Fast This Way Book Summary And Review | By Dave Asprey

Table of Contents

How to Use the Bulletproof Guide to Fasting to Reduce Weight, Get Smarter, and Live Your Longest, Healthiest Life

Four of Dave Asprey’s books have achieved New York Times best seller status. You may be more familiar with him as the creator of Bulletproof Coffee, the author of The Bulletproof Diet and Super Human, and the CEO of Bulletproof Nutrition, Inc.

From the University of Pennsylvania, Asprey earned an MBA. He had leadership positions in tech firms throughout his career, such as Trend Micro and Citrix Systems.

He is also renowned for his foray into e-commerce in its infancy. The first t-shirts with caffeine molecules printed on the front were introduced by Asprey in 1994. He expanded his firm to twelve other nations while operating out of his undergraduate room.

Asprey is the founder of biohacking and one of the first lifestyle authorities. Biohacking is the technique of using one’s own body as a living laboratory to test various health-improving strategies.

Asprey has dedicated his life to experimenting with different diets and ways of living as a biohacker. This book addresses one such diet: intermittent fasting.

The Psychological Struggle of Fasting

Asprey describes his encounter with a shaman in the book’s introduction. To help him on his quest of fasting, he sought her out. He experimented with several sorts of fasting while on his tour.

He discovered that suppressing his appetites gave him more control over his connection with food and made him feel more in control. He found it easier to be less dependent on food when he went without it occasionally.

But getting here isn’t simple. This is because all of your thoughts when you fast. You are listening to your appetites rather than your hunger if you feel like you can’t do it.

Physical hunger is a real thing. Your stomach grumbles, you can have dizziness, and it might be difficult to concentrate. Your body needs to refuel with some incredibly healthy foods as a result of hunger and associated symptoms.

Yet, there may be both a physical and psychological component to cravings. Even if you are not hungry, cravings can still exist. We are driven by cravings to consume particular substances or foods with particular textures.

The debate between the physical and psychological components of cravings continues among scientists. The body, for instance, yearns for nutrients that are lacking. On the other hand, scientists think behaviour has a bigger role to play in cravings.

The truth here will finally be revealed through the research. We are compelled to conquer cravings by fasting. We wait till we are actually hungry rather than eating whenever we feel like it.

Denying such cravings makes fasting challenging. Cravings are probably psychological; how you approach fasting is important.

Get familiar with the Molecular Biology of Fasting

Despite not being a scientist, Dave Asprey devotes a whole section to addressing the biology of fasting.

Diet culture has repeatedly emphasised for years that how much and what you eat determines your weight. Yet recent research has revealed that timing also affects how our bodies react to food.

Throughout the past 50 years, there has been a dramatic change in eating habits. The typical adult today eats roughly six times each day, compared to the once-standard three meals per day. Adults can eat up to 15 times in a day.

Scientists have begun to investigate this phenomena as a result of this fact and the growing obesity epidemic in western societies. According to some nutritionists, it is unhealthy for us to not give our bodies adequate intervals in between meals.

Evolution is a frequently cited line of evidence. Several meals a day were not consumed by early humans. Instead, they developed through brief fasting intervals.

We have always been a diurnal species. This indicates that we sleep at night and are awake during the day. Yet, as more and more people remain up late these days, there are more opportunities for grazing.

According to study, this habit throws the metabolism of contemporary humans out of whack. Long-term and excessive eating are associated with obesity. These dietary practises have an impact on our general health.

Intermittent fasting may be useful in this situation. A 12-hour period is designated for intermittent fasting, which limits eating to three to five times each day. This 12-hour timeframe should ideally occur in the daytime.

Possible Health Advantages of Fasting

What exactly is the appeal of intermittent fasting? The following are potential effects of fasting:

Encourage weight loss
your gut, heal
induce autophagy, the body’s natural process for cellular cleansing and renewal
lower your chance of developing chronic disorders
increased sensitivity of insulin
lessen inflammatory
Activate metabolism
Boost your endurance
improve brain function
lengthen the time you live

Furthermore, research has demonstrated that several disorders can be fought by intermittent fasting. For diabetes, cancer, and neurological diseases like Alzheimer’s, for instance, animal studies have shown the benefits of fasting.

There Is More Than One Way to Speed Up

People frequently struggle to successfully fast because they pick the wrong fasting strategy. After all, there are various methods for implementing intermittent fasting.

The practise of fasting, for instance, varies depending on the faith and is similar to many. For instance, Seventh-day Adventists fast at night during Ramadan while Muslims are compelled to fast during the day.

Fasting is not a religious requirement. Three different fasts have been proposed by supporters of fasting:

Intermittent or time-limited fasting
intermittent fasting
altered fasting

The most well-known of them is undoubtedly intermittent fasting. But just because you’re well-liked doesn’t ensure this strategy will work for you. It calls for you to set up a specified period of time for eating, during which you are free to eat anything you want or are in need of.

Try alternate-day fasting if intermittent fasting doesn’t work for you. You must refrain from eating and drinking every other day (apart from water) while following this more stringent fasting regimen.

The third kind of fasting is modified fasting. Use food to meet up to 25% of your energy requirements during this routine for two days, then eat normally for five days.

Intermittent fasting: Types
There is no one way to intermittent fast, just as there is no one way to fast. Instead, numerous time-limited fasts have been developed.

The 16/8 technique is one of the most well-liked intermittent fasting regimens. You must fast for 16 hours as part of this diet. The next 8 hours, which should ideally take place throughout the daytime, are then yours to eat anything you want.

