“I tried fasting/keto. It made me feel terrible.”

“I can’t fast. I get too lightheaded and don’t sleep.”

“I’ve been intermittent fasting for a month, and it doesn’t work for me.”

“As a woman, I can’t just fast. It’s not good for me.”

I’ve heard it all from patients, clients, and now “authorities” about fasting.

What’s the real story? What’s actually going on here?

After working with hundreds of clients one-on-one and thousands in group programs using an insulin friendly eating plan (similar to keto but better) and different forms of rotational fasting, I can tell you I have seen just about everything and learned some things through the process.

When people stop eating plants and/or plant-based diets, they purge the metabolic byproducts of daily plant ingestion almost immediately.

Oxalates are one of the big reasons to avoid plant food in general and will accumulate in the body. Once they are not being forced into the body through the diet via an insulin-friendly eating plan, keto, or fasting, the body starts to get rid of them the best it can.

Some people can see and feel this start within hours of not eating or just days of eliminating plant foods. 

Sleep disturbances, energy swings, bowel changes, cloudy urine, brain fog, and irritability can all be signs of the body purging of oxalates after years of oxalate poisoning. 

Many people feel better when they continue with teas or coffee while fasting or do keto because when you ingest oxalates from those drinks, you slow the purging and, therefore, the symptoms, which might feel better, but counter-productive in the long run. Oxalate build-up is toxic, after all.

Oxalates also really cause swings in our mineral balance and are the big reason people feel better taking electrolytes or salt during keto or fasting.

Combine this process with the swings and withdrawal from carb addiction, and things can get pretty cranky quickly.

If you are also trying to get off caffeine before you fast (highly recommended), you now have a trifecta of variables, potentially terrorizing your fasting or keto experience. At that point, it isn’t that fasting was bad, didn’t work, or was not right for you. Chances are you didn’t do it right.

Processed plant-based foods are the highest artificial stimulator of insulin, with a close second being processed (powdered) protein.

Insulin is the master survival hormone and the biggest bully on the hormonal playground. 

Any unnatural, hyper-secretion or prolonged exposure to insulin will negatively impact all the other downstream hormones like Human Growth Hormone, Testosterone, Estrogen, Progesterone, Thyroid Hormone, Ghrelin, Leptin, Adrenaline, Oxytocin, and neurotransmitters like Dopamine, Serotonin, Melatonin, NAD+, all while opening up fat storage and keep us from losing body fat through conventional efforts. 

Oxalates get into our cells’ inner mechanisms and structures, causing them to change their structure, function, and ability to produce energy, detoxify, and express normal health and healing through what are called Damage-Associated Molecular Patterns (D.A.M.P.s).

All plant foods, such as tea, coffee, and chocolate, have high oxalates. 

I am not telling anyone what to do here. You must decide for yourself and your family.

The good news is there are strategies and approaches to fasting, keto, and Insulin Friendly Living that can be applied and used by everyone, even if you think it didn’t work for you, had a bad experience, or think it can’t work for you for any reason.

Keep following for more info, or join my group, “Insulin Friendly Fasting Secrets.”

One can not make an informed choice without information or an educated decision without education. Take this info for what you will and change what you feel is important, or not according to your own personal lifestyle plan, goals, and program.

If you don’t have a plan, goals, or program, and let’s get you started.

We can do better!

Dr. Don