Intermittent Fasting

 Intermittent fasting refers to eating plans that alternate between fasting and eating
periods.

The goal is to systematically starve the body long enough to trigger fat burning.
While research is still underway and the method may not be suitable for everyone, there is

evidence that, when done correctly, intermittent fasting can help lose weight, lower blood
pressure and cholesterol, prevent or control diabetes, and improve the brain’s health.
During a meal, carbohydrates in food are broken down into glucose.
Glucose absorbs through the intestinal wall into the bloodstream and is transported to
various organs, where it serves as the major energy source.
Excess glucose is stored for later use in the liver and adipose tissue, in the form
of glycogen and fats.
In between meals, when the body is in the fasted state, the liver converts glycogen
back to glucose to keep supplying the body with energy.
Typically, an inactive person takes about 10 to 12 hours to use up the glycogen stores,
although someone who exercises may do so in much less time.
Once the reserve of glycogen in the liver is depleted, the body taps into energy stores
in adipose tissues.
This is when fats are broken down into free fatty acids which are then converted into
additional metabolic fuel in the liver.
Thus, if the fasted state lasts long enough, the body burns fat for energy and loses that
extra fat.
Losing the extra fat is translated into a range of associated health benefits.
Insulin is the hormone required for driving glucose into cells.
Insulin level is regulated to match the amount of glucose in the blood, that is, high after
a meal and low between meals.
Because insulin is secreted after each meal, eating throughout the day keeps insulin levels
high most of the time.
Constant high insulin levels may de-sensitize body tissues, causing insulin insensitivity
- the hallmark of prediabetes and diabetes type 2.
Fasting helps keep insulin levels low, reducing diabetes risks.
Fasting also has a beneficial effect on the brain.
It challenges the brain the same way physical or cognitive exercise does.
It promotes the production of neurotrophic factors, which support the growth and survival of neurons.
Fasting, however, is not for everyone.
Among those who should not attempt fasting are:
- children and teens - pregnant or breastfeeding women
- people with eating disorders, diabetes type 1, advanced diabetes, or some other medical
problems - people who are underweight or frail
Fasting can also be unsafe if overdone, or if not done correctly.
There are several approaches to intermittent fasting, but the easiest to achieve is perhaps
the one that simply extends the usual nighttime fast.
A daily cycle of a 16-hour fast followed by an 8-hour eating window is usually sustainable.
For intermittent fasting to be safe and effective, it must be combined with balanced meals that
provide good nutrition.
It is important to stay hydrated, and know your physical limits while fasting.
The fast must be broken slowly.
Overeating after fast, especially unhealthy foods, must be avoided.
when you are sick you usually lose your
appetite the same is true for your dog
or your cat or even for mice and flies
this appetite loss is part of a set of
responses to infection collectively
known as sickness behavior when you get
an infection there are two ways that
your body gets damaged first the
the pathogen itself can cause damage second
our immune system while fighting the
the infection causes collateral damage by
making toxic substances like reactive
oxygen species or unfolded proteins for
nearly 50 years scientists and doctors
have wondered whether and how sickness
behaviors affect the course of the disease
to investigate the damage caused by the
immune system
we injected some mice with the virus and
others with bacteria then fed them the
mice infected with bacteria died
whereas mice infected with the virus
survived we next tried to figure out
which food was the culprit and we found
that glucose was responsible for the
effects of feeding during infection when
we blocked the ability of cells to use
glucose with chemicals called 2dg and
DMH mice infected with bacteria now
survived and mice infected with the
virus died the exact opposite happening
why does this happen cells need the
right nutrients to perform certain tasks
so during an infection what you eat
controls what nutrients are available to
your cells and therefore what defense
strategies they can employ we found that
in bacterial infections cells need
ketones to reduce toxic to s
accumulation when fasting ketones become
available in viral infections however
cells need glucose to properly respond
to unfolded proteins when eating glucose
is abundant therefore during a viral
infection eating provides glucose which
may be necessary for survival
conversely fasting leads to ketone
the production which may help to survive a
bacterial infection this research
suggests that different metabolic
programs are coordinated with different
types of infections to promote
tissue tolerance our work may have
implications for how we feed infected
patients in the intensive care units and
suggest that when you get an infection
what you do and don't feel like eating
maybe your body's way of telling you
how best to survive the illness.