JANUARY NEWSLETTER: HOW TO GET BACK ON TRACK

By: Gleason Center Editors, Dr. Daniel Gleason DC

This time of year, one of our greatest challenges can be getting back on track after eating everything over the holidays. We get it. Now it’s time to re-commit to our health so we can start feeling better!

Overindulgence can lead to a state of extreme cravings where we feel like we need to eat every two hours. We often feel out of control and incapable of resisting the urge to eat. A Fat Fast is a simple way to get back on track after a period of overindulgence. It’s also an excellent intro to fasting. In a nutshell, you’ll eat only fatty foods for several days. This allows your body to reach a fat-burning state without side effects like headaches or extreme hunger. This technique can also be used during periods of stress when fasting seems impossible.

Benefits of Low Carb/ Healthy Fat (LCHF) eating include: 

• Weight loss
• Increased energy
• Improved mental clarity
• Less pain and stiffness
• Better attitude and sleep

I first learned of Fat Fasting forty years ago from Robert C. Atkins, MD Cardiologist. He recommended the Fat Fast for patients who had initial weight loss success with his LCHF Diet, but hit a plateau. More recently, Jason Fung, MD found the Fat Fast as a way to help his patients get back on track. He’s a Nephrologist from Canada who’s created renewed interest in fasting and LCHF diets to reverse kidney disease and Diabetes. I follow Dr. Fung on Twitter as a way to stay informed and motivated.

What does a Fat Fast look like? 

• Drinking lots of water (2x as much as coffee or tea)
• Eating whenever you’re hungry
• Eating only allowed foods (below)
• Avoiding dairy and nuts

Allowed Foods:

• Eggs
• Bacon
• Salmon, Sardines
• Olives
• Avocado
• Olive, Coconut, Avocado, Macadamia, MCT oil
• Mayo (from the above healthy oils)
• Butter or Ghee
• Leafy Greens
• Spices
• Bone Broth
• Coffee/Tea 

How will I feel on the Fat Fast? At first you’ll feel satisfied. After all, what’s more satisfying than eating as much as you want! You’ll also be less hungry and feel full because these foods are filling. Eating them will reduce your hunger for many hours. Initially you may experience water-weight loss and associated increased urination for a few days. This is a natural byproduct of lower insulin levels. Other signs that it's working will be less puffiness in the face, less swelling in the legs, looser fitting clothes, or the rings on your fingers getting looser. After a few days, your hunger will decrease significantly or even go away completely. When you strictly Fat Fast,  the transition to a more permanent LCHF way of eating is much easier.

I also recommend Intermittent Fasting of various lengths of time. Jason Fung has several books that can help including The Diabetes Code and The Complete Guide to Fasting. Next month, I’ll talk about the Sugar Fast which is another strategy to help with the transition back to healthy eating.

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If you like this post, you might also enjoy: Intermittent Fasting 101