In this “Ask Me Anything” (AMA) episode, Peter explains some observations he’s noticed since switching to a 3-day fasting regimen, the various things he’s measuring, and some helpful tips for getting through a prolonged fast. He also discusses the role of exogenous ketones in fasting and ketogenic diets as well as their impact on autophagy, specifically. Finally, Peter provides some practical advice for those looking to fit exercise for longevity into their busy life. Once again, Bob Kaplan, Peter’s head of research, will be asking the questions. If you’re not a subscriber and listening on a podcast player, you’ll only be able to hear a preview of the AMA. If you’re a subscriber, you can now listen to this full episode on your private RSS feed or on our website at the AMA #13 show notes page. If you are not a subscriber, you can learn more about the subscriber benefits here.

We discuss:

Peter’s observations since switching from a 7-day to a 3-day fasting regimen [1:25];

Ketone measuring devices—blood and breath [7:40];

Can zero-calorie sweeteners affect ketone production? [10:40];

Will there be a continuous insulin monitor anytime soon? [11:55];

Exogenous ketones—Role in fasting and ketogenic diets and their effect on insulin, blood glucose, and autophagy [14:10];

5 tips to help you get through a multi-day fast [25:55];

Relationship between BHB levels, glucose levels, and autophagy—Are high levels of ketones enough to produce autophagy? [34:10];

Why is measuring blood insulin so much harder than blood glucose? [36:55];

Advice and resources for people wanting to stay up to date on developments related to health and longevity (and how to quickly sift through all the bad science) [40:10];

Advice for those looking to fit exercise for longevity into their busy life [51:10]; and

More.

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Peter’s observations since switching from a 7-day to a 3-day fasting regimen [1:25]

Switching from 7-day fasting to 3-days fasting

Previously, Peter has been doing 7-day fasts once a quarter

For 2020, he has switch to a 3-day fast once a month

So he’s still fasting a roughly equal amount of time per year in total

The rationale for the switch was twofold: 1) 7-day fasts are quite intrusive on life 2) In doing the 7-day fasts, Peter has noticed that on the second day of his fasts, his glucose levels will normalize and his ketone levels really start to rise — so something interesting is happening at that point so at least doing a slightly less extreme version (3 days) will give him some of that benefit that we got from the seven day fast



-Observations about the 3-day fast compared to 7-day:

{end of show notes preview}