The Galen Foundation
6 HN recommenders · recommended in 6 months, 2021–2025
1:20:59 · 11M views · Aug 16, 2019
Cardiologist Dr. Pradip Jamnadas lectures on the rationale for dietary restriction and fasting, covering insulin resistance, glucose intolerance, and low-carb eating over about 81 minutes.
Several HN commenters call it one of the best explanations of fasting and insulin and recommend it in diet and weight loss threads.
7 comments from Hacker News
No, you are wrong. It's a binary decision. Millions of people do it. The key is to make the decision and stick to it. The "magic pill" for sticking to the decision is starting with a 3 to 5 day water-only fast, which is easy. Ask anyone who has done it. This rewires your brain, removes cravings and more. From there, just eat fruits, vegetables, fermented foods and your favorite range of proteins. If type 2 diabetic, avoid high glycemic index foods and favor fiber (which slows down the rate of change of your blood glucose level). Except for extreme cases, a type 2 diabetic can be off medication a week after fasting. A decision that should be made under medical supervision, of course. The key is that simple decision: Today, I stop eating for three days (or five, but three is a great starting point, with seven being amazing). And anyone can do this. Of course, again, consult with a medical professional for safety and recommendations. Fasting IS NOT ABOUT LOSING WEIGHT. This is what I though for many years before I learned. Fasting sets off a wide range of biochemical processes in your body that are incredibly beneficial on more than one front. It is these changes, as well as the psychological perspective gained (Oh, wow, I don't have to eat every three hours!) that lead to weight loss, the reversal of inflammation and metabolic disease. The objective, however, again, isn't weight loss. This is the best video I have found to explain the incredible changes and benefits of multi-da
I strongly believe that fasting is one of the best ways to combat obesity, diabetes, cancer, high blood pressure, and more. The scientific literature is certainly accumulating tremendous evidence supporting this hypothesis [1]. Here is one of my favorite videos on the subject [2], a talk by Dr Pradip Jamnadas who is one of the top cardiologists in Florida. There is no industry that profits on you being healthier through fasting. Consequently it doesn't get the attention or consideration that it should given the supporting evidence. However it has an advantage over every other solution suggested here - everyone can start reaping the benefits immediately . No legislation, no taxation, etc. Eating healthy and natural foods is still a critical part of the solution. Perhaps most importantly, we need to properly educate the youth and show them the benefits and consequences of their choices when it comes to diet and exercise. [1] Fasting: Molecular Mechanisms and Clinical Applications [LINK] [2] Fasting For Survival Lecture by Dr Pradip Jamnadas this video
Intermittent Fasting, specifically OMAD. Cut all sugars and processed foods. If you want to pursue this, highly recommend watching this video: this video
Insulin is the big elephant in the room that's barely talked about. Everybody should watch this lecture this video
Most of this thread is about time-boxing your meal(s) and losing weight. An important aspect of fasting is that there are highly beneficial results to not eating - especially for 36 hours or more. Most of what Galen Foundation promotes seems to be a low carb, low sugar, low manufactured (including processed vegetable oils), non-vegetarian diet combined with what ever level of fasting you feel comfortable with. Interesting stuff: this video "Our life revolves around eating too much". God yes it does.