April is beginning to run out, so it’s time for my monthly 72 hour fast. I have committed to incorporating this into my cadre of 365 habits because a recent study at USC found significant benefits to the immune system. Researchers found that regular 72 hour fasts can rebuild the immune system. Here is a link: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1934590914001519
I also have some pants I want to be able to wear again!
Today is day one, I’m already about 12 hours in since dinner last night, only 60 more hours to go. I plan on using this fast as a springboard back into a Keto based diet.
After my fast, for fuel I will focus on consuming “good fats” like organic virgin coconut oil, olive oil, macadamia nuts and good quality animal fats like grass fed butter, fish oil, and pastured eggs. I figure fasting will bring my body’s fat burning mechanisms on line, and then, when I break my fast with a strict Keto diet, my body will more easily adapt to using dietary fats as fuel.
I have mentioned “good fats.” You may be wondering, how does he know the difference between a good fat and a bad fat? After all, there’s been alot of bad information, in my opinion, driven by food manufacturers who want to boost profit by feeding us less pricey highly processed seed oil, corn oil, and virtually indigestible soybean oil. So, for good information I trust Mark Sisson’s definitive guide to fats, check it out: https://www.marksdailyapple.com/fats/
So, fat will provide the fuel I need, and proteins will provide the materials for maintaining and re-building my body. My understanding is the body prefers to use fats and carbs for energy, and protein for rebuilding. It never made much sense to me to count calories from protein, because the body will not “burn” or convert protein to energy unless there is no fat or carbohydrates available, instead protein is dedicated to cell and system renewal. So, I will eat a moderate amount of high quality proteins (grass-fed beef, fish, some organ meats, some nuts and hemp seed) to rebuild and maintain my cells.
To ensure enough vitamins and minerals and fiber and a few carbohydrates, I plan on eating a good amount of greens primarily cruciferous types and other dark greens. I prefer these lightly cooked for a few reasons, cooking kills off e-coli or other bad stuff, and it reduces the bulky volume making it easier to eat. A huge handful of greens cooks down to a manageable size quickly. Finally, it tastes a bit better to me, and I can add them to my morning eggs which seems to make them more palatable. I want to keep sugar and fructose very low so I will limit my fruit to wild blueberries and green apples.
I have a vision of health and fitness that I want to make happen. I’ve done well so far in my 365 commitment with exercise, but now it it time to get right with my diet. So, here goes. I am starting with a 72 hour fast and then will launch into the diet outlined above. Time to make a good diet part of my commitment.
Ben Wagner (115)
Member The 365 Commitment