An such method of intermittent fasting is the Warrior Diet. You can only consume fruit and vegetables under this programme during the daytime. You may eat one substantial supper meal.

Theoretically, you could create your own intermittent fasting diet. But, before drastically reducing your calorie consumption, always consult a doctor.

The Connection Between Fasting and Sleep Is Bi-Directional

Did you know that those who sleep poorly or insufficiently seek more calorie-dense foods?

The secret to successful intermittent fasting is getting enough rest. Your appetite may be impacted by poor sleep. Your nose will detect odours differently if you lack sleep.

For instance, the effects of 4 hours and 8 hours of sleep were compared in a study with 25 healthy individuals. The 4-hour group reported feeling more hungry four weeks later. They had a greater desire for foods with lots of fat and sugar, like donuts.

Yet, the inverse is also accurate. How well and how long you sleep is influenced by what and when you eat.

Food digestion is best done during the day. Our bodies produce less insulin at night, which affects how well we can digest sweets. Our systems metabolise saturated fats at night (aka cholesterol).

Your body’s metabolism may become out of whack if you eat just before bed. Your ability to get a decent night’s sleep may be hampered by this. Your body may accumulate more fat as a result.

Asprey’s Recommendations for a Sounder Sleep
How can we guarantee a restful night’s sleep, aside from not eating just before bed? Here are some of the book’s best advices:

Every night, go to bed at the same hour, and get up every morning around the same time.
Don’t use electronic screens before bed because the blue light can throw off your Circadian Rhythm.
Use mindfulness or meditation to reduce tension before bed.
Avoid using tobacco and alcohol.
At least five hours before going to bed, avoid caffeine.
Naturally, you must also make sure that you get the recommended amount of sleep each night. People need to sleep for seven to eight hours every night.

You Can Get Physically Stronger Through Fasting

Intermittent fasting also promotes muscle building and weight loss.

Lean muscle mass can increase by eating more frequently and taking longer intervals between meals. Both activities can raise your metabolism, which will help your body burn fat more efficiently.

Moreover, intermittent fasting can induce ketosis in the body. The popular Keto Diet is based on the concept of ketosis. Your body is forced to burn fat for energy rather than carbohydrates by this natural mechanism.

In one study, experts examined the amount of muscle gain seen by men eating normally and by men who fasted intermittently. The non-fasting group gained weight after eight weeks of exercise, whereas the fasting group did not.

If you include exercise while you’re fasting, you can also anticipate muscular gain. According to research, those who diet lose more muscle mass than those who follow an intermittent fasting plan.

You can feel mentally stronger if you fast.

You may feel intellectually stronger after a fast. The brain and body are stressed out during a fast. Nonetheless, our minds are very adaptable. They produce more mitochondria as a reaction to this stress.

Asprey has written previously on mitochondria. How mitochondria can help slow down the ageing process is discussed in the book Head Strong. This book teaches us about mitochondria and how they function in the brain.

Particularly, mitochondria aid brain cells in generating energy. Moreover, they promote the growth of synapses, which aid in brain cell communication.

What does this mean in terms of behavior? You might become more focused and mentally clear by fasting. With better brain cell communication, you’ll be able to think more clearly and solve problems more successfully.

Studies have also demonstrated the advantages of fasting for brain disorders. According to research, fasting can help with the symptoms of illnesses like Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s. The effects of fasting on epilepsy, multiple sclerosis, autism, stroke, mood disorders, and anxiety have also been demonstrated.

If You Fast Correctly, You Won’t Be Hungry

Fast This Way by Dave Asprey’s final chapter teaches us how to put all of these concepts into practise. His general suggestions for fasting are as follows:

Depending on your gender, health, lifestyle, and patterns of hunger, you should fast for 12 to 16 hours.
Take two to three meals a day, including breakfast.
Take your final meal before to 4:00 p.m.
Eat nothing after 4 o’clock.
Strive to include more protein to each meal, paying particular attention to sources of protein from plants.
Eat moderate amounts of carbohydrates to prevent your insulin levels from becoming unstable.

While you are fasting, you are allowed to drink coffee and tea. Another excellent approach to keep yourself full when fasting is using bone broth.

Protein is the single food you should make every effort to avoid eating when fasting. Hormones in the body are triggered by proteins. It takes a lot of energy to produce hormones.

You are more likely to experience hunger if your body needs all of that energy to make hormones. You can trigger autophagy, the body’s capacity to rid itself of cellular trash such as dead and damaged cells, by temporarily depriving your body of protein.

Asprey cautions against seeing these as unbreakable laws. He claims that once a week, he also breaks his fast to enjoy breakfast with his family.

Fast This Way Book Review

Dave Asprey’s book, Fast This Way is an eye-opening, informative guide to intermittent fasting and its potential benefits. He outlines his personal experience with fasting, as well as providing evidence-based recommendations and insights into the science behind the practice.

Asprey provides a detailed overview of the science behind intermittent fasting, including the potential benefits such as weight loss, improved metabolic health, and increased energy. He also provides tips on how to incorporate fasting into your life, such as which type of fasting to choose, how to prepare your meals, and how to incorporate fasting into family and work life.

The book is filled with valuable information that readers can use to make informed decisions about their health. Asprey provides a comprehensive overview of the science and evidence, as well as a detailed view of his own experiences with fasting. He also provides practical tips on how to incorporate fasting into your life.

Overall, Fast This Way is an informative and comprehensive guide to intermittent fasting, written by an expert in the field. It provides an excellent overview of the science and evidence, as well as practical advice and tips for incorporating fasting into your life. Highly recommended for anyone interested in learning more about intermittent fasting and its potential benefits.

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