What doesn't affect the brain?
Fasting Affects the Brain
41–50 of 135 posts
Re: Fasting Affects the Brain
#42I sometimes intermittently fast for 24 hour periods, but recently I've switched to skipping breakfast, which effectively works out to be a 17 hour fast for me if I eat dinner at 6pm and have lunch at 12pm. Everyone says it's the most important meal of the day, but I haven't found convincing evidence of this(especially that which isn't sponsored by grain and sugar producers), and not having a huge insulin spike at the…
> Pro-breakfast proponents say that eating breakfast results in eating less throughout the day, but I can't say this has been true at all for myself.
Another sample size of 1, but I had the same experience. Eating or not eating breakfast has no apparent impact on my hunger at lunchtime. (Not eating dinner the night before, however, does, so I'm hardly immune to hunger. I wish)
> The only negative effect I'm having is that my sex drive has plummeted to near-zero
This symptom I do not share, however.
Re: Fasting Affects the Brain
#43I sometimes intermittently fast for 24 hour periods, but recently I've switched to skipping breakfast, which effectively works out to be a 17 hour fast for me if I eat dinner at 6pm and have lunch at 12pm. Everyone says it's the most important meal of the day, but I haven't found convincing evidence of this(especially that which isn't sponsored by grain and sugar producers), and not having a huge insulin spike at the…
“Breakfast is the most important meal of the day" was an advertising slogan for Kellogg's.
I'm in awe at how well that advertising slogan permeated culture as pseudoscience. I hope someone at Kellogg's got a nice bonus for that.
Re: Fasting Affects the Brain
#44Fasting is a periodic religious observance for me. The main effect I have noticed is increased irritability, but then I've never done cognitive tests while fasting.
That might be from the caffeine withdrawals. I'm trying it wihtout caffeine at all this year, and it's been great.
I'm trying it with caffeine pills; also great!
Re: Fasting Affects the Brain
#45yes fasting can have benefits, but the way most Muslims do it (in summer specifically) actually hurts. your body needs a minimum amount of water and salt to work properly throughout the day.
Common! We're talking about what? 12 or 15 hours? The body is a lot more resilient than we give it credit for.
Think about it, you don't drink while sleeping, so that's 7 or 8 hours right there. If you ever been not drinking for 2 or 3 hours before going to bed, than you're close to 12 hours.
In fact, google "dry fasting", lots of people are experimenting with it. "dry fasting" for 24 hours feels very different than "water fasting" for the same amount of time. There is no published scientific studies about it, I suspect because of liabilities fear when people go to extremes, but I am convinced that short term (~ 24 hours) it is different and beneficial. Every theory you will find online is bro science, but, you can't dismiss hundreds (thousands) of people experimenting and and reporting positive results.
Re: Fasting Affects the Brain
#46I sometimes intermittently fast for 24 hour periods, but recently I've switched to skipping breakfast, which effectively works out to be a 17 hour fast for me if I eat dinner at 6pm and have lunch at 12pm. Everyone says it's the most important meal of the day, but I haven't found convincing evidence of this(especially that which isn't sponsored by grain and sugar producers), and not having a huge insulin spike at the…
“Breakfast is the most important meal of the day" was an advertising slogan for Kellogg's.
That sounds plausible (and interesting) but do you have a source for it?
Re: Fasting Affects the Brain
#47I sometimes intermittently fast for 24 hour periods, but recently I've switched to skipping breakfast, which effectively works out to be a 17 hour fast for me if I eat dinner at 6pm and have lunch at 12pm. Everyone says it's the most important meal of the day, but I haven't found convincing evidence of this(especially that which isn't sponsored by grain and sugar producers), and not having a huge insulin spike at the…
If it works for you, sure. Interesting, I often eat a big but healthy breakfast and then eat nothing for the rest of the day, and that works really well for me.
Re: Fasting Affects the Brain
#48I sometimes intermittently fast for 24 hour periods, but recently I've switched to skipping breakfast, which effectively works out to be a 17 hour fast for me if I eat dinner at 6pm and have lunch at 12pm. Everyone says it's the most important meal of the day, but I haven't found convincing evidence of this(especially that which isn't sponsored by grain and sugar producers), and not having a huge insulin spike at the…
I agree. Purely anecdotal from me too, but I feel so much more productive when I fast 16/8. I stopped feeling ravenously hungry after the first couple of days, and frequently fast for longer than the 16 hours in a single cycle.
Re: Fasting Affects the Brain
#49Earlier quoted context omitted.
Espresso has no calories
Grandparent is talking about religious fasting, not a diet. It's likely not about calories.
Indeed. It's abstaining from all food and drink for a goal of 24 hours. I generally manage about 12, but it's something I'm working on improving.
Re: Fasting Affects the Brain
#50yes fasting can have benefits, but the way most Muslims do it (in summer specifically) actually hurts. your body needs a minimum amount of water and salt to work properly throughout the day.
As someone who does Ramadan right now, I partly disagree. You are right that not drinking has adverse effects on cognitive performance, at least in the initial days.
But remember that this fast is done for mental reasons, and not physique. Even though it can be difficult, I really look forward to it throughout the year. It does bring euphoria and increased focus and other positive "mental" effects.
To say it has no benefits is obviously wrong. It can be a great experience!