won't even try anymore. Yeah. [79:23] >> Yeah. Well, that's a really good [79:24] example. [79:26] >> The same happens with humans. If you If [79:27] someone tells you something something [79:29] can't change, you're stuck, you're [79:30] [ __ ] [79:31] >> When you're ready to have a [79:32] life-changing experience, we'd love you [79:34] to be our guest. [79:35] >> Come. [79:35] >> Come to the center, do a bit of a fast. [79:37] I'm telling you, you're a great [79:38] candidate. You'll have an intense, but [79:40] you know, positive experience. [79:42] >> Okay. [79:43] >> And we'll make sure that if you walk in, [79:45] you walk out. [79:46] >> Okay, good. [79:47] That's a prerequisite of my visit. Thank [79:49] you so much, Dr. Goldman, and keep doing [79:50] what you're doing. [79:51] >> Thank you. [79:51] >> Thank you. [79:53] Make sure you keep what I'm about to say [79:54] to yourself. I'm inviting 10,000 of you [79:57] to come even deeper into the Diary of a [79:59] CEO. Welcome to my inner circle. This is [80:02] a brand new private community that I'm [80:04] launching to the world. We have so many [80:05] incredible things that happen that you [80:07] are never shown. We have the briefs that [80:10] are on my iPad when I'm recording the [80:11] conversation. We have clips we've never [80:13] released. We have behind-the-scenes [80:16] conversations with the guests and also [80:16] the episodes that we've never ever [80:19] released and so much more. In the [80:22] circle, you'll have direct access to me. [80:24] You can tell us what you want this show [80:25] to be, who you want us to interview, and [80:27] the types of conversations you would [80:28] love us to have. But, remember for now, [80:31] we're only inviting the first 10,000 [80:33] people that join before it closes. So, [80:36] if you want to join our private close [80:37] community, head to the link in the [80:38] description below or go to [80:39] DOACcircle.com. [80:42] I will speak to you then.